The Sumy region – which has been hit hard in recent weeks – is where pastor Bohdan grew up. It has always been one of the poorest areas of Ukraine. Sitting close to the Russian border, it is a rural area which was built for people to build munitions for the former Soviet Army. When the Iron Curtain fell along with it went the work creating more than 80% + unemployment within the town – poverty was rife. This was still the case until the war. Bohdan was born into a family of non-believers in Lebedyn and was surrounded by alcoholism, dysfunction and separation. His father left his mother to survive raising three children. His mother managed to hold down several jobs at once, just so she could put food on the table. Bohdan spent much of his time on the streets with nowhere to go which soon led to trouble…
In 2001, the new Centre Hope Lebedyn started running summer camps. His mother heard about it and enrolled eleven-year-old Bohdan. His mother made him go and his hesitation soon subsided when he saw they had football and games and his involvement was not based on his preconceived ideas about the orthodox church. Whilst there, he listened to the wonderful Bible stories and met people who, for them, God was real and alive!
Bohdan continued to go along and even helped with the puppet show the centre put on for the younger children. His mother came along to a special show and at that meeting, she became a Christian. She became a true example of a godly woman praying for her children and regularly told Bohdan that “ God had a special plan for him”. Little did he know!
Bohdan knew he wanted to be a professional football player and by all accounts was good enough to do so. Then double tragedy struck. A terrible knee injury and a lack of medical care meant his footballing days were over. Then he suffered a traumatic brain injury and it was touch and go for a while as to whether he would survive. In the hospital, he thought his life was over but his mother remained at his bedside and led him to the Lord.
At 15, Bohdan was baptised and by 18, he was at the Kyiv Theological Seminary. From leaving school with no qualifications Bohdan at age 19 he became a youth Pastor at 19 and in his 20s attained a master’s degree before becoming the legal mission director and assistant pastor to pastor Sergey, the founder. Today he is married with four children, which allows him to be exempt from fighting in the war.
Bohdan says: “From the broken pieces God creates a new vessel that is able to glorify His name and spread the gospel.” He sees the war as giving more opportunity to share this gospel than ever before.
The work done through the centre reaches out to all. The team go into the community to care for the lost and vulnerable, the refugee and the orphan, the young and old. Nobody would have thought 24 years ago, that young tearaway street boy would become a truly respected spiritual leader not just in his community but across his nation and even further afield.
God had a plan for his life and has protected him and his family through the many trials that come with living in a war zone. Bohdan is now committed to training new young leaders and seeing them flourish at a time of war as well as seeing as many come to faith and find their hope in Jesus.
"From the broken pieces God creates a new vessel that is able to glorify His name and spread the gospel."
