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

as the basis for their worship services and practical living. They viewed it as a guide to salvation, which prompted serious prayerful study of the Word (Marina S. Karetnikova, ed., Al’manakh Po Istorii Russkogo Baptisma: Russkoie Bogoiskatelstvo [Almanac on the History of Russian Baptists: Russian Search for God], v. 1, (St. Petersburg, Biblia Dlya Vsekh, 1999), p 72). They rejected the authority or hierarchy within the church, believing that every member of the congregation had a right to read and interpret the Bible both in their private life and in corporate worship (H. Brandenburg, The Meek and The Mighty: The Emergence of the Evangelical Movement in Russia (New York, Oxford University Press, 1977), p 62). Molokans practiced public repentance. They followed very strict moral rules: drinking, smoking, swearing, playing cards, dancing — all of it was prohibited. (N. Kuterov, Kratkaia Istoriia i Veroucheniie Russkikh Ratsionalisticheskikh i Misticheskikh Eresei [Short History and Beliefs of Russian Rationalistic and Mystical Heresies] (Moscow, 1891) p 33). Thousands of Molokans eventually joined Baptist Churches and communities of Evangelical Christians. *° This understanding eventually changed, as Pashkov came to the conclusion that unity did not exclude diversity of interpretation. (Puzynin, The Tradition of the Gospel Christians, p 91). 56 conference of the Union of Believers, baptised Christians, or as they are called, Baptists, of South Russia and the Caucasus.’ This meeting is considered by many historians as a starting point in the history of the Russian Baptist Union.”° The letter written by Ivan Kargel to Pashkov (who didn’t attend the conference, being in exile) provides a summary of that meeting, highlighting biblical interpretation and application as the burning issues. Practical questions related to marriage and divorce, ordination, communion and spiritual gifts were directly linked to the teaching of the Bible. Concluding remarks of this letter are of extreme importance. It was decided that concerning ‘decisions dealing with theological questions... there may exist difference of opinion. It is seen appropriate to seek unanimous acceptance of decisions, but congregations are to be given the right to decide as they see fit to do before God.’ *’ At this stage, it might be helpful to offer a short summary of my argument so far. The practice of reading the Bible in the community of believers and using it as a guide for the daily living played an extremely important role in the appearance of the evangelical movement in Russia in the second half of the 19" century. Such communal reading and interpretation was done in the most simplistic fashion — someone read the passage from the Bible, tried to explain it to the listeners and shared some of his/her thoughts on it. The interpretation was discussed communally. The Bible was seen as a book written directly for them. Its meaning was understood lit