On February 6, 2024, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), headed by its Chairman Stanislav Nosov, met with Archbishop Justin Portal Welby of Canterbury and discussed further support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

During the meeting, the spiritual head of the Church of England asked representatives of Ukrainian denominations how the war affects the ministry of churches, what are the priority challenges, and what are the expectations of churches for 2024.

Bishop Stanislav Nosov, Chairman of the UCCRO, expressed gratitude to the Archbishop of Canterbury for the support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people by the Church of England and Great Britain. He noted that one of the main challenges in the context of the war among the faithful of different denominations and in society as a whole is the separation of families and the risks associated with it. At the same time, in the frontline areas there is a quantitative increase in religious communities where people find social support and pastoral care.

Representatives of the UCCRO noted that during martial law in Ukraine there is freedom of religion, democratic institutions and the judicial system are functioning, and churches have a dialogue with the authorities to address pressing issues of church-state relations and humanitarian problems of society. Representatives of Ukrainian denominations expressed hope for a victorious end to the war this year and readiness to participate in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

The present members of the Council of Churches outlined the main areas of support for Ukraine, including humanitarian aspects, providing Ukraine with additional air and missile defense equipment to protect civilian lives, and providing assistance with post-traumatic rehabilitation.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, the Ukrainian Evangelical Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, the Union of Jewish Religious Organizations, and the Institute for Religious Freedom.

It was the second meeting of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations with Archbishop Justin Portal Welby of Canterbury. The previous meeting took place 14 months ago in December 2022.