A Christian family and church are at the heart of what a national newspaper calls possibly ‘the Ukraine-friendliest town in Britain’.
A reported 1,130 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in East Sussex since March and, within that, Wealden District – which includes places such as Crowborough, Hailsham, Uckfield and East Dean – is close to 600. This is ‘more than anywhere else in the country,’ according to The Guardian.
Among the hosts are Steve Rees (photo right), vicar of All Saints Crowborough, and a member of the Sussex Gospel Partnership, and his wife Jenny (photo third from right).
Jenny told en: ‘In the Lord’s providence we were given Christians to host from an evangelical pentecostal church in Kiev. Inna was converted in the underground church during the days of the USSR. She now translates the Bible into Ukrainian on a Sunday morning to those Ukrainians sitting around her. Bible Society have provided Ukrainian Bibles for the church to use.
‘The ministry team at All Saints are translating their sermon headings into Ukrainian on our screens.
‘Inna’s greatest fear is that, if Putin succeeds, their freedom to worship will disappear. Vadym and Inna feel they have found freedom and hope since coming along to church here in this country.’
The Guardian reporter stated: ‘I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to call Crowborough one of the most Ukraine-friendly small towns – if not the Ukrainefriendliest town – in Britain.’
