“It was a cold winter Sabbath day on the shores of Bulgaria,” began Fani Bachvarova, a member of the Bulgarian Union’s communication team. “We entered one of the many hotels near the north city of Varna, which has been sheltering Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the conflict. While thinking about all the challenges they faced in the past year - their broken hopes that they would soon return home and everything would come to an end - I looked up and saw an elderly man smiling warmly and welcoming us,” continued Bachvarova. “Immediately, I knew it was him - the pastor with(out) ministry who gives hope to the neediest – the Ukrainian refugees.”
Vladimir Pop, or Pastor Volodya as everyone calls him, is a retired Adventist pastor from Donetsk, Ukraine. He was a pastor for 25 years. He had to retire in 2014, not because he wanted to, but because the church in Donetsk stopped operating after the expansion of the conflict in the region and it was not possible to continue to serve.
In 2014, Pastor Volodya left Donetsk and went to Kyiv. He arrived in Bulgaria in April, last year, after the full-scale war in Ukraine started. At the end of September, he started working with ADRA Bulgaria on a project in support of refugees, where he currently conducts art therapies and provides psychological support for Ukrainian children. Shortly after, he was invited by one of the local pastors in Varna to lead a Bible study course in Russian at the church. He readily accepted the proposal.
“God, through ADRA, called me to serve the refugees, as I have already been a refugee from war twice,” explained Pop. “In Kyiv, I was sharing the message of hope to those who came from Donbass and Donetsk, and now the whole of Ukraine is in this situation. I am here to convey the message that God will continue to help us. As He helps me, He will help everyone,” concluded Pastor Volodya.
In several months of gatherings for the Bible study course in Russian, about 25-30 people in total attended the meetings. The group studied specific passages and historical events from the Scripture that illustrate how God helps us, how He is with us in our worries, and how He cares about us.
Inauguration of the first Ukrainian Group
On Sabbath, January 28, the Ukrainian group gathered for the first time for their own Sabbath service. The sermon took place in an abandoned hair-dresser’s studio. The odd location did not bother anyone because the most important thing for all who attended was that they had a place where they could nurture and strengthen their faith during these times of hardship.
Pastor Volodya shared in his sermon that, by studying the Bible, God gives hope and support to those who need it. Not only do Christians of various denominations come to his Bible class, but also people who do not define themselves as Christians but simply seek God. The one thing in common is that they all seek God’s mercy and the message of hope. And, here, they also find spiritual support and friendship.
"Regardless of the denomination, here we gather, pray for each other, read the Scripture together, seek the truth, and create friendly relationships,” said Pastor Volodya.
The moving story of Olya
Olya walks nearly an hour to attend the Sabbath school every Saturday. She met the pastor by chance in the hotel kitchen. He kindly offered to pray for her. After that, she never missed a Bible study class. Before coming to Bulgaria, Olya first went to Moldova and settled near the Romanian border. There was no Russian-speaking church as most of the people spoke only Romanian. She felt good in the Christian community, but she missed the fellowship and the close relation.
"We thank God for this mercy that we have a pastor who speaks our language,” said Olya. “I was looking for spiritual fellowship and a person with whom I could commune closely, spiritually. I praise the Lord for sending us this man. It is very easy, when you are alone, to leave the path you have taken, and that’s why it is so important to have these meetings," concluded Olya.
Ukrainians from several hotels and near villages join the Bible study group as well.
A message for all refugees
"To all the refugees, I would say that now we are close to God and God is close to us, very close,” declared Volodya. “And to those who believe in Jesus, to them, I want to say that really hard times are coming in which we will find Jesus and then we will have a lot of strength and love, and we will be able to be a source and support for others every day. And I want to pray for that."
Pastor Volodya continues his ministry with the support of the Bulgarian Adventist Church in Varna and believes that God has sent him where he should be and to do His will.
