Towards Understanding of the Practice of Proclamation: The Core Element of Russian Baptist Worship, Timofey Cheprasov, 2015

reaching is responsible for. Henceforth for preachers the * | offer only a brief insight into the vast subject of Russian Baptist worship. Such a limited overview is intentional, due to the focus of my research, which is preaching. For more in-depth analysis of worship in Russian Baptist churches, see Leonid Mikhovich, “Traditional Russian- speaking Baptist Worship in Orthodox Context,” in Theological Reflections, Vol. 13 (2013), pp. 24-37; \Irina Timchenko, “Muzikalnaia Osnova Bogosluzheniia Evangelskikh Khristian — Baptistov” [“Music Foundations the Worship of Evangelical Christians — Baptists”], in Put Bogopoznaniia, Vol. 1 (Moscow, MTSECB, 1996), pp 61-73; A. P. Kosinko, “Bibleiskoie Ponimaniie Bogosluzheniia v Dukhe i Istine” [“Biblical understanding of Worship service in Spirit and in Truth”], in Put Bogopoznaniia, Vol. 9 (Moscow, MTSECB, 2003) pp 5-14. 111 question of good and bad preaching should mean far more than a matter of “being heard” by the audience. Whilst this claim is based on my previous exploration of the historical, theological and cultural contexts in which Russian baptistic have developed, as well as the analysis of the development of the practice of proclamation and the contemporary state in Russian Baptist churches, | will illustrate it with the responses from the surveys collected in several Baptist churches from the Voronezh area, Russia, which would provide a meaningful conclusion to the Chapter and the whole section on the development of Russian Baptist preaching. In Chapters 6 and 7, | will employ the concept of a “powerful practice” developed by James McClendon,” arguing that preaching should be understood as a powerful practice, which would enable churches and seminaries to address preaching’s constructive as well as destructive potential. 5.1 The context of worship The house of prayer The place of worship plays an important part in Russian Baptist communities. Traditionally a church building is called “the House of Prayer” and is considered holy ground. People treat the place of worship with great reverence. No jokes, laughter or profane talk is allowed. Anything that is not directly related to worship can be considered profane. It is not uncommon for people on their way to the church to stop thinking about “earthly” or “secular” things, instead entering a prayerful, reverent mood. People, particularly the older generation of believers, are very careful with choosing their clothes when they go to church, since it is important to be dressed as “it n3 is appropriate for the saints.”~ It is not uncommon before the beginning of a service for an older member of a church to enter the pulpit and start reading from the Scripture or from the Bratskii Vestnik, to prepare people for a worship event.’ * McClendon, Ethics, p 179 3 A reference to Titus 2:3 and 1 Timothy 2:9. “Such reverent attitude is, however, gradually disappearing, particularly when younge