Ten years ago, Igor
Romanovski felt called to develop a working farm as part of
a rehabilitation program for ex-prisoners, in whom he saw brokenness
and great difficulty in finding a place in society. Igor began
with prayer, gathered the tools he needed, and located property
in the village of Lyubcha. Within this community he developed
relationships, and through the Belarusian Round Table he made
connections with foreign partners. Together they have built
a church, an administration building, a steam bath, a pig sty,
a goat shed, and a dairy barn. They now are building another
dormitory. Since its opening, some 350 men have gone through
the program, and only four have returned to prison.
Ukraine
In 2006, the PC(USA)’s principal partner in Ukraine,
the Reformed Church in Carpath-Ukraine, installed Sandor Zan
Fabian as its new bishop and Heder Janos as the new general
secretary. Since Ukrainian independence from the USSR in 1991,
the church has been capably led by pastors who kept the faith
during the harshest of times. Now leadership has been transferred
to the next generation. The bishop and General Secretary Heder
are keenly aware of the challenges that face this predominantly
ethnic Hungarian denomination with more than one hundred churches.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will seek ways to come alongside
as this journey of faith and renewal continues. |
