CEPCU discusses church-state relations and plans key events for 2025
On March 20, 2025, a meeting of the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine (CEPCU) was held in Kyiv under the chairmanship of Senior Bishop Oleksandr Zaitsev of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church. During the meeting, they discussed a number of important issues related to church-state relations, outlined the results of previous activities and identified priorities for the current year.
Source: repcu.org
Gratitude for service in wartime
Viktor Voynalovych, First Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), expressed gratitude to the evangelical churches for their spiritual, social and humanitarian service to the Ukrainian people during the war. He also informed about:
- Draft legal acts being developed by the State Department of Evangelicals
- The procedure for booking clergy
- Regulations for traveling abroad by church representatives for religious and humanitarian purposes
Advocacy and humanitarian support
The participants of the meeting analyzed the activities of the RECCU in the field of international advocacy, in particular regarding:
- Communicating the truth about Russian aggression against Ukraine
- Facts of religious persecution in the occupied territories
- Humanitarian initiatives in the context of assistance to the population and post-war reconstruction
Support for military chaplaincy
The members of the Council discussed the issues of pastoral ministry during the war and the development of military chaplaincy. It was decided to hold the second Interfaith Forum of Military Chaplains “United in Service” in October 2025. The initiative to exchange experience between representatives of different faiths in the field of military service was also supported.
20th anniversary of the CEPCU: plans for celebration
The meeting supported the proposal of the Secretariat of the Council to hold celebrations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Council, including a festive meeting in June 2025 and a series of events throughout the year.
The Council was established in 2005 to coordinate cooperation between evangelical churches, promote freedom of religion, and spread Christian values in society. As of today, the CEPCU includes 20 evangelical churches (17 have the status of members and 3 are observers).
Moral and spiritual education in education
The participants paid special attention to the topic of moral and spiritual education in schools. It was decided to support relevant initiatives and further implement them together with other Christian denominations.
