Dear Friends,
This week, please intercede with us for Dr. Valentin Siniy in Ukraine.
Sitting north of the Black Sea, Ukraine is home to nearly 44 million people. Known for its forested mountains and fertile plains, Ukraine is a leading exporter of grain worldwide. After the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine gained independence in 1991. According to 2021 data, 82% of Ukrainians are Christians, among whom 73% identify as Orthodox, 9% as Greek Rite Catholics, 2% as Protestants, and 1% as Latin Rite Catholics. In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, leading to ongoing warfare in Eastern Ukraine.
Valentin is President of Tavriski Christian Institute (TCI), one of the first theological schools with state licensed programs in Ukraine. Earlier this year, he earned his PhD in Theology from Dragomanov National Pedagogical University, after successfully defending his dissertation via Zoom. His research focuses on leadership and governance in theological education. As the Church in Ukraine experiences greater freedom, Valentin will help theological schools to develop biblically sound and context-responsive leadership structures.
In addition to supporting Valentin’s doctoral research through LeaderStudies, ScholarLeaders works with TCI through the Vital SustainAbility Initiative (VSI). Last year, Valentin shared prayer requests for TCI in a prayer newsletter from VSI’s Eastern Europe/Central Asia Cohort. Valentin and his wife Luba have two college-aged children: a son, Kirill, and a daughter, Sonya.
Valentin shares the following message:
As you know, I work at Tavriski Christian Institute. I would like to ask you to pray for the accreditation of our school’s Theology Program. We have a government license, and now we are working on getting accreditation. Also, we are working on Vital SustainAbility projects and our strategy. Please pray that nothing will get in the way of reaching our goals.
Besides TCI’s needs, I have some prayer requests for my family and me. I will be traveling to Kyrgyzstan in September to teach for 10 days. Please pray for my safety during the trip and for everyone’s health.
Please pray for my family. Pray for our children as they grow in Christ. Pray for our son Kirill, who is going to finish university in May 2022. Pray for our daughter Sonya, who is a second-year university student. Both of our children have started dating, and we pray that they will make the right choices.
Thank you for your prayer support.
May God bless you abundantly.
in Christ,
Valentin Siniy