Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

were 1385 members; in 1975 there were 1333; in 1980 there were 1309; in 1985 there were 1310; and in 1990 there were 1383 mem- bers. The UECBE statistical reports 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990. The UECBE statisti- cal reports 1964-1990, Archive of the UECBE. *> The UECBE statistical reports 1970, 1985. The UECBE statistical reports 1964-1990, Archive of the UECBE. © Albert Wardin (ed), Baptists Around the World: a Comprehensive Handbook (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1995), p. 240. 7 Today Rein UuemGis and Ulo Niinemagi are pastors in the Oleviste Church. The late Udo Veevo was a longtime pastor in Palade on Hiiumaa Island. 8 Minutes of the presbyters’ council meeting, no. 54 (11 September 1978). PNProt1969- 1985, Archive of the UECBE; Enno Tuulik, private correspondence (20 February 2005). T. Pilli personal archive. 155 The worship style at these evangelistic and prayer evenings was somewhat non-traditional. Music was rhythmic and joyful, and as Haljand Uuemdis pointed out, used “non-Christian instruments” (as they were perceived).” Uuem6Ois was referring to drums and electric musical instruments. This new music style had become widespread in other churches, too, such as the Estonian Methodist Church. The flow of visitors from other Soviet republics to the Tallinn Oleviste Church, the extraordinary worship elements, young people attending the evangelistic evenings and the spread of similar evangelistic patterns to other ECB churches did not go unnoticed. State authorities felt uneasy about these tendencies. Under heavy pressure of government authorities, “Effataa evenings’ in the Russian language were ended in 1981. UuemOis commented, “This decision was hard and painful, and meant - as it soon was realised — a blow to the whole revival process.’® However, the evange- listic evenings in Estonian continued, and constantly troubled the Commis- sioner of the CRA. In January 1987 the Commissioner stated, concerning youth activities, that the Oleviste Church was balancing on “a critical line’. The Commissioner worried that young people were “under Pentecostal influence’. It is important to note that the Effataa revival, controversial and inspiring as it was, was not the only evidence of the UECBE's efforts to develop its own evangelistic language in the changing cultural context. Witnessing and “winning souls” was a uniting force among the historically different Estonian free churches, even before the Second World War. It could only be expected that under Soviet rule this uniting feature of identity was searching for ways to be expressed. Jiri Puusaag, presbyter of Tallinn “Kalju” Church, who had studied for a short period at McMaster Divinity College in Canada in 1980, encouraged every church member to live an “active spiritual lifestyle”®* Puusaag’s vision included “friendship evangelism” by church members in their everyday life setting and well-planned discipleship training in church. He