With thousands of lives being affected by war in Ukraine, the employees of the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices felt compelled to do their part to provide funds for feeding and sheltering displaced church members. As a result, a benevolence sale will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the White Wing Publishing House on Keith Street.
All funds raised will go to those living in the war-torn country. The public is invited to participate.
“We are a global family and when our members hurt, we all hurt,” said Bishop Sam N. Clements, general overseer. “Our staff of the International Offices is so touched by the crisis happening in the Ukraine that they wanted to do their part to help. The money raised from this sale will go directly to providing meals for the refugees who are being sheltered at our churches in Ukraine.”
It has been reported that 38 Church of God of Prophecy churches were bombed or displaced along with an orphanage in Lugansk. The members escaped safely but have fled to other COGOP churches and are seeking refuge at the congregations or with church families.
At one time, there were 700 church members, along with youth and children actually living within the walls of a local church in Kiev. The latest information received by the Offices is that 400 have been placed with other COGOP families, but 300 still remain to be cared for by the congregation there.
Caring for the refugees has been “no small task,” according to Cathy Payne, Global Missions Ministries coordinator. “Our national overseer and many members of that congregation sold homes, vehicles, and their personal belongings to provide for our brothers and sisters during this time,” she said. “Meals and laundry arrangements for families are not an easy task, either. But this is present-day life for our brothers and sisters in Kiev.”
As with most international tragedies, the International Offices sends notices and pleas for funds to its network of churches and members around the globe. Currently, more than $60,000 has been sent to the offices for this cause. The benevolence sale gives the employees a chance to be more personally involved. Many of them have brought items from home such as clothing, furniture, office equipment, baked goods, and more.
For more information, contact Peggy Clements, executive assistant to the general overseer, at 559-5103 or email pclements@cogop.org or DeWayne Hamby, director of communications, at 505-0041 or dhamby@cogop.org.