Building new churches in the former Soviet Union can be time consuming, tedious and extremely expensive. The cost of materials, the instability of laws and the volatility of the currency are all major factors that impede progress. Yet the leadership and members of the churches continue forward with necessary projects. One such project exists in the city of Lvov, Ukraine.

In 2005, property and a house were purchased by the First Baptist Church in Lvov. For many years, they met in the same church building where the Pentecostals and the Seventh-day Adventists congregated. Each group conducted worship services at different times.

When communism dissipated, the Seventh-day Adventists demanded that the Pentecostals and the Baptists depart to other locations for worship, because the documentation of the property declared the Adventists as the sole proprietors. Although the Baptists contributed greatly to the reconstruction and renovation of the church building and property, the conflict that lasted over ten years could not be resolved. Therefore, the First Baptist Church decided to meet at the premises of the Central Baptist Church in the afternoon. Finally, they were able to acquire their own property.

Since this acquisition, the members of the church have been giving sacrificially for the construction of a new church building. A few large donations were also received for this project. Volodimir Overko, SMS missionary and the pastor of the church, is grateful for the few donations that were given in the past and for the dedication of the members of the church to keep the construction alive and moving forward.

Finally, their efforts will reap some satisfying results. Plans have been slated to start worship services in a section of the building that will be completed in September. (Eventually, this room will become the dining hall of the church.) The First Baptist Church includes 80 members, a youth group of 35 and approximately 100 children attending Sunday school classes.

One million people live in Lvov, Ukraine. There are ten evangelical churches in this large city comprising a membership of 1300 people. Interestingly, 90 percent of the population of Lvov consider themselves of Catholic or Ukrainian Orthodox persuasion.