Trust is essential to ministry—and to the Christian life. Yet in a world marked by war, injustice, and division, an important question emerges: What does it look like to build trust in broken places?
How do we continue to trust God through difficult times? How do we cultivate trust within our communities, our countries, and across continents? And perhaps most challenging of all, how do we build trust with those whose circumstances are vastly different from our own?
The answer is simple, yet profound: presence.
Last month, more than 70 friends and donors of Mesa Global gathered for a conversation with Taras Dyatlik, Theological Education Consultant for Mesa Global’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. The invitation was simple—to sit, listen, and ask questions about the work God is doing through the Ukrainian church amid the ongoing war.
As Taras, himself Ukrainian, shared stories from the 1,568 days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a common thread emerged: presence.
There was the presence of his relief organization, People of the Bridge, as they sought to bring hope to communities devastated by war. There was the presence of individuals and organizations around the world who prayed, gave, and supported relief efforts. There was the presence of Mesa Global, which stepped in early in the conflict to support theological education as ministry activity resumed throughout the country. And there was the presence of God—experienced most deeply, Taras shared, during walks with his dog, Westie, where he brings his most honest questions before the Lord.
Alongside the weight and heartbreak of war came stories of hope. More than 1.5 million Bibles have been personally delivered to soldiers and paramedics serving on the frontlines. More than 14 organizations and seminaries, together with over 200 volunteers, collaborate to care for internally displaced people by providing shelter, clothing, food, and other essential supplies. Theological education continues to flourish, with seminary enrollment reaching record levels as believers seek to apply their faith in tangible ways amid crisis.
This—and so much more—is what Taras calls the ministry of presence.
It is volunteers sitting with those who are hurting in the valley of the shadow of death. It is pastors and educators developing a theology of suffering through honest conversation with God. It is supporters across the globe reminding the people of Ukraine that they have not been forgotten.
This is how trust is built.
In moments of brokenness, presence may seem like a small offering. Yet in the hands of God, it becomes a powerful ministry—one that brings hope, strengthens faith, and reminds people they are not alone. Through the ministry of presence, God is building trust in broken places, one relationship at a time.
