Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

outhern Estonia, themes ranged from exegesis to principles of personal evangelism, from homiletics to doctrine, from Baptist teachings to ecumenical work. Senior Presbyter Robert Vésu also shared information about Christian life outside Estonia during these sessions.'* This was a small window onto a wider and more free world. From 1981-1987 Robert Vésu organised so-called “consultation days” for presbyters and active church members. The topics included evange- lism, Christian ethics, homiletics, the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit, pastoral counselling and psychology, religious movements in Estonia, local church issues and difficult passages in the Bible.'? In addition, from 1983- 1987, “Bible courses” took place. The method was well proven: occasional regional meetings and seminars in larger cities, such as in Tallinn, Tartu, Parnu and Kuressaare, supported the self-education of younger preachers. The students’ basic theological knowledge was uneven. In 1983, approxi- mately sixty to seventy students, including seventeen to eighteen presby- ters, were involved in this type of supervised self-education.” Today this type of study would probably be called “continuing theological education”. One may wonder whether these training efforts would have better prepared the participants to reflect on their mission in Estonia if the studies had been more “problem-oriented” and less “subject-oriented”. However, these “courses and “consultations” played an important role in consolidating Baptist central positions, supporting independent thinking and main- taining theological unity, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, when tradi- tional Estonian Baptist approaches met challenges from the charismatic movement. '® Lecture notes 1973-1978. Uudu Rips personal archive. '? Konsultatsioonide lindistusi 1981-1987. Nimistu. [Recordings of the consultation days 1981-1987. A list of topics]. Korgema Usuteadusliku Seminari arhiiv [Archive of the Baptist Theological Seminary], Tartu. ” Minutes of the presbyters’ council meeting no. 100 (10 October 1983). PNProt1969-1985, Archive of the UECBE. 147 Vésu's example in organising informal study groups was later followed by other younger leaders. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the younger gener- ation began to gather in friendship circles. These “circles” met in Parnu, Tartu and Tallinn.’ The atmosphere of these gatherings bears clear signs of protest against a materialist ideology, although direct political statements were seldom made. Group members discussed theological and philosoph- ical issues as well as the relationship between the Christian faith and the wider culture. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s use of the language of “evolu- tion” in theological thinking inspired the participants, and Hans Kiing’s Does God Exist?” helped them to find arguments for Christian faith in God in a godless society. In 1985, during a Parnu “circle” retreat, several papers focused on criticism