Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2007

rge rooms in surrounding farm- houses. Bertelson often participated in all or a majority of these five worship services on Sundays. In spite of some opposition, especially from the Old Believers, Bertelson and the local church were able to gain trust among the locals. Bertelson was accepted as a spiritual worker, not only by the Baptist Union and the local congregation, but also by the conservative Orthodox and Old Believers on the shores of Lake Peipsi. Her commitment to faith and personal ‘holiness’, as well as practical help to local people, spoke louder than her gender. Bertelson, though never officially a pastor in Mustvee, in practice fulfilled a pastoral role. There were times when the church did not have a pastor or the pastor lived far away. Gradually, it was Bertelson to whom church members came for advice and spiritual support. Alongside this she organised worship services and preached whenever necessary. It was due to 62 During Emilie Bertelson’s time in Mustvee there served several pastors: Johannes Roodeman (1921- 1925), Eduard Annert (1925-1928) and Rudolf Saul (1928-1943) who was chairman of the church board and served in the capacity of pastor, though was not an ordained minister, later Elmar Maranik (1943- 1948), again Rudolf Saul (1948-1958), who was now the official pastor, and Ilmar Kurg (1958-1970). 63 E.J. Dahl, Emilie Bertelsoni elu ja Mustvee toopold , p. 5. 64 R. Kaups, ‘Kogudused’, pp. 83-84. 63 Old Believers separated from the Russian Orthodox Church when Tsar Peter I reformed the Orthodox Church in 1656. They did not agree with the reforms, and were persecuted in Russia which caused their migration. In Estonia, there are Old Believers’ congregations in Tallinn and Tartu, but mainly on the shore of Lake Peipsi. 66 Anton Kukin to Daily Valk, (29.05.1999). Private letter. The original document is owned by Daily Adam. 67 E.J. Dahl, Emilie Bertelsoni elu ja Mustvee toopold, pp. 5-6. 68 Lagergren, Framgdngstid med dubbla fortecken: Svenska baptistsamfundet dren 1914-1932 , p. 138. ‘She Worked Like a Man’ 17 her commitment that the congregation came through difficult times and grew considerably. 69 Though it is not possible to say whether it was because of her attitude as a woman or for some other reason, but Bertelson was much more open to team-work than many of the men in the Baptist Union. Bertelson often invited students of the Baptist Seminary to visit Mustvee on evangelism trips. Also, almost all the Baptist Union’s travelling preachers visited Mustvee, such as O. Konsa, J. Sikka, E. Roasto, D. H. Matson, and others. 70 By 1940-1941 the Baptist ‘mission fields’ on the shores of Lake Peipsi extended from the village of Nina in the South to Iisaku in the North, approximately seventy kilometres. From East to West the work covered twenty-five kilometres, from Lake Peipsi to Lullikatku and Raabise. In this area there were sixteen mission stations, in Kuru, Kaseaa, Av