American Pastors Network Plays Key Role in Ukraine Humanitarian Aid

Sep 3, 2014 | 0 comments

Recent Leadership Summit Opened Doors to Meet Critical Needs

PHILADELPHIA—The people of Ukraine have many needs in the wake of the recent political, economic and cultural upheaval.

One of the greatest immediate needs is bandages to help treat the wounded soldiers. Recently, the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsetwork.net), which this summer participated in an International Leadership Summit in Ukraine with more than 100 elected officials and pastors, helped deliver 54 packages of much-needed QuikClot® Interventional Hemostatic Bandages™. These are soft, white, double-sterile, hydrophilic pads with the mineral kaolin, and they are applied topically to control bleeding.

APN Board Member Dale Armstrong, who just returned from Ukraine, says that the most immediate need in Ukraine is humanitarian aid, including water purification tablets and individual medical kits for each soldier.

“One of the greatest specific needs is this quick-clotting bandage that stops the bleeding of the injured fast,” Armstrong said. “Delivering the QuikClot bandages during these recent trips was not only life-saving to some of the injured, but the initiative has also cemented trust and opened further doors. I believe this act of care proved our trust and friendship, in their terms and in their culture.”

The bandages APN delivered coast approximately $2,500 demonstrating that even some of the smallest critical items are in short supply.

“Churches and pastors in Ukraine have taken a tremendous role in meeting the needs of the army,” Armstrong continued. “Just as pastors came together with elected leaders at the summit this summer to help Ukraine work towards a biblically based, constitutional government, now pastors are playing a major role bringing aid to the soldiers on the front lines of battle.  All of these efforts together will help Ukraine as the nation seeks stability and direction that will lead to freedom for the people of Ukraine.”

Armstrong, who also serves as secretary and treasurer for the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net), has taken several trips to Ukraine this spring and summer, with more planned.  Earlier this summer, he and other APN leaders visited Ukraine for the International Leadership Summit at the invitation of Bishop Valery Reshetinsky, who also serves as the Chairman of the Ukrainian Interchurch Council that represents 20 different evangelical denominations. At the Summit, APN trained Ukraine’s political and pastoral leaders in the biblical principles necessary for constitutional government. Future summits on the Constitution, education and economics are in the works.

Having recently traveled to Ukraine on a humanitarian trip, Armstrong plans to return to further the work and build relationships, especially as APN is in the planning stages of formulating its Ukraine Initiative, which will send help where help is needed most and work toward rebuilding the country through its pastors and leaders. Projects are in the works so that others can donate the much-needed bandages and raise funds specifically for this purpose.

Armstrong sent daily email updates from Ukraine, and, after being given a personal tour of two military hospitals by high-ranking officials and seeing first-hand the pressing needs, he recently wrote: “Our immediate needs are extra funding, as I do believe the humanitarian aid is building a stronger bridge of trust, apart from the fact that we are saving lives.”

Armstrong noted that these hospitals were working at capacity to meet the needs of a nation at peace, and they simply weren’t prepared for the overwhelming demands of war.

The pastor and APN leader is working to purchase more bandages, approximately 100, as well as up to 1,000 tourniquets, which will cost about $15,000 total.

“I believe it’s a part of the friendship process that ensures greater cooperation and promotion of our main goal,” Armstrong said, “which remains the most important thing in Ukraine’s future—a Constitutional summit focused on the biblical foundations of government.”

Armstrong began ministering the gospel at the age of 16 and has pastored several churches in Pennsylvania and ministered in many nations of the world. He and his wife, Teri, lead the Armada Network, a missions organization with more than 60 members including pastors, missionaries and Christian leaders.

APN is the largest national network of pastors who believe in the authority of Scripture, boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to matters of public policy, are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders, and are mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process on a non-partisan basis.

By growing state chapters who will support the mission, APN is building a nationwide, permanent infrastructure of like-minded pastors who:

  1. Affirm the authority of scripture
  2. Take seriously Jesus’ command to be “salt and light” to the culture
  3. Want to encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues
  4. Want to examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits, using well-prepared teaching and preaching resources
  5. Want to engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

The American Pastors Network has a mission to identify, encourage, equip, educate and network pastors and church members to “Stand in the Gap for Truth” across the nation while providing Bible-based and constitutionally consistent analysis and recommendations on matters of public policy. APN is the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture, who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy, and who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders and mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process.

For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net.

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a group of biblically faithful clergy and church liaisons whose objective is to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who affirm the authority of Scripture, take seriously Jesus’ command to be the “salt and light” to the culture, encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues, examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits and engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

For more information on PPN, visit www.papastors.net or call 610.584.1225.

The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a state chapter affiliate of the American Pastors Network. The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide).

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To interview Sam Rohrer, President of American Pastors Network and Pennsylvania Pastors Network, contact Deborah Hamilton at dhamilton@hamiltonstrategies.com215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096.

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