INTERFAITH BROTHERHOOD OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS was born in 2018 in Ukraine in the middle of the ongoing conflict with Russia. At that time Military chaplaincy was still something new for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In fact, there were no officially employed chaplains, every one of them was a volunteer. Below is a detailed information from IBMC-Ukraine Co-founder and Chairman Serhii Mazharov.
“The time of public and patriotic activity of the population in the spring of 2014 influenced the believers to go to the front as clergy, who aimed at helping the participants of the anti-terrorist operation, their families, and displaced persons. The church and other religious organizations maximally participated in chaplain-volunteer assistance to both military personnel and the population located in the war zone.
Clergymen of all denominations and religions, including Protestants, Orthodox, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, etc., went to the ATO zone as volunteer chaplains.
During the first two years of hostilities in the East of Ukraine, many rotations (35-45 days each) of volunteer chaplains were carried out in the ATO zone. Only in the first two months of 2015. more than 100 military chaplains of various faiths worked in the war zone.
The functions of volunteer chaplains in the ATO zone in the East of Ukraine included, first of all, conducting confessions, communion, commemorating the dead, as well as consecrating equipment, individual conversations with servicemen, conducting classes on Christian ethics. The role of volunteer chaplains in relieving stress syndrome and strengthening the moral and psychological state of servicemen was and remains extremely important. An important moment in the ATO was the organization of pastoral care for the personnel of the Armed Forces.
The first trips of these volunteer chaplains to the ATO zone began back in 2014.
Between the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015, volunteer chaplains of the Interfaith Brotherhood of Military Chaplains conducted pastoral ministry at the Donetsk airport not only as priests, but also as psychologists and paramedics. During the defense of the Donetsk airport, 5 of our volunteer chaplains were seriously injured.
Since the beginning of hostilities, chaplains of the brotherhood have worked in the 93rd, 56th, 57th, 87th, 72nd, 79th brigades, 44th, 30th, 17th tank brigades, units of the NGU, VUC (Volunteer Ukrainian Corps) like Right Sector, battalions – Donbass, Aidar, and other units.
At the time of the end of the anti-terrorist operation, more than 200 Chaplains, trained for work at the front, served as part of the Brotherhood, according to preliminary estimates.
As part of the brotherhood, there are chaplains-instructors in tactical medicine and medical evacuation who are able to teach servicemen how to provide first aid for injuries.
In 2018, a decision was made to create the Public Organization “Interfaith Brotherhood of Military Chaplains”.
From that time until the adoption of the law on military chaplaincy, our chaplains continued their activities as volunteers.
The brotherhood includes chaplains of various denominations and religions who work together for the benefit of the Armed Forces.
After the adoption of the law, some of our chaplains moved to full-time chaplain positions.
The urgent task for chaplains remains to provide moral, material and psychological assistance and provide pastoral care to military personnel and their families, strengthening educational work”.
About Serhii Mazharov
Serhii is a dedicated servant of God. Served as the Military chaplain with Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015. Was wounded with the wired explosive and had to leave the active duty due to multiple injuries. As the IBMC’s Chairman he continues serving as a leader and mentor to many new chaplains throughout the Ukraine.
About IBMC USA
IBMC-USA President
ALEXEI BASARAB grew up in a large family of persecuted believers in the USSR. His grandfather and his father both were imprisoned for their faith and spent years in Soviet GULAG. Alexei resisted communist regime and often disobeyed the demands of a godless system. He was persecuted for his faith in God in school and while on mandatory service in Soviet Army. While there, knowing that he could be killed any time, he ran for his life. The story of his miraculous, daring escape deserves a separate story. After that escape he was captured and, first, placed into “Seamen’s silence” – a famous detention jail in Moscow, Russia and then sent to a Soviet mental institution in Chekhov, Moscow’s suburban town. Only a miracle from God could rescue him from such terrible place, since Soviet mental institutions were famous about people disappearing there for life. And God’s love, mercy and faithfulness were in works this time too. Again, something for another detailed story. After his miraculous release, being grateful to God, he “didn’t confer with flesh and blood”, but went where God sent him – to minister to Soviet hippies! Many lives were saved and transformed as a result. While traveling through Soviet cities, he was welcomed by a congregation in Tallinn, Estonia, to have his base there and to lead a musical part of the service.
After the years of traveling and serving in Estonia (1988-1991) he was called back to his home city Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, where he served God as pastor for 7 years. During that period he an Serhii met.
From 1998 to 2001 Alexei traveled extensively and ministered in many countries. Since 2001 he lives in the United States. He has two children, Benjamin and Rebekah. His beloved wife Svetlana passed away in January 2020, after 5-year long battle with cancer. From that time Alexei’s zeal to continue serving God once grew stronger. Therefore, when the war in Ukraine started with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Alexei traveled there personally in April – May of the same year, he worked on organizing humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees and then, by reconnecting with his old friend Serhii Mazharov, he joined Ukrainian Military Chaplains as volunteer and was asked to represent IBMC in the United States of America. Currently, the IBMC is officially registered in the State of Florida as the non-profit corporation and has recently obtained the 501(c)3 status. All donations are tax-deductible.
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