A Special Announcement
We have not been able to tell you before, but we are excited to finally share the news with you today.
Dear friends and family,
Teaching here at the Ukrainian Bible Institute is such a blessing. Last week, I finished 2 Corinthians, and now I begin studying for Hebrews. Digging deep into God's Word and meditating on how best to share it with eager disciples who will then share it with others is both challenging and rewarding. It was an honor to be invited to be a part of this school.
But that invitation actually extended beyond the classroom. We have not been able to tell you before, but we are excited to finally share the news with you today. As of June 1, 2020, I will be taking over as president of the Ukrainian Bible Institute.
Jay Don Rogers and his wife, Mary Lee, have been faithfully serving this school for the past 19 years. They love Ukraine and they love what they do, but they have decided it is time for them to transition home. When Jay Don first proposed the idea two years ago, it was hard to even imagine UBI without him and even harder to picture myself in his place. But the more Katie and I thought about it and sought counsel from friends and family, the more we felt that not only was God leading us to this work, but that He had, in fact, been doing so since the very first day I set foot in Ukraine more than seventeen years ago.
I will continue to teach, but I will also be responsible for the direction and well-being of the school. Thankfully, UBI is, in many ways, a well-oiled machine—the staff and administration know what needs to be done and they know how to do it well. There will be no need to reinvent the wheel here—my job is to keep the bicycle tuned.
Apart from the day-to-day life at the school, another aspect of my work will be fundraising. UBI is a tuition-free institution and operates solely from donations made by churches and individuals in North America. Jay Don will be taking on the position of international liaison and will work to represent the school Stateside in a more full-time way. Together (and with God's blessing), we hope to secure the future of the UBI for many years to come.
It is difficult for me to fully express just how humbled I am to have been offered this position. I never dreamed of taking on such a big responsibility, and the seriousness of the task has not escaped me. Still, it feels right to be here. It feels good to be here. This is a big step for us and one we are covering in prayer, because we know and must not forget Who is ultimately in control.
Please join us in prayer for this transition. Pray for us, for the Rogers, for the staff, the students, and future of the Ukrainian Bible Institute. May God bless our work for the Kingdom in this great nation.
—Brandon and Katie