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

ing worship practices, social ministries, and even matters of everyday life for their members. Therefore, the lack of accountability, the absence of the congregation that could reflect critically and theologically on the Word proclaimed or certain church practices (which gradually turn into traditions, unwritten laws, etc.) played a major role in the appearance of various abuses, ranging from “spiritual accidents” (as Sipko calls them) to “small incidents,” like churches losing young people, and even to the general loss of denominational identity. Contemporary Baptists in Russia, as well as other post-Soviet countries, find it very hard to explain who they are and why they do what they do. The revivalist movement that aimed at reshaping all areas of Russian society has turned into a religious institution with rigid structures, practices and traditions. Conclusion In this chapter, | have addressed the contemporary understanding of preaching in Russian Baptist churches. | have briefly touched upon the context of worship service and space, and the people involved in leading worship and preaching. The years of communistic oppression and over-emphasis on the ministry of the Word being primarily a result of the preacher’s involvement with the Holy Spirit, resulted in the pulpit turning into an office that attributes power and authority. Preachers (and especially church leaders) formed a separate class of “Christian elite” — they were seen as people especially close to God and filled by the Holy Spirit. Culturally bound understanding of leadership coupled by the emphasis on special “anointing” of pastors/preachers caused suppression of the need for the church’s engagement in reflection and discussion of the Biblical text. Instead, uncritical acceptance of anything proclaimed from the pulpits was encouraged and taught. 131 This resulted in the absence of “educated listeners,” able to call preachers to accountability, thus leaving both churches and their leaders vulnerable to various abuses of power, as well as in Baptist churches gradually turning into rigid religious institutions with set traditions and practices. In the next chapters | will argue that preaching must be seen as a powerful practice, producing both virtues and vices (not only through what is being proclaimed or left unsaid, but through the way preaching is exercised), in order to maintain its positive formative role in developing baptistic identity. 132 CHAPTER 6. The need for a vision: defining baptistic identity Introduction In my attempt to study the role of preaching in Russian Baptist communities, | have shown how proclamation, simplistic retelling of the biblical story played a major role in the formation of the first baptistic congregations, who were forced to leave the Orthodox Church because of their conviction that everyone needed to study the Bible, and apply it into their lives, being guided by the Holy Spirit. Throu