Church Without Walls: Post-Soviet Baptists after the Ukrainian Revolution, 2013-14, Joshua T. Searle, 2016

ine and Russia he also exposes some of the darker and deeper challenges of being radical believers. Sandwiched between the suspicions of the Orthodox Church and the political state, free thinking Baptists have already paid a heavy price for their convictions. Joshua identifies some of the daily conflicts to be negotiated by Baptists in terms of civic duty, concluding that obedience ends where evil begins. It is no use focusing on the sins of individuals in the church while our state structures are complicit with injustice. We may profitably reflect on the implications for ourselves in the market-centred West. Sally Nelson, Secretary to the Whitley Committee PREFACE I am very grateful to the Whitley Committee for the kind invitation to give the 2016 Whitley Lecture. It is a privilege to have been asked to deliver this significant lecture series and I hope that I have honoured the intention of the Committee to put valuable scholarship to the service of theological reflection among the British and worldwide Baptist community. Having lived and worked as a missionary in the city of Donetsk between 2011 and 2013, I have chosen to focus on Ukraine and the plight of the Baptist community in the wake of the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity and Freedom in 2013-14. My aim is to elucidate the church’s role in public life by setting out a simple and generous evangelical vision of Christian engagement that is humble, hospitable, full of grace, ready to listen, learn and serve, and to stand in solidarity with society in defence of the fundamental gospel values of truth, freedom, love and justice. I dedicate this lecture to Michael Bourdeaux in appreciation for his lifetime of indefatigable advocacy on behalf of the millions who suffered persecution for their faith in the Soviet Union. Michael has been a tremendous source of moral support and encouragement to me personally in recent years and his fine example of courage and dedication to the gospel of freedom and truth continues to inspire my generation to look to the future with hope. I take this opportunity to express my warmest thanks to my colleagues at Spurgeon’s College for their support and encouragement. I also thank my courageous and gifted friends and mission partners at Mission Eurasia.’ In particular, I convey my deepest gratitude and respect to Sergey Rakhuba and Mykhailo Cherenkov for their friendship and inspiration. I am also very grateful to Anne Clements for her judicious proofreading of this text. All translations from Ukrainian, Russian and German in this lecture are my own, except where indicated otherwise. Joshua T. Searle Spurgeon’s College London, October 2015 ' Mission Eurasia is a large mission organisation that works to train, equip and mobilise Christians throughout post-Soviet Eurasia to engage in evangelism, church-planting, and humanitarian relief projects by developing creative and strategic ministries. Mission Eurasia