Showing Christ's Mercy in Kharkiv
OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries Administrator David Nakhla, OPC minister Chris Cashen, and Stephen Majauskas of Grace OPC in Zeeland, Michigan, joined OPC missionary Heero Hacquebord on a recent visit to Kharkiv Presbyterian Church. There, they witnessed firsthand how the church is bringing Christ's mercy to many in this eastern Ukrainian city amid the hardships of war.
The Privilege of Visiting Kharkiv
“The city feels quieter,” says OPC missionary to Ukraine, Heero Hacquebord, reflecting on his recent visit to Kharkiv, Ukraine. The trip at the end of April marked his first return to the eastern city—located some 600 miles from his home in Lviv—since the war began in 2022. “If you walk around during the day, there aren’t many people out except in the very central areas, where cafes and coffee shops are still operating. But there's so much in the city that looks strangely normal. There's a lot of life and growth and even a few new things happening in the middle of the war but boarded up windows in damaged buildings eclipse the city. You see the effects of the war everywhere.”
What a Difference a Year Makes: Tim Receives a Liver!
An update on Tim Milching, a deacon nominee and OPC member who recently received a liver transplant.
Deacons as Unifiers
The diaconate is far more than writing checks or ensuring heat in a cold church building. Deacons have a unique and high calling to be examples and leaders of unity by ministering the grace of our Savior to the congregation through compassionate deeds and discerning words.
Video: 4th Anniversary of the War in Ukraine
OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries Administrator, David Nakhla, visited the city of Kyiv, Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of the war. Read about his trip on the OPC Disaster Response website. Please pray for the saints in Ukraine, for relief from the suffering and an end to the war and donate, if you can to the OPC Ukraine Crisis Fund.
Special Needs Families in the Life of Christ’s Church
Featured in New Horizons
Rev. Adrian Crum interviews special needs families on how churches and deacons can ensure disabled members are included and supported in church.
Witnessing Faith and Mercy in Ukraine—After Four Years of Conflict
I have traveled to Ukraine several times over the years, but this was my first visit to the beautiful city of Kyiv. Standing there on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion felt surreal. The war that has reshaped this nation continues with no clear end in sight, and the cost has been staggering. Both sides have suffered enormous casualties, and nearly every Ukrainian family carries some burden from the conflict.
Yet what struck me most during my time there was not only the weight of the suffering, but also the resilience of the people—and the quiet, steady work of God in the midst of it.
The 2025 Presbytery Diaconal Summit
Hosted by the OPC’s Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM) and the Committee on Ministerial Care, the summit gathered men from each presbytery who serve on that presbytery’s diaconal committee. Thirty-seven representatives from fourteen of the seventeen Presbytery Diaconal Committees (PDCs) participated. The theme of the summit was “Reforming Your PDC.”
The National Diaconal Summit
Most deacons serve without the opportunity to meet others in the same role beyond their local church or presbytery. The summit changes that. It brings together men who share the same joys, struggles, questions, and hopes. Register now to attend!
Facing Danger and the Ministry of Presence
Deacons are often called into situations of deep human suffering marked by vulnerability, uncertainty, and sometimes even danger. The Lord recently allowed me the privilege of experiencing something that sharpened my understanding of these realities and pressed upon me the question: What place should safety, risk, and fear have in faithful diaconal ministry?
Earlier this year, the OPC was invited to send a small delegation to the General Synod of a large denomination in eastern Nigeria, the Universal Reformed Church of the Tiv (NKST). As a member of the OPC Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations (CEIR), I volunteered to participate. But this invitation was not simply a diplomatic opportunity—it came from a church serving in one of the most violently persecuted regions in the world.
The Presbytery Diaconal Summit’s Call to Reform Diaconal Ministries: PDS 2025
The recent Presbytery Diaconal Summit (PDS) was held in Chicago October 9-11, 2025, and gathered deacons, elders, and pastors from across the denomination to reflect, strategize, and strengthen the church’s ministry of mercy. Centered on the theme of reform, the summit called attendees to deepen their understanding of the diaconate, renew their commitment to caring for the body of Christ, and collaborate more effectively across every level of church governance.
Food for the Hungry, Prayer for the Hurting in Ukraine
In March 2025, the Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM) of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) committed $20,000 of the funds donated to the Ukraine Crisis Fund toward relief efforts in Ukraine. This is twice what was given in the previous year. These funds were sent to Kharkiv Presbyterian Church of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine (EPCU). (The EPCU is the same denomination with whom OPC missionary Heero Hacquebord labors in L’viv.)
Connected in Christ
What if a single phone call could strengthen your ministry, encourage your heart, and bless another deacon?
Just last month, more than 86 OPC deacons were paired up for what we call the “Deacon Check-In.” The Deacon Check-In (DCI) program is meant to give deacons an opportunity to encourage one another, share wisdom, and perhaps even start a long-term friendship. It’s simple—just a short phone call or online chat—but the purpose is meaningful: to talk about life and ministry, share blessings and challenges, ask questions, offer help, and take time to pray together.
Meet Your Fellow Deacons: Erv and Ben Richardson
“When you help a fellow Christian, it becomes a pleasure rather than a burden.” Erv Richardson casually noted while walking out of Providence OPC in Bryan, TX. Erv has served as a deacon for twelve years in two PCA churches before becoming a member of an OPC. He has been a member of Providence for two years and was installed as a deacon this past spring, on the very same day his son Ben was ordained to the same office!
Showing Christ’s Compassion This Summer
Most diaconate work happens behind the scenes, where no one else sees knows about it. It happens in a spontaneous and unintentional one-on-one conversation or helping someone when it would’ve been easy to move on and no one else would’ve known any different.
Elisha, The Widow, and the Ministry of Deacons
What can we learn concerning diaconal work from a passage of Scripture not about deacons? As we understand the redemptive historical trajectory of Scripture, culminating in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are driven to derive diaconal lessons from the narrative of Elisha and the widow:
Trusting God in the Waiting: An Update on Tim Milchling
About a month ago, we shared a Special Mercy Minute asking for help in finding a liver donor for Tim, a devoted young member of the OPC. While there has been little concrete news, we’re grateful to share a few updates and prayer requests.
OPC Member Urgently Needs Liver Donor
Tim Milchling survived liver cancer at just three years old and has lived with liver complications ever since. Now, at age thirty-one, his liver has deteriorated to the point where doctors have determined that a liver transplant is his only option for survival. Tim urgently needs someone willing to donate a portion of their liver to help save his life.
Strengthening by Gathering
Presbytery diaconal conferences, organized by presbytery diaconal committees and attended by deacons, are invaluable opportunities to strengthen our bonds. The connections made and the challenges presented during these gatherings are not only uplifting but essential for our continued growth—both in faith and in our understanding of the profound nature of a deacon’s work. Staying connected in fellowship and purpose ensures that we do not work in isolation but as a united body, strengthening one another for the tasks ahead. After all, we are the Orthodox Presbyterian Church—singular—not separate churches, as we are one in Christ, despite being separated by geographical distances.
Be Prepared: Safety in Church
Imagine you are sitting in the pew with your family as usual on Sunday morning. After helping your child find the hymn selection in her hymnal, you stand and see an elderly gentleman make his way into the aisle, walking toward the back of the church. As the hymn begins, you realize you can’t seem to focus on singing. Your gaze is fixed on the unsteady footing and ashy skin tone of the elderly man. You glance around to see if others notice. The man makes it to the narthex, but once there, he collapses. You lower your hymnal to exit, but a few congregants you know to be nurses are already on their way. You breathe a sigh of relief and close your eyes to silently pray.