Truth, Love and Unity:

Challenges of Russian-Ukrainian War

to European Baptists

October 19-21, 2023, Higher Baptist Theological Seminary, 

Szczytnowska 35/39, 04-812 Warszawa, Poland

https://www.facebook.com/WBSTwWarszawie

 

The full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine which burst on February 24, 2022, has impacted millions of people in these two countries and even worldwide. Though this war is a regional event it, nevertheless, has global repercussions. It impacted geopolitical and economic realms, pushed governments to reconsider their defence assignations, challenged international law and international organisations demonstrating their inability to deal with ever escalating violence and harsh consequences of a breach of international law. On another it has influenced Christian communions of churches in a very sensitive way, particularly in mission and interchurch relations. This new reality challenged positions on war and peace formed in radically different contexts. Opposing attitudes towards Russian aggression exposed by Ukrainian and Russian Christians made them to look at the issue of church unity and fraternal love from a new perspective.

 

The conference “Truth, Love and Unity: Challenges of Russian-Ukrainian War to European Baptists” aims to reflect on these challenges from theological, practical, and missional perspectives. We invite theologians, pastors, practitioners, denominational leaders to this event to think deeply and discuss openly these new challenges. We invite papers on one of the following and related topics:

 

• The challenge of Ukrainian refugees for European Baptist churches

• The impact of war on mission involvement

• Russia-Ukraine war and the issue of truth

• Partnership of Baptist churches in the time of war

• Church unity in the shadow of war crimes

• Theological challenges of war

• Church planting and refugees

• Theology of suffering

• Standing for truth under the pressure of Empire

• Aftermaths of war: former Yugoslavia perspective

• Churches and the challenge of truth, love, and unity during and after WWII

 

Call for papers

Participants are invited to give presentations in discussion groups for 15 minutes. Those who are willing to do so, are invited to send an abstract (about 300 words) with a short CV to Oleksandr Geychenko at oleksandr.g@eeit-edu.info by August 31, 2023. The conference committee will select abstracts according to the following criteria: relevance and alignment with conference focus and originality of analysis and arguments. The working language of the conference is English.  

​

Programme starts in Warsaw in the evening of October 19 and ends in the afternoon of October 21. It includes keynote papers, panel discussions and section presentations, followed by discussions.

​

Presentations will be as follows:

​

Oleksandr Geychenko (Ukraine) – “Church Unity in the Shadow of Bucha”

Joshua Searle (Germany) – “Putin Has Cured Me of My Pacifism.”  

Meego Remmel (Estonia, BWA) – “Integrity Questioned by War”

Oksana Grytsiuta (Ukraine) – “Unknown Wounds of the War”

Alan Donaldson and Helle Liht (EBF) – “The Uniting Impact of War”

Eduard Sablon (Ukraine) – “Prospects For the Development of Ukrainian Theological Education During and After the War”

Yaroslav Pyzh (Ukraine) – “The Church's role in the Process of Formation of Free Society”

Valerie Duval-Poujol (France)  – “The Psalms: Mirror of Our Soul, Source of Our Resistance”

Bible studies will be done by Helen Paynter (UK).

 

There is a special meeting planned for theological educators.

​

The cost of the conference is 175 euros in a double room (2 nights) and includes all meals during the conference (19 October - dinner, 20 October - breakfast, lunch and dinner, 21 October - breakfast and lunch + coffee breaks). 

Single rooms are not available on-site, but there is hotel “Boss” close by (10 minutes by car, 35 minutes by foot). The conference fee without accommodation is 135 euros (it includes all above mentioned meals).

Ukrainian participants (who live in Ukraine) can apply for a full scholarship. 

​

Registration deadline is Thursday, 12 October.