On August 31st, the UETS community officially began a new academic year, with students arriving on campus for their first study session. Despite an escalation in air raid attacks over the past two weeks, the new academic year began as planned, and the UETS community entered it with enthusiasm and gratitude.
Even as conditions in the country remain extremely difficult, we are filled with joy to witness so many new students entering our certification and degree programs in Theology, Counseling, Worship Studies, and others.
On September 1st, we held our first service of the new academic year with students, staff, and faculty on campus. At the beginning of the service, we had the pleasure of hearing a few encouraging words from Matthew Eason, who leads ROC’s international development and strategic partnerships. He reminded the students of the power of stopping, meditating, and “drinking in” Jesus. He encouraged the students that, no matter what they experience, to always return to the source — who will always be Jesus.
UETS President Ivan Rusyn welcomed all new students joining this year, congratulating them on becoming part of the wider UETS community — now more than 3,000 graduates and current students, representing about 20 denominations and living in more than 35 countries around the world. He delivered an encouraging message to the students entering the new academic year on the importance of holding on to our identity in Christ through both success and failure.
He also stressed that our country now needs a new narrative — one that will guide it from the trauma of war toward recovery. We pray and hope that UETS students will be among those who help shape this new narrative in their communities, working to embody the values of God’s Kingdom in every corner of Ukraine and beyond.
As we enter the 4th year of the full-scale war, the number of people suffering from loss, mental illness, and vulnerability — as well as military personnel and their families — continues to grow, and so does the need for new army chaplains and church ministers equipped to serve the people of our country. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our mission of forming a new generation of chaplains and church ministers who will serve the country in this difficult time.
Despite all the challenges of the war we currently face, the UETS staff, faculty, and students have hearts full of hope and gratitude, looking forward to all the opportunities the new academic year will bring to learn, to connect, and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ — hoping to witness God’s will embodied in our country.