B e r l i n – A television station in the Ukraine is making plans to film the television talent show X-Factor in a Baptist vacation camp. The vice president of the Ukrainian Baptist Union, Igor Bandura (Odessa), told those attending the Council of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), September 26-29, in Elstal near Berlin, that this is a result of the fully authentic lifestyle of the Baptists. In a message taken from a text in the Old Testament book of the prophet Micah, he reminded the approximately 140 delegates from 46 countries that the Christian faith is not a matter of attending or organizing worship services or participating in spiritual rituals, but of living one’s whole life in the presence of God. Anyone who does that will bring positive change to society, said Bandura, speaking of his own experiences. Before the fall of the Iron Curtain between East and West, Baptists were considered a sect in the Ukraine, one with a bad reputation. It was said that they drank human blood and sacrificed their children. After the political changes, the opportunity was taken to clear up these misunderstandings and to invite people to a life with God. As an example, the church in Odessa was founded in 1993 by 20 Baptists. Today it has over 500 members and a comprehensive program of social work. Among other things, a vacation camp for orphans is offered. The television producers had heard of that and offered to organize two camps for 400 children in the coming year, which they would then film. Bandura is sure that God himself opened the door to television: “God is using us as a tool to evangelize the world.”