Missionary Finishes Studies, Will Return to Ukraine

Rev. Oleksiy Navrotskyy and his family.

EDMONTON – Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton) presented a Master of Divinity degree to Rev. Oleksiy Navrotskyy during their Sacred Convocation ceremony on May 30, 2016. Rev. Navrotskyy is a missionary for Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) in Ukraine, where he serves with the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU).

“What a blessing it has been to have you and your family as part of our community,” noted CLS Professor Jonathan Kraemer on behalf of the seminary. “God has given you the courage to come from Ukraine to a foreign country to study in another language, to broaden your experience, and to be prepared for further service to the church back home. I pray the Lord would bless you so that Christ would be glorified in the ministry He has given you, and that through you His church in Ukraine would be blessed.”

Rev. Navrotskyy

The program at CLS was uniquely tailored for Rev. Navrotskyy from among the seminary’s offerings, accommodating his ministry experience in SELCU and previous education at LCC’s Concordia Seminary in Odessa, Ukraine. He began studies at the Edmonton seminary in September 2014. He will continue with independent studies at CLS until the end of June, following which he and his family will return to Ukraine.

Rev. Navrotskyy’s studies at CLS were funded through LCC’s Foreign Student Fund. “I thank God for the financial commitment which made it possible for Rev. Navrotskyy to complete his studies at CLS,” said Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel, LCC’s Executive for Missions and Social Ministry. “I want to say special thanks to those circuits and congregations which put special efforts towards supporting the Foreign Mission Fund.”

The return to Ukraine will mark new beginnings for the Navrotskyy family: Oleksiy has accepted a call to the city of Nikolaev, where he will begin intensive work reorganizing the two local congregations, as well as supporting new mission stations recently started in the city. LCC has signed a Missionary Loaning Protocol document with SELCU regarding Rev. Navrotskyy’s mission work, which is fully subsidized by LCC. The move to Nikolaev will bring Rev. Navrotskyy much closer to LCC’s seminary and SELCU headquarters in Odessa.

“I thank God for Oleksiy’s having accepted the call to Nikolaev,” said Dr. Leonardo Neitzel. “I am also thankful to SELCU for placing a new pastor—Rev. Sergey Bevz—to continue the very promising mission work in Dnepropetrovski.”

LCC has long supported missions in Ukraine, with a particular focus on theological education. That work is supported through the generous donations of LCC members across the country. A Ukraine Mission Fest held in Winnipeg and hosted by the Red River Circuit in late April featured Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Torgerson, rector of the Ukraine seminary, and a special appearance by Rev. Navrotskyy via Skype. In total, $7,300 was raised at the event for LCC’s mission work in Ukraine.

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