More than 200 church ministers from different parts of Ukraine gathered in Kyiv in order to gain knowledge of chaplain work and share their experience with each other.

“This is the second training event for chaplains. We held the first one in the spring of 2022. I am very happy to see that so many people want to serve their country and the military. Most of those present have been visiting the frontline areas for a long time and training is needed to equip them with the necessary information. We strive for chaplaincy in Ukraine to develop and be effective.

This is not the last training for chaplains. In the future, we plan to update the program with relevant information and hold similar events again,” says Vyacheslav Kogut, head of the social department of the Ukrainian Church of the Evangelical Faith, chaplain and volunteer.

During three days, current and future chaplains studied such topics as: “Tactics, features, outlines and behavior of a chaplain in the service of the Armed Forces and other military formations”, “Municipal chaplaincy”, “Grief notice on the death of a military man”, “The order of burial of a military man”, “Tactical medicine” and others.

Yaroslav Kotylko, one of the speakers, a lawyer who works in the State Service of Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, spoke about how military chaplaincy is defined in the Law of Ukraine and provided advice on issues related to full-time chaplaincy.
A feature of each day was a panel discussion in which active chaplains participated. They shared their experiences, answered the audience’s questions, and talked about current topics from the chaplain’s life.

At the end of the “School of Chaplains”, those present passed the assessment of the subjects they had completed and received certificates of completion of training. Certificates of chaplains from the Ukrainian Church of the Evangelical Faith were also issued.