Sheikh Tamim appointed head of UCCRO
In addition to electing a new chairman, the session addressed chaplaincy, cooperation with government bodies, and preparations for the Council’s 30th anniversary.
On July 16, 2025, a regular session of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) was held in Kyiv. At the meeting, it was officially announced that Sheikh Ahmad Tamim, the Grand Mufti of Ukraine, has become the new chairman of the Council. This was reported on UCCRO’s official website.
Sheikh Tamim succeeded Bishop Valeriy Antoniuk, head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists. Bishop Antoniuk had served as acting chairman since January and handed over leadership in accordance with the Council’s rotational policy.
The meeting took place at the Bible House in Kyiv. Religious leaders discussed current relations with the state, a six-month activity report, and upcoming plans. Particular attention was given to chaplaincy ministry, with participants emphasizing the need to expand spiritual care for soldiers and their families amid wartime conditions.
Also discussed was cooperation with the Ministry of Social Policy and the Ministry of Health, both of which have public councils involving religious organizations. The Council aims to strengthen this dialogue and give it practical significance.
In his report, Bishop Antoniuk spoke of UCCRO’s international outreach – delegations visited the United Kingdom, twice the United States, as well as the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Poland. The Council continues to actively engage with Ukraine’s leadership and ministries “to safeguard both the spiritual and the civic,” as the saying goes.
It was also decided that the Council’s 30th anniversary, which falls in 2026, will be celebrated in a particularly solemn manner. Preparations for the anniversary are set to begin this year.
As previously reported by the UOJ, UCCRO and the Ministry of Education recently discussed the introduction of military training programs in universities.
