Ukrainian religious leader speaks at Tulsa church

TULSA, Okla. — A Ukrainian religious leader spoke at a downtown Tulsa church this weekend.

“We’re really humbled and grateful to welcome Dr. Ivan and Luda Rusyn from Kyiv, Ukraine,” said Dr. Jim Miller, the senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa.

Dr. Ivan Rusyn, the president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, spoke at First Presbyterian on Saturday and Sunday.

Rusyn said his work has him supporting the people of Ukraine by providing food, helping with immigration and helping people survive winter.

“When I see extreme suffering, suffering of elderly people, I can’t be passive, I want to do everything I can to support them, and of course as a citizen of Ukraine, I want to do everything I can to protect our freedom, our democracy, our values,” he said.

He said he came to America to thank American churches for their support and to ask people to continue supporting Ukraine.

He also said coming to America was a complicated 60-hour process. He had to drive from Ukraine to Hungary before he could fly to America.

In a few weeks, Rusyn said he will return to Ukraine to continue his work.

“This is my calling, to be with my people, and I am thankful to God that I have this opportunity to serve my nation in such a difficult moment,” he said.

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