Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2007

it seems that in those times deeper theological contemplation was not a priority. Installing hope and giving them care and love was top priority for people in these circumstances, and this is what Strahil was best at, devoting his life to practical ministry. He was also trying to develop a significant literature ministry. Publication of Christian literature in Yugoslavia at the time was strictly monitored, and often outright censored. In his contacts with the other Baptist leaders throughout Yugoslavia and Europe, he managed to smuggle in some of the literature being printed abroad. In an intercepted letter by the secret police, he also asked for brochures in the Bulgarian language, which could be more easily smuggled into Bulgaria across the Yugoslav- Bulgarian border, than from the West to Bulgaria. He was arrested and 58 Reports, (25.12.1956. 7.12.1956. 28.2.1957), SG, UDBA. 59 Strahil Grozdanov, Preporaka [ Legacy] (Unpublished, 1994), p. 1. 60 Grozdano v, Kratok Istorijat, 1988, p. 16. 61 He spoke only Serbo-Croatian and Turkish. 62 Reports, (undated, 1967; 9.7.1970), SG, UDBA. 32 Journal of European Baptist Studies threatened at least once for distributing brochures with ‘religious /TO propaganda’ in 1966. Despite the regular arrests and interrogations by the UDBA, Strahil managed to escape from serving a lengthy prison sentence throughout his ministry. This was partly due to certain circumstances. In July, 1963 a huge earthquake destroyed Skopje, and at the time Strahil was on trial for not reporting a foreign preacher, an accusation to which he admitted. 64 The UDBA filed a lawsuit against him, but Yugoslavia was in desperate need of assistance from western countries to rebuild Skopje, and the petition against Strahil was blocked by the Secretary of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, because it could put a strain on relations with western donors. 65 1963 also signified considerable changes in the ministry of Grozdanov. His house and the meeting place of the church were damaged and he sought immediate aid from the Baptist Union. 66 The Union Secretary, Stipe Orcic, had asked for pictures of Skopje and the damaged property to advertise abroad, but no aid was ever to reach Skopje Baptist Church. A missionary had sent a small amount directly to Grozdanov for repairing the house, but Orcic demanded immediate transfer of the funds to the Union centre in Novi Sad. Strahil was reluctant to do this, and was visited in Skopje by three Union representatives, Klem, Sladacek and Balog on 8 th October 1963, when it was agreed that this same amount of money could be spent in Skopje. Strahil’s became impatient with some of the Union leadership because, though he could not prove it, he was convinced that more aid had come to the Union office in Novi Sad, but was never /r o transferred to the Skopje Church. 1 Trust between the leaders and Strahil was beginning to crumble. In November 19