A ministry leader remarked that Ukrainian churches and Christians all over the world are serving as "God's distribution system" to aid Ukraine's refugees and those impacted by the Russian invasion.
A nonprofit organization called International Cooperating Ministries (ICM), which goal is to provide "a healthy church...within walking distance of everyone in the world," is one of many organizations mobilizing to assist those who have been impacted by Ukraine's war with Russia. To date, there are an estimated 1.85 million internally displaced people inside Ukraine, the United Nations said.
Now, ICM's director for Russia and former Soviet Republics Keith Townsend shed light on how the organization is undertaking humanitarian efforts together with partners on the ground in Eastern Europe. According to the Christian Post, Townsend explained how the organization was founded to construct "church buildings for different ministry organizations in different countries" as well as "Hope Centers and providing discipleship material to existing churches."
It is these churches and Hope Centers in western and southern Ukraine, as well as in neighboring Romania and Moldova that are "taking in refugees" from Ukraine, Townsend said. He added, "Because we don't have employees overseas, we use substantial indigenous ministry partners that we work through."
Townsend explained that ICM initially did not do humanitarian relief work but because they received numerous requests from their partners that "had the ability to take care of these refugees," the organization decided to open up to their "investors and donors to provide funds for relief through our partners." Right now, the organization is channeling its relief efforts through its partner, Bible Mission Global (BMG) in Frankfurt, Germany.
Bible Mission Global has offices in Kyiv and Moscow, as well as Moldova. Townsend, whose ICM is based in Hampton, Virginia, explained that BMG has warehouses where containers and trucks with relief good are being sent and later dispersed through a distribution system. BMG also has three warehouses in Ukraine and a warehouse in Moldova, from which they ship food and other necessities. Then, the churches and Hope Centers aid in distributing goods to those in need.
"They're housing the people, feeding the people, making sure they're taken care of with their medical issues and things like that," Townsend explained, expressing joy that "the Church is doing what it was designed to do" and that it is acting as "God's distribution system" amid the war with Russia.
Townsend added that the Christian ministries are serving as a "conduit for our donors" that tries to help through logistical issues that they may encounter in sending relief from the U.S. to Ukraine amid the war with Russia. He remarked that it was a "joy in the midst of all this tragedy to see how God's people have responded."
Townsend reported that basic medical services such as medicines for blood pressure and diabetes are a few of the greatest health needs of the refugees and those who have been impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He added that churches and Hope Centers are at full capacity now, which is why church members are also opening up their homes to welcome refugees and those in need.
For now, Poland is bearing the brunt of the thousands if not millions of refugees pouring out of Ukraine. CBS News reported that the mayor of Warsaw in Poland, Rafał Trzaskowski has called upon other countries to step up and open their doors to refugees.
"The West has to wake up and send a strong signal that they are welcome," Trzaskowski said of the ongoing refugee crisis. "Not only in Poland and Romania and Slovakia, but everywhere."
