Ep. 59 - Faith Under Fire & Ukraine’s Spiritual Resistance w/Rev. Ivan Kunderenko

What happens to faith communities when war deliberately targets churches, pastors, and places of worship?

In this episode of Peace and Power Ukraine, host Gary Marx is joined by Ivan Kunderenko, pastor, educator, and member of the American Ukrainian Christian Alliance, for a powerful discussion on religious freedom, spiritual resilience, and the deliberate targeting of churches during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Kunderenko shares firsthand insight into Ukraine’s growing prayer breakfast movement, interfaith cooperation, and the role churches continue to play in supporting communities under the pressures of war.

A major focus of the episode is the recent precision-guided bomb strike on a Baptist church in Zaporizhzhia — an attack Kunderenko argues was deliberate, not accidental.

The discussion covers:
• Ukraine’s growing interfaith prayer breakfast movement
• “Spiritual diplomacy” and faith-based advocacy
• The deliberate strike on a Baptist church in Zaporizhzhia
• Russia’s broader repression of religious communities
• Rebuilding churches and communities during wartime
• What spiritual resilience actually looks like in Ukraine
• Putin’s propaganda, historical narratives, and the war’s moral dimension

The episode also explores the emotional and spiritual realities of life during wartime, including trauma, grief, perseverance, and the role churches continue to play in preserving community and hope.

A major takeaway from the conversation is that Ukraine’s religious communities are not simply surviving — they are actively rebuilding, organizing, and strengthening civil society even amid ongoing attacks.

The episode closes with a reflection on why many Ukrainians view the defense of their country not only as a national struggle, but as a moral and spiritual responsibility tied to freedom, dignity, and the ability to worship openly.

00:00 — Intro + Ivan Kunderenko joins
01:33 — Ukraine’s nationwide prayer breakfast movement
04:08 — Interfaith cooperation during wartime
05:47 — Experiencing missile alerts in Kyiv
07:32 — Ukraine’s next National Prayer Breakfast
09:44 — “Spiritual diplomacy” explained
11:15 — The church strike in Zaporizhzhia
13:07 — Why the attack appeared deliberate
15:41 — Russia’s repression of churches in occupied areas
19:15 — Rebuilding the destroyed church
21:25 — Ukrainian resilience and rebuilding communities
22:27 — What “spiritual strength” really means
25:25 — Putin, propaganda, and Victory Day narratives
30:08 — Why Ukraine chose to fight back
32:01 — Closing thoughts

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