LVIV, Ukraine (BP) – In the early days of Russia’s full onslaught of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary (UBTS) transitioned its classrooms into temporary shelters, halting instruction to house internally displaced persons as they fled their homes for safety.
Thousands of refugees found beds, food, clothing, first aid supplies, solace and prayer within the walls of the seminary as it partnered with Baptists including the International Mission Board, Southern Baptist congregations in the U.S., and Baptist churches and groups in Europe, with the continuing support of the Ukraine Partnership Foundation (UPF).
With the war in its fourth year, UBTS has long resumed its educational outreach, graduating a class of 700 students in June, the largest in its 25-year history, President Yaroslav Pyzh said in a video. UBTS awarded 171 undergraduate level degrees, 30 graduate level degrees, and 388 certificates, he told Baptist Press, with remaining graduates receiving certificates from the Institute of Leadership and Coaching.
“The graduation of such a large class represents both the fruit of pre-war investment and the perseverance of a student body that refused to give up, despite displacement, trauma and national uncertainty,” Pyzh told Baptist Press. “Many of these students had already begun their studies before the war began, and despite the immense challenges, they continued learning — sometimes online, sometimes from bomb shelters, often while actively serving in their churches or through We Care Centers.”
We Care Centers are a network of 21 Gospel-centered humanitarian aid locations UBTS has launched with partners across the nation.
UBTS graduates have not only learned theology, Pyzh said, but they have put it in action.
“Their experiences have been shaped by real ministry under pressure, offering comfort and hope in some of the darkest moments of Ukraine’s recent history,” he said. “Their graduation is a testimony not only to their resilience, but also to the strength of the wider UBTS community and its global partners.”
Several days as the war lingered, students retreated to bomb shelters as sirens sounded, and Russian airstrikes have threatened the safety of UBTS personnel.
But as the 2024-2025 school year began in the third year of war, UBTS continued its educational and humanitarian work.
It began the year with an enrollment of 1,500 students, Pyzh has said, with the humanitarian work moved to a network of 21 We Care Centers he also oversees as president.
“For UBTS, returning to full-time educational service marks a significant turning point in its identity and calling. During the early years of the war, the seminary pivoted much of its energy toward humanitarian aid, primarily through the rapid expansion of the We Care Centers network,” he said. “These centers provide food, shelter, trauma care, and spiritual support. But more importantly, they have become platforms for long-term community engagement and church planting. Through these centers, UBTS and its partners are not only meeting physical needs but also building trust and creating space for Gospel witness.”
We Care Centers have helped form relationships that led to five new church plants this year alone, Pyzh said, pointing out in particular “the faithful support of Carmel Baptist Church” in Matthews, N.C., which he said “has walked alongside UBTS in prayer, funding, and active mission.”
Pyzh continues to ask for prayer as UBTS trains leaders to serve in what he foresees as the post-war restoration of Ukraine.
“Our country needs a lot of leaders in the restoration phase that is coming,” he said in a video at the beginning of the school year. “And all these young people here, they are new leaders for our country and for our churches. So I would ask you to pray for us. … Being a part of this community gives us strength and assurance that we can see transformation of our nation, where people love God and respect the law.”
“In spite of war, we continue to do what God has called us to. Our country needs a lot of leaders in the restoration phase that is coming,” he said in a video at the beginning of the school year. “And all these young people here, they are new leaders for our country and for our churches. So I would ask you to pray for us.”
From May 2023 through March 2025, We Care Centers served 426,635 Ukrainians at 17 locations across Ukraine, according to a report posted at UPF.org, while also using the centers as training grounds for UBTS students.
“We bring the Gospel to people and we’ve seen so many people come to know God, and we are grateful that we are not alone in that journey,” Pyzh said.
“Thank you for your prayers for peace, for victory, and my plea to you as three years ago is still the same. We would like to see a miracle and miracle of transformation. So please pray for transformation of our nation, where people love God and respect the law.”
We Care Centers operate with the help of hundreds of partners including IMB and Send Relief, and 78 churches including Southern Baptist congregations.
UBTS also partners in education with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary through the SEBTS Global Theological Initiative and with Gateway Seminary in offering advanced tracks in the Master of Theological Studies.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated with additional information from UBTS President Yaroslav Pyzh.)
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