Hillsong Ukraine
| Hillsong Kiev | |
|---|---|
| Hillsong Church Kyiv | |
 | |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Denomination | Hillsong Church |
| Website | hillsong |
| History | |
| Founded | October 1992 |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Phil and Lucinda Dooley and Bobbie Houston |
| Pastor(s) | Yuriy Ravnushkin and Tanya Ravnushkin |
Hillsong Kiev, also known as Hillsong Church Kiev or Hillsong Church Kyiv (formerly Kiev Christian Life Centre) is an offshoot of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, based in Kyiv, Ukraine.
History
In September 1992, an outreach began in the October Palace, Kyiv with team members from Hills Christian Life Centre in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia (now known as Hillsong Church). Australian worship leader David Evans, US pastor Mike Berry and former Hillsong youth pastor Darko Culjak officially began the church in a 700-seat movie theatre in downtown Kyiv. The establishment of the church was aided by Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network operating in the former Soviet Union. Darko Culjak became the first senior minister and established the Kiev Christian Life Centre officially on 4 October 1992.[citation needed] Hillsong Kiev was thus established a year after Ukraine obtained its independence from Russia.[1]
Culjak led the church until locally-educated leaders could take over the work. On 1 June 1997, Ievgenii (Zhenya) and Vera Kasevich became become the new pastors of the church.[citation needed]
As of 2007, the church held six to seven services each weekend with a combined attendance of around 3000. Pastor Zhenya and Vera wereinvited to speak at various churches and Christian conferences around the globe.[2] In February 2014, Zhenya and Vera announced their resignation.[citation needed]
In January 2015 Yuri and Tanya Ravnushkin were lead pastors of the church. The church was/is located on the outskirts of the city.[1]
Ministries
Hillsong Kiev aligned its structure with that of Sydney Hillsong. As of 2007 there were three-part courses for new believers, named "Discovery". "Connect groups" and sometimes special services were held for people of various ages and with various interests, such as youth, or "people over 40", or those who like fishing or computers.[3] Hillsong Kiev is characterised by a high level of involvement of its members in serving at the church and in 2017 was assessed by researchers as having the best level of the organisation of ministry among all Protestant churches in Europe.[4][5]
Conferences
As both Hillsong Church in Sydney and London, Hillsong Kiev holds three yearly conferences: the Hillsong Conference, the Colour Your World conference for women, and a men's conference. The Hillsong Conference, meant to equip other churches with both Biblical teaching and practical advice on organising the life of a church, gathered about 3000 delegates from more than 250 churches from 12 countries, mainly representing the former Soviet bloc, in 2006.[citation needed]
The Colour conference was cancelled in 2014 owing to conflict in Ukraine. In July 2014, at Hillsong's major conference in Sydney, Kiev lead pastor Yuriy Ravnushkin spoke about the difficulties of keeping the church going during those times.[1]
Social work
The church has a history of helping orphanages in Kyiv and nearby, supporting sick people in hospitals treating cancer, reaching out to homeless children and inmates in correctional centres.[6]
In 2015 Tanya Ravnushkin reported that they had "started to do a whole lot more outside our doors", andrefugee children had been accepted into the church and into the homes of members.[1]
Bible college
The church has a Bible college offering a 1- to 3-year studies plan, meant mainly for those who wish to serve in the church. Students from Protestant churches of other cities of Ukraine as well as other former Soviet-bloc countries also come for training.[citation needed]
Music
Hillsong Kiev has recorded many albums, including youth and children's albums. The songs were initially translations of the songs written at Hillsong Church in Sydney Hillsong London, but there are also original songs written mainly by Vera Kasevich, who served as the church's worship pastor, and her and Zhenya's son Roman Kasevich.[citation needed]
Venues
Hillsong Kiev did not initially own a worship centre, renting an exhibition marquee in industrial outskirts of Kyiv for its services, but purchased two offices in 2002 and 2007 on credit.[7]
Criticism
The criticism of the Hillsong Church Kiev is similar to the criticism expressed with regard to the mother church in Australia and reflects the general disapproval of certain aspects of what Pentecostals/charismatics believe in, often from the more traditional Protestant denominations. In particular, the teaching on prosperity is the target of attacks. However, according to Pastor Yevgeny Kasevich, he would not "go to the extremes" when teaching prosperity believing that "we are blessed (only) to be a blessing to others".[8]
Hillsong Moscow
In early 2007,[9] after three years of preparation, Hillsong Kiev launched its first service in Moscow,[5] with subsequent large services, attended both by interested Christians from other churches and new people, held in April and May.[9] From summer 2007 Hillsong Moscow held services in the Stas Namin Theatre, in the city centre near Gorky Park.[5]
In June 2007, the church successfully completed the registration process. The church plant was cooperatively supported by the Moscow-based Good News Church pastored by Rick Renner.[4][10]
The church in Moscow was initially pastored by Kyiv pastors Zhenya and Vera Kasevich.[citation needed] As of 2015, Hillsong Moscow was led by Vadim Feshchenko, and the two churches were on friendly terms, despite the conflict between the two countries.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "A church under siege in Kiev". Eternity News. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "YC Alberta 2006: TELL THE WORLD". Ycgeneration.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 August 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Христианские новости. - Твоя Библия". Bible.com.ua. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ a b c "Kyiv Evangelicals Open Hillsong Moscow Church". Religious Information Service of Ukraine. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Easter for everybody". Archived from the original on 11 August 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
- ^ "Помещения". Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
- ^ "Web Conference with Yevgeny and Vera Kasevich". News.invictory.org. 23 February 2007. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007. (in Russian)
- ^ a b "Киевские протестанты открыли в Москве новую церковь – «Хиллсонг»". www.risu.org.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "Киевский «Хиллсонг» успешно открылся в Москве". Archived from the original on 7 September 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
External links
- Official website (in Russian)
