Jesus is the Victor: The Cross Triumphs over 70 Years of Communism

In 1895, a group of Reformed immigrants from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Austria formed a congregation and built a lovely church in Odessa, Ukraine. That’s a major port city on the Black Sea. Atop the steeple stood a heavy, ornate cross made of iron. 

Within the first two decades of church life, the Bolshevik Revolution struck. Communists working to establish the USSR murdered and imprisoned Christian leaders, and Young Pioneers dynamited thousands of church buildings. Somehow, this building survived and was turned into a puppet theater. In spite of stained glass and amazing acoustics, generations of Ukrainians enjoyed productions in this theater without ever realizing it had originated as a Christian church.  By the 1990s, the building was vacant, neglected, and even desecrated with graffiti.

Meanwhile, the Lord had been working to prepare a group of believers for this church.  A team of Mission to the World (Presbyterian Church in America) missionaries planted a church in Odessa, first meeting in the city park and then in rented auditoriums. Often, evangelical churches in this part of the world were viewed as cults, because they didn’t have their own buildings as the Orthodox, or even Catholic, churches did.  That was the common cultural view of many people.

The government learned about the new congregation and declared it to be the legal heir to the building because of its Reformed theology. The government then offered to return the historic 1800s church building to this fledgling Presbyterian congregation. But only if they fully restored it. That would cost approximately one million dollars.  How could this small group ever come up with that kind of money, especially in the difficult post-Soviet economy?  They prayed!

About that time, Gary and I made another trip to serve the MTW team in Ukraine. While we were in Odessa, we had the wonderful privilege of being with the church members the very first time they were allowed to enter the building.  There they stood, amid all the decay with hints of past beauty coated with grime, and sang hymns, read Scripture, and prayed.  It was an unforgettable time, and we caught it on video.

Later we met the gifted architect, who not only had located original plans for the building but was creating a 3D model of it. Everyone noticed that the original building plans showed a cross on the steeple, but it had apparently disappeared in history’s chaos. Mission headquarters grew very interested in the renovation project, so the first international capital campaign of Mission to the World got off the ground. It was our delight to participate in the fundraising—a monumental task by many people—by contributing video services.

Imagine our joy at being at the church’s re-dedication in 2001! To God be the glory! Some scaffolding was still up, but miraculous transformation had occurred. Pastors trained by the church planting team led the service. Carved-wood doors opened in welcome. The marble staircase gleamed. Intense colors shined through the stained glass. And the Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (of Music Mission Kiev) traveled cross-country to sing glorious music, filling the sanctuary and hearts of everyone there.

(Later, a separate campaign by a renowned PCA organist raised funds to replace the pipe organ, and music professors in the region count it a privilege to play the magnificent instrument, the best in Odessa. They’ve also been learning that many of the world finest classical composers believed in Jesus Christ.)

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Odessa has become our adopted church home, whenever we are in the city. We have attended outreach concerts and heard–and felt–those gorgeous pipes soar to the heavens! And we’ve had the privilege of teaching Marketplace Ethics right there at the church and encouraging the various ministry leaders. In addition to usual worship and Christian education activities, they have served Christ through a counseling center, soup kitchen, business center, and publishing house. Now, an entire national network of churches—and a seminary—serve Jesus with a generation of Ukrainian leaders already trained, and more to come.

For us, our favorite part of the church renovation story was sharing news about a startling discovery on the roof during renovation. Early efforts focused on the roof, of course, to protect the interior from further weather damage. On a rooftop ledge, workers stumbled onto the original iron cross, intact. This high cross, weathered by indescribable harshness, not only survived 70 years of communism. It triumphs over godless atheism, just as the Good News of Jesus Christ has withstood persecution for over 2,000 years!