Ukraine’s “Light of the Gospel” Joins the Alliance World Fellowship: A New Chapter of Global Partnership

The Alliance World Fellowship (AWF) joyfully welcomed the Light of the Gospel Association of Ukraine as its newest member during the 2025 Quadrennial in Cote d’Ivoire. This historic moment marked the expansion of the AWF family into a nation that continues to serve faithfully amid great challenges.

Among the many highlights of the conference week was the official reception of a new member church into the AWF family: the Light of the Gospel Association of Ukraine. Representing the Ukrainian Alliance were President Rev. Sergiy Guts, the president of the Association, and Bishop Oleg Shaykevych, the regional leader for Odessa.

Light of the Gospel brings a strong commitment to evangelism, church planting, and compassionate outreach in war-torn communities. Their inclusion affirms the unity and strength of the global Alliance family—one people, from many nations, advancing together to fulfill the Great Commission.

Founded in 2014 through the ministry of U.S. Alliance International Workers Mike and Joanne Hope and local Ukrainian believers, Light of the Gospel has grown into a dynamic movement committed to planting churches, training leaders, and reaching people with both the Bread of Life and physical bread amid the ongoing war.

“We Ukrainians were deeply inspired by the cultural diversity in worship at the Quadrennial,” Rev. Guts said. “Seeing our African brothers and sisters praise God with such passion moved us to dream of one day holding an AWF meeting in Ukraine—where Ukrainian choirs in national dress would worship alongside African musicians. It will be a glimpse of heaven, where every tribe and language worships before the Lord together.”

During the Quadrennial Convocation, Rev. Guts expressed heartfelt appreciation for the AWF family. “We thank God for the trust shown in accepting our Association into AWF,” he said. “We now know we have brothers and sisters around the world who pray for us and support us. We want to share our resources through AWF—sending short-term teams, supporting missionaries, and welcoming others to Ukraine when peace returns.”

The Light of the Gospel delegation also shared their vision to develop closer partnerships with AWF churches in Georgia, Poland, Romania, and beyond. Plans include opening a Mission Training Center in Kyiv to equip missionaries and leaders for service across the AWF network.

The Ukrainian leaders met with Alliance church representatives from Gabon, Mali, Kenya, Great Britain, and Germany, discussing opportunities for collaboration. One particularly moving moment came when the head of the Missions Department in Gabon requested a Ukrainian flag to display at their national conference—a tangible sign of solidarity between churches continents apart.

“Hearing how businessmen in other countries contribute to God’s work through Faith Promise inspired us,” Rev. Guts said. “We want to teach these principles to our Ukrainian entrepreneurs so that they, too, can invest in God’s mission worldwide.”

Despite the war, Light of the Gospel continues to plant churches, care for the suffering, and participate in God’s global mission. Later in November, the Association will hold its annual Pastors’ Conference, sharing with leaders across Ukraine what took place at the AWF Quadrennial and celebrating their new membership. A special video of their experience in Cote d’Ivoire will be released on their social media platforms.

Rev. Guts reflected on this milestone as a spiritual awakening for the Ukrainian church: “Membership in AWF is a real step forward in our understanding of ourselves as part of the universal Church of Christ. Our Soviet past limited our vision to our own city or country, but through AWF, God has revealed to us the true magnitude of his global Church—Her Majesty, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ!”

“We are glad to be part of the global Church of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Guts concluded. “Together with AWF, we will keep advancing his Kingdom to the ends of the earth.”