On October 7, 2026, representatives of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (MCS AFU) and the Interfaith Council on Military Chaplaincy under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (Interfaith Council) met with a delegation from the Norwegian Council of Churches. The meeting took place at the premises of the Ukrainian Bible Society (UBS).

At the beginning of the meeting, Olena Kovalska, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, welcomed the Norwegian delegation and expressed gratitude for their visit of solidarity and support for Ukraine.

Colonel Oleksandr Vovkotecha, Head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Chair of the Interfaith Council under the Ministry of Defence, briefed the Norwegian religious leaders on the activities, operating principles, and practical experience of the bodies they lead. Military chaplains and representatives of the Interfaith Council shared specific challenges and real-life situations they encounter in the course of their ministry as they accompany service members and provide for their spiritual and religious needs.

The delegation of the Norwegian Council of Churches expressed appreciation for the valuable experience of chaplaincy ministry in wartime shared by representatives of the Military Chaplaincy Service and the Interfaith Council. The Norwegian representatives emphasized the importance of such meetings in Ukraine for the Churches of Norway, particularly in light of contemporary challenges and threats.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants joined in prayer for Ukrainian service members, military chaplains, the Ukrainian people and families, Ukraine's victory in the war, and the establishment of a just peace.

The Norwegian Council of Churches was represented by Rev. Henrik Erhard Hermansen, General Secretary of the Norwegian Council of Churches; Rev. Harald Hegstad, President of the Church of Norway; Rev. Øystein Gjerme, President of the Pentecostal Movement in Norway; Rev. Sten Sørensen, President of the Baptist Union of Norway; Pål Andre Bratbak, priest and assistant to the bishop of the Catholic Church in Norway; Rt. Rev. Herborg Oline Finnset, Bishop of the Church of Norway; and Rev. Øyvind Haraldseid, General Secretary of the Norwegian Bible Society.

The Ukrainian participants included Colonel Oleksandr Vovkotecha, Head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Bishop Bohdan Manyshyn of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Chair of the Interfaith Council under the Ministry of Defence; Senior Bishop Anatoliy Kozachok of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, Chair of the Conference of Christian Churches of Ukraine; Pastor Anatoliy Raichynets, Deputy General Secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society; Oleksandr Zaiets, Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Religious Freedom; as well as military chaplains and representatives of the Interfaith Council under the Ministry of Defence.

As previously reported, on October 6, 2026, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met with a delegation from the Norwegian Council of Churches, which was visiting Kyiv on a two-day trip.