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

rches (1 Cor. 14:34) is dismissed through a number of references to Paul’s other letters (1 Cor. 11,5; Phil. 4:2-3), the book of Acts (2:17; 7:1-6), and the Gospel of Luke (the prophecy of Anna in Luke 2:38). The author concludes, ‘All of the above makes it clear that women can serve on the field of preaching the Gospel.’”* The subsequent volumes of the journal do not show a change of attitude to this issue. At the beginning of 1948, Yakov |. Zhidkov”" offers an overview of church-life in 1947 where he routinely mentions female preachers. ‘Under the guidance of the beloved brother — the presbyter, some gifted brothers and sisters participated by sharing the word of holy Gospel. They read the Holy Scripture and explained what 25 These words indicate that women were was read, applying it to Christian living. allowed to preach, and such practice was not considered as unbiblical or sinful, which is prevalent in the churches of the 21° century.”° Ten years later Zhidkov in his article “Poriadok Propovedi Na Nashikh Sluzheniiakh” [The Order of Preaching in Our Services] reaffirms the notion of female preaching. Referring to the decision approved by the leadership of the Union, he wrote, ‘Those brothers and sisters that 23 “Q Sluzhenii Zhenshchin v Tserkvi” [“Regarding Women’s Ministry in the Church”], in Bratskii Vestnik, Vol. 3 (1945), pp 48-49. *4 vakov I. Zhidkov was one of the key Baptist leaders in Russia. He served as a president of ARUEC after Prokhanov’s immigration in 1928. From 1932 until 1942 he was in prison for his religious work. In 1944 Zhidkov was elected as a President of AUCECB. In 1955 Zhidkov was elected as a Vice-President of the World Baptist Alliance (BWA) (re-elected in 1960). *° Yakov |. Zhidkov, “Wzgliad Nazad” [“Retrospect”], in Bratskii Vestnik, Vol. 1 (1948), p 7. 6 For further discussion on this subject see Chapter 5 of this research. 96 are gifted and able to teach the church are allowed to preach, apart from the presbyter and the deacons.’”” Other publications can be mostly divided into two categories, dealing primarily with the character of the preacher, or issues related to the sermon preparation. It must be noted that the first theme was given much more attention, as almost every article contains extensive exhortation on the need to spend time in prayer before, during and after the process of preparation for preaching, the importance of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit and, thus prophetic nature of preaching. Now | am going to offer a brief overview of these publications that address the subject of preaching and preachers. The theme of preaching being more than a mere rhetorical discourse clearly comes to the forefront in the publications of the BV. Despite some mild attempts to address practical issues related to the ministry of the word, the preachers and the listeners were given a clear message — the right heart of a preacher, and his”® relati