62nd Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention Congress

May 23–25, 2025 — The 62nd Congress of the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention

"A Church Without Borders" — under this motto, the 62nd Congress of the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention (WUBC) was held in the state of Washington.

Credit must be given to the organizers — this event was of great scope, both in terms of organization and content. From Friday through Sunday, the congress featured a variety of gatherings, conferences, sessions, praise evenings, and prayer meetings. Everyone who had the opportunity to attend the congress unanimously noted that everything was conducted in a very organized and inspiringly blessed manner.

But let's go through everything in order.

This year's congress was hosted by the Evangelical Baptist Church of the city of Kent. Speaking of the organizational side of the event, I will likely echo the common sentiment in thanking the wonderful team of this church, which prepared the venue, the program, and all necessary provisions at the highest level. Every volunteer, helper, and participant was exactly where they needed to be — not to mention the delicious meals and many pleasant little touches that added an atmosphere of love and warmth.

The congress began on Friday, May 23rd, with a prayer evening. As in all recent years, the main subject of prayer was Ukraine. Dozens of pastors from various cities and even states, along with congress guests and all the faithful, in a single passionate outpouring, asked God for a just end to the war and for peace and prosperity in Ukraine. This unity around a shared heartache set the tone of sincerity and support for the entire congress.

The Second Day of the 62nd Congress of the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention

The second day of the congress — Saturday — was a day of diligent work through seminars and thematic sessions. That day featured open meetings with church pastors on relevant topics. Notably, at one of these meetings, an idea emerged in the context of the discussion that became the central thread running through the entire congress: biblical principles do not change, but the methods churches use to reach people do. These words ran like a red ribbon through every event at the congress. The Gospel remains unchanged, but we change, our world changes, and the methods we use in our ministry must change as well. It is time to stop clinging to methods, time to step outside familiar boundaries, time to break down borders — while leaving the truth of salvation unchanged. This understanding largely explains the congress's central motto, "A Church Without Borders," where "borders" are not the boundaries of countries and states, but the limitations in our minds that prevent us from being effective in preaching the Gospel and restrict our influence on the world around us.

Also worth noting are the thematic seminars held that same day. While Sunday school seminars are already a fairly familiar feature for us, the seminars on church administration, along with the presentations of the organization "Parасолька" ("Umbrella") and the Men's Club, generated considerable interest. I will note separately that the Men's Club "UChallenge" is an innovation of UChurch, bringing together men who strive to grow and change in all areas of life.

That same day, a working session of the congress delegates was held, at which a number of decisions were made regarding the operations of the Convention. But what will be of greater interest to the wider public is the news that, by vote of the congress delegates, two new members were admitted to the Convention — the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Sacramento (Pastor Valentyn Vavryniuk) and the newly formed church UChurch (Pastor Pavlo Marchenko), which currently meets in the city of Puyallup, Washington. So the Convention now numbers 14 churches and approximately four thousand members!

The Third Day of the 62nd Congress of the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention

The third and final day of the congress left a lasting impression on its attendees. The true concluding flourish was the joint Sunday service of all the churches of the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention, which brought together over one thousand participants from various congregations. And a "flourish" it was — both figuratively and literally — as the combined symphony orchestra, choir, and worship team produced such music that it sent chills down the spines of those listening.

The chairman of the Convention took the floor. After greetings, he once again reminded everyone that "a church without borders" is not merely the congress's motto, but the only path to making an impact on the society around us. In that context, he said, we must set aside old, ineffective methods while preserving the unchanging values of Christ. He proclaimed the Convention's vision for 2025–26, which he called a vision for the entire Christian world: "Transformed into the image of God, we transform this world." The hall warmly welcomed the pastors of the newly joined churches to the stage. Heartfelt greetings were shared from pastors on the East Coast and from Canada. Pastor Andriy Savych (Golgotha Church, Lutsk) once again called all those present to mind the Great Commission. The sermon delivered as a tandem by two pastors — Alex Hrytsayuk and Vadym Dashkevych — was both unusual and innovative. It's not every day you see two preachers delivering a single sermon together! Their topic fit seamlessly into the overall theme: "Borders: Fear vs. Love."

Of course, Ukraine was not forgotten. A heartfelt prayer to the Lord for our Homeland rose from the lips of a full hall of a thousand people, like a single shared breath. Lord, protect and save!

A fitting conclusion to both the Sunday service and the congress as a whole was the resolution of the 62nd WUBC Congress, read aloud by the chairman of the Convention. The stage went dark, people began to disperse — but the beautiful music that had filled that hall continued to resound in the mind long, long afterward. Music that stirred something deep in the soul — music of glory to the crucified and risen Christ.

On behalf of the WUBC and its chairman, we extend our sincere gratitude to all the organizers, volunteers, and participants of this congress. We look forward with anticipation to the next one, which will be hosted by sunny California and the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Sacramento.