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

ng the protection and strengthening of the spiritual and moral values, to which the traditional family belongs, as a task of primary importance.” Moreover, in a second letter addressed to Putin, the RUECB praises the Russian President for “his churches stand by their people in their legitimate aspirations for freedom and democracy (as their Ukrainian counterparts did in 2013/14), Russian Christians can expect from their Ukrainian brothers and sisters fervent prayers, material support and spiritual solidarity as they take a stand with the people on behalf of the Christian values of truth, justice, compassion, honesty, integrity, dignity and freedom. When I look to the future of Ukraine I can see a vision of a reconciled church in Ukraine that transforms society, as the kingdoms of this world recede to make way for the kingdom of God (Rev 11:15). I can see a new era in which Orthodox (notwithstanding their different and sometimes conflicting loyalties), Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals and others join together out of common reverence for Christ in order to infuse the social space with spiritual values of love, humanity, compassion, forgiveness and solidarity. As I have been praying for Ukraine recently, I can see a vision beginning to emerge, even though it sometimes seems that I am peering through a glass darkly. But sometimes I can see it: I can see an Orthodox priest from Donetsk praying with a Pentecostal preacher from Kyiv. I can see them calling each other brothers and honouring and serving each other out of reverence to Christ. I can even see a Catholic monk from Lviv standing alongside a Baptist pastor from Moscow, and together praying that the peace of Christ would rule in their respective nations. Perhaps this vision is naive; perhaps it is unfeasible and utopian. But I hope we can have the faith to realise that with God all things are possible and that we might yet live to witness all of these things. This wish for a large-scale reconciliation between Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants in Ukraine is a worthy aspiration, which would constitute a significant and progressive step in Ukraine’s long journey out of the post-Soviet transition. There may even be reconciliation between the Russian and Ukrainian churches. When Russians begin to see a strong Church in Ukraine that enjoys the love and respect of the people, they will come to visit, make friendships, and learn from their Ukrainian brothers and sisters about what it really means to be a “church without walls.” And God will delight in this. contribution to the strengthening of civil peace and harmony in Russian society.” These statements are sadly reminiscent of Soviet times, when Baptists, who suffered disproportionately from Stalin’s purges, sent congratulatory telegrams to Stalin, who was hailed as the “great friend of all believers.” Russian Baptist leaders at that time assured the West that “within the Soviet Union there is