Parishioner’s $75,000 donation for Ukraine leads Downers Grove church to challenge community to match contribution

If the past few years have taught Downers Grove resident Josh Buzbee anything, it’s that what happens in one part of the world can have a global impact.

“We really learned that with the pandemic, and now we’re watching it happen in Ukraine,” said Buzbee, who is a pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Downers Grove. “It’s not just Ukraine’s problem. It’s the world’s problem. It happens to be happening in Ukraine, but it’s something that’s going to affect all of us.”

Watching the humanitarian crisis unfold from afar, he said, understandably has many people wondering what they can do to help.

So when the church received a $75,000 donation recently from an anonymous Gloria Dei parishioner to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainians suffering as a result of the recent Russian conflict, it sparked an idea.

The church is challenging parishioners and the Downers Grove community to match the generous gift and help those affected by the conflict by donating to its Ukraine Relief Appeal. Contributions of any amount will be accepted through April 23.

Additionally, Lutheran World Relief, the organization responsible for stewarding funds for Ukraine, will double the church’s donation up to $500,000, effectively quadrupling the original $75,000 investment, Buzbee said. Founded by Lutherans in the U.S. at the end of World War II, Lutheran World Relief is a nonprofit committed to financial transparency.

Buzbee said opening a campaign to the Downers Grove community is relatively new for the church.

“We’ve done some internal matching, but we’ve never challenged the community to match us,” he said.

The initiative aligns with Gloria Dei’s commitment to be a “public-facing church,” Buzbee said.

“Our mission statement is ‘Where neighbors become family.’ The congregation has a heart for being part of the community around it. And especially since the pandemic, we’ve really been trying to work on strengthening our outreach,” Buzbee said.

He is hoping other churches will step up and support Gloria Dei’s challenge.

“We do work with some of the other churches in Downers Grove on different things throughout the year, so they may step in,” he said.

While the church is made up of a generous congregation, Buzbee said the parishioner’s $75,000 donation goes “above and beyond.”

Who the individual is will not be revealed because the parishioner, known for being passionate about helping others, wishes to remain anonymous, Buzbee said.

“As a Christian, I felt moved to do this, but this isn’t so much a Christian effort as a human one,” the parishioner said. “Every world religion, as well as humanism, morally obligates us to come to the aid of the innocent victims in Ukraine.”

To support the initiative, individuals can make a donation by using the Gloria Dei online giving platform at onrealm.org/GloriaDeiLuther/give/ukraine. Checks will be accepted at the church after regular services and by mail. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is at 4501 Main St., Downers Grove, Ill. 60515. Include the word “Ukraine” in the memo section of the check.