The All-Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Fellowship (diaspora) [Всеукраїнське Євангельсько Баптистське Братство діаспори] has elected Rev. Paul Demyanik (Павло Дем’яник) as its president for the next five years. Others elected were Roman Kapran (Роман Капран) as vice president; Victor Pilipchuk (Віктор Пилипчук) as secretary; and Aleksandr Kovalchuk (Олександр Ковальчук) as treasurer. The election was held April 24, 2021, during the Fellowship’s annual pastors’ retreat in Florida. The theme of the retreat was “Be perfected in unity” (“Бути Досконалими у Єдності”) based on the Bible verse in John 17:23 — “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.” The opening message, titled “The Importance of Unity,” was preached by Rev. Volodymyr Vilchitsa, the retiring president, from Sacramento. Seminars were presented every morning and evening. Free time was available in the afternoon. After the evening programs, there were informal discussions, snacks, playing table tennis, fellowship, etc.
Speakers and their themes included Rev. Paul Demyanik (Vancouver), “Our unity with Christ”; Rev. Aleksandr Kovalchuk (Everett), “Unity among yourselves”; Rev. Igor Melnichuk (Minneapolis), “Enemies of unity”; Rev. Roman Kapran (Crum Lynne), “Where and how can a Jew and a Gentile experience unity today?”; Rev. Vyacheslav Paliy (Baltimore), “Fundamental issues of unity”; Rev. Oleksandr Grinchak (Charlotte), “Reward for unity”; Rev. Anatoly Moshkovsky (Crum Lynne), “Call for unity.” The new president, Brother Demyanik previously served as vice president of the Fellowship. He is also president of the Western Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention in the United States and pastor of Living Hope Ukrainian Baptist Church in Vancouver, Washington. Among the other newly elected officers, Brother Kapran is president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention in the U.S. Brother Pilipchuk is former senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Parma, Ohio. Brother Kovalchuk is pastor of the Ukrainian Baptist Church in Everett, Washington. The retreat was held from April 22-25, 2021 at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center near Leesburg, Florida.
