Monday, May 28, 2018 – Transfiguration church in Kyiv held an ordination service for pastoral and deacon ministry. During the service rector of Kyiv Theological Seminary Ruslan Khmyz was ordained for pastoral ministry and another eight brothers were ordained for deacon ministry. One of new deacons was Dmytro Benchuk, a graduate student in Biblical Studies program at KTS.

The seminary’s leadership proposed Ruslan Khmyz as a candidate for pastoral ministry in September 2017. He was endorsed by head of Advisory Board of KTS Komendant Hrygory, by head of All Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists Antonyuk Valeriy, by the council of the Union as well as by senior pastor of Transfiguration church Marchenko Petro. Council of the Baptist Union, in its May 15, 2018 meeting, approved Ruslan Khmyz for pastoral ministry in Transfiguration church. The Khmyz are members of the church. 

During the service head of Kyiv regional union Andrashko O. and head of Zhytomyr regional union Kravchenko O. addressed new ministers with words of admonition and encouragement. They emphasized importance and responsibility of pastoral and deacon services. Words of encouragement and instruction were addressed to wives of the new ministers as well.

Prayer of ordination for pastoral ministry was performed by head of Kyiv regional union Andrashko O., head of Zhytomyr regional union Kravchenko O., president of the Kyiv Theological Seminary Prokopchuk A., senior pastor of Transfiguration church Marchenko P. Pastors of other churches joined the prayer of ordination for deacon ministry.
At the end of the service ministers were presented with a set of theological books from Kyiv Theological Seminary and flowers from Transfiguration church.