Preacher-Turned-Soldier and you will Punished Theologian Mourned for the Ukraine

admin November 11, 2023 0 Comment

Two weeks afterwards, long time church chief and you will theologian Igor Kozlovsky, exactly who invested almost 24 months given that prisoner off expert-Russian separatists, died out-of a coronary attack. He was 70.

‘He secure his family relations, all of our country’

Created ily in a rural Ukrainian village, Vinogradar’s moms and dads split up as he try young. Their mother remarried, and his awesome experience of their stepfather is actually burdened, said Alexei Kalchuk, an old minister in the Ukrainian town of Mariupol and you may long time buddy.

“Whenever their mother gave delivery to help you his stepfather’s young man and de entirely superfluous within this happier family,” Kalchuk told The Religious Chronicle. Vinogradar visited a great boarding college or university in the Poltava, where a teacher ingrained within the him a fascination with his country. The guy turned into an effective cadet of your own Ukrainian Cossacks.

“During the his last 24 months out of data on boarding college or university, Christians regarding the Chapel out-of Christ began to go to the college,” Kalchuk told you. “These folks educated instructions concerning dependence on moral and you will spiritual values in the peoples lifetime, and Artem soon generated family relations with Christians and you will began to sit-in chapel group meetings.” He was baptized during the 2018.

He graduated at the ages 17, “and you can leftover the brand new structure that had warmed your lately,” Kalchuk told you. “Not knowing what direction to go second and you may which place to go, he looked to the brand new church, and that currently noticed Artem to get you to definitely its very own.”

The guy existed witch chapel members and you may became alongside Christians and Fedor Chernichkin, a minister toward Church regarding Christ exactly who gone to live in Poltava immediately after pro-Russian separatists seized command over their homeland inside the east Ukraine’s Donbas part within the 2014.

“He was young and you will calculated so you’re able to suffice from the chapel and you internationella datingsajter fÃ¶r Ã¤ktenskap will to-be loyal in order to Jesus,” certainly Vinogradar’s family, Artur Lytvynenko, told Suspilne, Ukrainian personal radio. “I remember your just like the an earlier, persistent and daring man having a tremendously hard-core.”

Vinogradar attended the brand new Ukrainian Bible Institute – which in fact had moved from eastern Ukraine on the nation’s funding, Kyiv. The school is for the Colorado-based Sundown Internationally Bible Institute.

“He had been a-sharp scholar, and that i will always remember his an effective characteristics, his look along with his always laugh,” said Brandon Rates, manager of your Ukrainian Bible Institute. “He had overcome far in the prior, and his awesome coming are vibrant.”

Their girlfriend, Valentina, along with got overcome an emotional early in the day, Kalchuk told you. Orphaned from the decades step 3, she was raised by the their particular sister and also have got studied within an excellent boarding university.

“Artem have a tendency to stumbled on Valentina’s house and aided their girlfriend and you can their particular (aunt) on the housework in order to be personal,” Kalchuk told you. “He had been instructed regarding the church how an excellent Christian need to look after a great girl … In the near future Valentina acknowledged Christ towards the their unique lifestyle plus they began to attend conferences of your own Church from Christ to each other.”

“Artem and you may Valentina wished to become the ideal mothers because of it little one,” Kalchuk told you. “They wished to give him exactly what not one person offered all of them … It succeeded. But in March, the battle began.

“Artem, currently a teens commander in the church, assisted from inside the offering immigrants and refugees. He inserted the brand new positions of volunteers who exhausted folks from towns and cities that have been about war zone and transported food and earliest aid in order to areas where discover zero stamina, communication and liquids, however, there was dying and you may exhaustion. His spouse was waiting around for your at your home and prayed you to which mug create admission off him.”

“When Artem entitled their spouse and you can relatives, he always asserted that he didn’t need certainly to kill some body and you may (which he) expected that the war perform avoid in advance of he done their degree. But he as well as asserted that he was called to guard their nation, household, relatives – and this refers to some other because there is no higher like than simply that in case some body provides their existence having their members of the family,” Kalchuk told you, mentioning John .

Vinogradar supported due to the fact a sniper throughout the airborne physical violence tool, Suspilne advertised. He died in the treat Aug. fifteen around the town away from Verbove.

Valentina is actually pregnant with regards to next youngster. System for Humanitarian Assistance, an effective nonprofit backed by congregations including the A great&Yards Chapel from Christ when you look at the University Channel, Tx, paid down brand new couple’s book because they served the chapel.

“Artem is one of our kids – and you will section of PHA’s ministry for decades,” said Wes Hawthorne, development administrator into the nonprofit and you can a member of the brand new An excellent&M church. “The guy stumbled on our very own june camps for quite some time.”

Preacher-Turned-Soldier and you will Punished Theologian Mourned in the Ukraine

His partner and you will youngster gone to live in Greece with Chernichkin along with his loved ones. Ukrainians all over European countries mourn, also Kalchuk, who spent 51 months involved on Mariupol church’s building which have other believers just like the intense fighting raged external.

“My brother is actually murdered,” told you Kalchuk, now within the Poland. “The guy safe their members of the family, all of our country, his people. Artem, we are going to certainly view you! People when you look at the tranquility, my buddy.”

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