History
In September 1992, an outreach began in the October Palace in Kiev with team members from Hills Christian Life Centre (now known as Hillsong Church). Australian worship leader David Evans, USA pastor Mike Berry and former Hillsong youth pastor Darko Culjak as a part of Hillsong's Nation Builders mission outreach officially began the church in a 700 seat movie theatre in downtown Kiev. But none of this would have been possible without the assistance of Pat Robertson's CBN and their television ministry into the former Soviet Union under Steve Webber. Through their assistance hundreds of young people committed their lives to Christ. Out of these initial outreaches Darko Culjak became the senior minister and established the church (then called "Kiev Christian Life Centre") officially on October 4, 1992. Darko Culjak lead the church, raised up a ministry team from among the new converts and oversaw the new church until Kiev's locally educated leaders could take over the work and come under the guidance and governance of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. On June 1, 1997, Darko turned the church over to a Ukrainian couple - Yevgeny (Zhenya) and Vera Kasevich, who had been with the church since the day it was planted and have thus become the new pastors of the church. After their appointment, Pastor Darko left and spent some rest time in the USA until he returned to Australia to pastor the Newcastle City Church.
As of 2007, the church holds 6 to 7 services each weekend (the number changes from season to season) with a combined attendance of around 3000. Pastors Zhenya and Vera have since gained an international recognition and are being invited to speak at various churches and Christian conferences around the globe.
Read more about this topic: Hillsong Church Kiev
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