The City And Work
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city in Western Ukraine that is at the foothills of the Carpathian Mounts. The city is home to more than 300,000 people and is the administrative center for the Oblast bearing the same name. The Church in Ivano-Frankivsk was established in 2008 when Ivan Skoleba reached out to John Kachelman Jr. and other Christians to come and talk to them about the church of the New Testament. Ivan continued to study and eventually went to a preacher training school after becoming a Christian. He then returned to Ivano-Frankivsk to preach and teach in the city.
Oversight By Dalraida
In 2013, Dalraida became the overseeing congregation for the work done by Ivan Skoleba in Ivano-Frankivsk after a visit in October 2012 (shown in picture). Dalraida had been a monthly contributor to this work, but after another congregation decided they could no longer oversee and support this work, Skoleba and the members at the Ivano-Frankivsk congregation asked Dalraida to consider being the overseeing congregation and partnering in this work. Dalraida eagerly agreed to coordinate the continued support for Ivan and the work.
The work of the church in Ivano-Frankivsk continues today despite many obstacles. The congregation now meets in a rented public meeting space and they have gained their formal registration with the Ukraine government, despite persecution from the Orthodox Church and others in the area. The church has more than 30 members to meet weekly and continues to grow despite (or maybe because of) their tribulations. The congregation is currently working to build a new church building where they hope to start meeting in 2020.
The Work in Ivano-Frankivsk
After Dalraida assumed oversight of this work, we wanted to encourage the brethren to work toward being self-sufficient and grow in spiritual maturity as they make choices for the local congregation. Since there are no elders in the local congregation, the Christian men have taken the responsibility to plan and lead the congregation on a regular basis. Ivan still works as the full-time minister, but many of the men have also stepped up to lead the congregation in many ways. In 2019, Dalraida encouraged the congregation to make their first operating budget so that they can properly plan for 2020. This was an incredible step for this congregation and shows how much they have grown in spiritual maturity.
Dalraida Contact
Our point of contact for this mission work is below.
Contact for Work: John Kachelman III