DBU Hosts President of Tavriski Christian Institute

Recently, DBU President Dr. Adam C. Wright had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Valentin Siniy, President of the Tavriski Christian Institute in Ukraine. Dr. Siniy visited with Dr. Wright to get to know DBU, share his story, and ask the DBU family for help.

The Tavriski Christian Institute was founded in 1997 in Kherson, Ukraine, and its mission is to equip capable and spiritually mature Christian ministers to serve Ukraine and other countries to advance the Kingdom. Additionally, TCI was the first Christian institution to receive state accreditation. Dr. Siniy has been the President of TCI since 2006, and he has an overwhelming sense of calling to advance the Good News of Jesus Christ within Ukraine, a nation that desperately needs to experience God’s love and peace.

In 2022, TCI was planning to celebrate its 25th anniversary, but the Russian invasion began, and one of the first cities attacked was Kherson. The Russian occupation destroyed all five buildings of their campus, resulting in the death of a student and the destruction of their library, which was home to 30,000 books. The Russians occupied their campus and used it as a crematorium, so the people of TCI were forced to flee. The war has devastated the Christian community in Ukraine. 50+ churches have been destroyed or substantially damaged, 400 churches have ceased to exist, and there is a need for at least 500 new pastors for churches in Ukraine.

Despite this persecution, God is still working in Ukraine. Dr. Siniy has seen churches with 20 members before the war grow to 100+ members who cannot fit in the building anymore. The non-believers in Ukraine are coming to Jesus to find their eternal hope. Dr. Siniy continues sharing his message, "We as Christians need to remember that there is hope amidst the war." Through it all, TCI has survived and continues living out its mission. They relocated their campus 600 miles to the west and established dorms, a cafeteria/bomb shelter, and more. They also continue to assist their country with humanitarian aid and evacuation efforts.

Dr. Siniy expressed to Dr. Wright that his number one need is prayer. Specifically, prayer for a new campus in the Kyiv area, air heaters and firewood for their dorms, and books to rebuild their destroyed library. Dr. Siniy mentioned that this is not only a physical war but a spiritual war and that prayer is the strongest weapon in times of persecution. He has asked Dr. Wright to utilize the generosity of DBU’s staff and student body to pray and donate money or books to their relief efforts so that they can continue the mission the Lord has called them to.

Dr. Siniy also had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Randall Everett, Senior Fellow for Religious Freedom for the Institute for Global Engagement at DBU, to appear in an episode of the upcoming IGE Podcast. During their discussion, Dr. Siniy recounted his memories of the beginning of the Russian invasion and highlighted a few more ways Americans can support TCI and Ukraine. Stay tuned for more details about this upcoming podcast series.