Local churches greatly aided by Ukraine university

Founded in 1991, Donetsk Christian University (DCU) in Ukraine is one of the region's most diverse and best-equipped interdenominational ministry training centers. Their mission is to train local church leadership and Christians in all professions on how to creatively promote the Kingdom of God. Over 700 graduates are serving in churches and orphanages throughout Eurasia, while others work in influential areas including business, education, journalism and politics. Graduates are already playing a vital role in planting new churches.

Through practical ministries, DCU students are serving local churches through Sunday school teaching, preaching, counseling and social ministry. DCU opened a satellite campus to help equip local church lay leadership, and each year, the university organizes conferences and roundtable discussions between DCU leadership and local pastors.

DCU continues to develop part-time and distance education programs. In addition, DCU has formed a partnership with OC's four other Ukraine partner schools (KCU, OTS, UETS and ZBCS), creating a coalition that holds annual theological conferences and regularly shares resources.

Graduate Alexander Gootz says his time at DCU helped him realize Eastern Europe's great need for missionaries. He is the executive director of Christian Tent Ministries (CTM) in Russia, a mass evangelism ministry where ministers work with local churches to put up a tent and hold week-long revival programs with evangelistic meetings. The ministry seeks to plant new churches and help existing churches with their outreach ministries and evangelistic team.