The dissolution of the Soviet Union changed all that. Not only could Rusyn and his fellow evangelicals worship in the open, but he could also pursue his dream of preaching the Gospel. Today, at 45, he is deputy senior bishop of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church and president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Rusyn is also part of a 10-member delegation of Ukrainian clergy — Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim — who have come to Washington in hopes of impressing upon policymakers the threat that Russia’s invasion of their country poses for religious freedom in a nation where pluralism has thrived.
Among those who declined their request to meet, according to organizers for the delegation, was the new House speaker, Mike Johnson (R-La.), who claims his own evangelical faith “informs everything I do.” His work as a lawyer before being elected to Congress, Johnson has said, put him on “the front lines of the ‘culture war’ defending religious freedom.”
But when it comes to an actual war to defend religious freedom, not so much. While regularly offering prayers for Ukraine, Johnson in May was one of 57 lawmakers — all of them Republicans — who voted against a $39.8 billion aid package for Ukraine. At the time, he told the Shreveport Times that this country had more urgent priorities at home. As speaker, he has opposed the Biden administration’s request to include money for Ukraine in a funding bill to address what Johnson described as Israel’s “pressing and urgent need.”
Rusyn expressed disappointment that he did not get a chance to share his firsthand experiences with the speaker. “Since he’s a devoted believer, I believe he would change his mind,” Rusyn told me. “Because this is about humanity. This is about people’s lives.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently uses religious symbols and imagery to justify his effort to conquer Ukraine and has bestowed favoritism on leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church whom he considers his political allies. But the faithful of Ukraine’s Orthodox denominations, with which 80 percent of the population is affiliated, are increasingly moving away from Moscow’s domination.
Meanwhile, the State Department, quoting Ukraine’s Institute for Religious Freedom, estimated that Russian forces last year “destroyed, damaged, or looted” nearly 500 religious buildings, theological institutions and sacred sites in Ukraine, disproportionately attacking evangelical Christians, who are estimated to account for only 2 percent of the population. Rusyn’s seminary was hit by six rockets during the early days of the invasion.
Religious leaders across Ukraine have no illusions about the risks of continuing to proclaim their faith as the war rages. “Our pastors have been imprisoned in the occupied places, so for us, it’s clear that we will be at least imprisoned [if Russia wins]. Why we don’t run? Because there is a calling,” Rusyn said.
After Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) spoke with the visiting clerics, the senator posted Tuesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Met with group of Ukrainian religious leaders from different faiths [with] 1 message. Most are on Putin’s hit list if he is successful in conquering Ukraine. I agreed to keep them in my prayers.”
In the United States, evangelicals are a pillar of the MAGA base, where support for Ukraine has been crumbling. And some have shown a disturbing affinity for Putin, viewing him as an ally on causes such as opposing LGBTQ+ rights.
Shortly after the invasion, televangelist Pat Robertson (who died in June) said Putin had been “compelled by God” and suggested the war was a precursor to an end-times battle in Israel.
Rusyn understands that Washington is not the best place for changing minds and hearts. This is his third visit to the United States since the war began. He has spread his message in Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida, among other places. From here, the interfaith delegation was headed to Houston.
“When we share our story, we experience healing. When I will go back home, I will tell to my people that there are many Americans who want to listen and who are ready to run a marathon with us,” Rusyn told me. “We believe in God. We believe in humanity. And we believe that unprovoked human suffering will resonate in people’s hearts regardless of political affiliations or religious affiliation.”
Rusyn is a man of faith, and he has put a lot of it in the American people and their leaders. Let’s hope they can put their politics aside and hear the message that he and other brave Ukrainian religious leaders have risked so much to bring to us.
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