Beyond Advocacy: AUCA as a New Bridge Connecting Ukraine and America

The American Ukrainian Christian Alliance (AUCA) is a community of evangelical Christians from various denominations, united by a shared love for Christ and a calling to make the bond between Kyiv and Washington stronger.

With Ukrainian roots and American citizenship, its members have built a unique bridge between the two countries — a bridge between cities, communities, churches, educational institutions, civic organizations, and, above all, between people.

Why AUCA Came Together

AUCA emerged as the natural continuation of many years of cooperation between Ukrainian and American civic, media, religious, and political circles. Long before its official founding, an informal movement of Ukrainian-American partnership was already underway, carrying out numerous joint projects and initiatives. 

Over time, the need arose for a permanent institution — one that could systematically coordinate these efforts, develop lasting partnerships, and ensure Ukraine's interests are consistently represented in the United States. That is why AUCA was founded: to bring existing initiatives together under a single platform and strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two nations for the long term.

Mission

AUCA's mission is to serve as a strategic bridge of partnership between the peoples of the United States and Ukraine, through influential leadership in national and local public institutions — firmly grounded in the values of the Gospel.

"...but the people who know their God and obey Him will be strong and fight back." — Daniel 11:32 

To live out that vision, AUCA works to promote biblical values in society, strengthen U.S.-Ukraine ties, raise up a new generation of leaders, advocate for Ukraine's interests, and bring best practices to leadership and governance. 

What AUCA Does

AUCA's vision is a future in which Ukraine and the United States flourish together on the foundation of Christian values, with the community serving as a powerful agent of positive change through spiritual service, advocacy, and partnership. 

This vision takes shape through four focus areas. At the heart of AUCA's work is spreading the Gospel — sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with people in Ukraine, the United States, and beyond through outreach, church partnerships, and practical service.

Alongside this is advocacy: telling the truth about what is happening in Ukraine, and engaging directly with elected officials, civic leaders, and public institutions to represent Ukrainian communities in the United States.

AUCA also believes lasting change is born through unity, which is why partnership sits at the heart of its ministry — connecting churches, cities, leaders, and organizations across both countries through joint projects, educational programs, and sister-city and sister-church relationships. 

The fourth pillar, rebuilding Ukraine, goes beyond restoring buildings: it means supporting humanitarian care, education, spiritual renewal, and leadership development, standing with Ukrainian communities as they recover and look toward the future.

Underlying all four is a single conviction that effective advocacy cannot be limited to political statements and requires Ukraine's constant presence in American public life. That is why AUCA's projects deliberately combine humanitarian work with representation in American political and civic circles.

Leadership

AUCA is chaired by Vadym Dashkevych, Senior Pastor of Spring of Life Church in Sacramento. Born in Ukraine, he emigrated to the United States with his family in 2005, where he now leads an active ministry while maintaining close ties with the Ukrainian community.

He is joined by Vice Chair Diana Gabyak, a Ukrainian-American civic activist, entrepreneur, and public policy expert whose work sits at the intersection of religion, public administration, business, and international advocacy. She is also one of the principal organizers of Ukrainian Week, where she helps develop strategic partnerships between the United States and Ukraine.

Together with the Board and the Spiritual Advisory Board, chaired by Viktor Prokhor, AUCA's leadership brings a combination of pastoral, civic, and professional experience to this work.

Ukrainian Week and Building Bridges 

The most important of AUCA's initiatives is Ukrainian Week — an annual advocacy platform held in Washington, D.C., since 2022. Over the course of several days, representatives of the Ukrainian government, U.S. government officials, military personnel, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, and civic activists work together in a collaborative environment, turning ideas into concrete policy decisions. For AUCA, Ukrainian Week serves as a mechanism for integrating the Ukrainian issue into the political and public discourse of the United States.

The fifth Ukrainian Week, held February 2–7, 2026, and attended by nearly a thousand participants, was particularly significant. The program included the 20th Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast, talks between the Ukrainian delegation and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding continued support for Ukraine, as well as a series of events featuring representatives from the Republican and Democratic parties.

One of the direct outcomes of the event was the signing of a partnership declaration between the cities of Tulsa (Oklahoma) and Sumy, which laid the foundation for cooperation in the fields of education, culture, the economy, and technology.

A logical extension of this model is the Building Bridges initiative that also aims to create a network of cooperation among cities, churches, universities, civil society organizations, businesses, and local communities.

In particular, in 2025, the AUCA facilitated the signing of an agreement between the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv — which is under daily Russian shelling — and the city of Dallas. This agreement enabled churches in Texas to form partnerships with churches in Ukraine.

A striking practical example of the results of this newly established cooperation was the visit by a Texas delegation to Kharkiv and their opening of a center for social, humanitarian, and psychological assistance for the residents of this Ukrainian city.

“In other words, AUCA isn’t just about advocating for Ukraine there in the U.S.; it’s also about building the infrastructure to provide concrete assistance to Ukraine here,” said Pavlo Unguryan, coordinator of the Christian platform for Ukrainian-American partnership.

Other Alliance projects expand these efforts in the humanitarian and cultural spheres. The U4UKIDS program supports the children of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, combining psychological rehabilitation, cultural exchange, and social support.

At the same time, the Mriya Fest, held annually in California, serves as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy: it promotes Ukrainian culture, supports the Ukrainian diaspora, and creates a space for Ukrainians and Americans to interact through art, music, and shared cultural practices.

Through its activities, the American Ukrainian Christian Alliance provides a common and coordinated platform for cooperation and advocacy for all efforts that have taken place in relations between the two countries at the unofficial level. At the same time, it is not limited to a single area or point of contact: AUCA engages in political advocacy, humanitarian activities, and cultural diplomacy, while maintaining a wide range of connections — from the U.S. Congress to personal contacts between individuals.

The American Ukrainian Christian Alliance remains an open platform for everyone who shares the vision of a strong Ukrainian-American partnership.

If AUCA’s values resonate with you, follow our projects, connect with like-minded people, become a partner, and help turn new ideas into real stories of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States.