Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2007

however, worried that he might discover the main informant, since almost all of the damaging information had come from Strahil’s trusted friend Karamazov. After his release, Karamazov was puzzled, and in a report to the UDBA wrote that for ‘about a month or so, Grozdanov is very quiet’ and has ‘ceased to speak unfavourably’ of the 70 Ibid., (28.4.1965). 71 EBPS, 19 August 1964, 64:246-E; Sept 25. 1965. 65:270. 72 Report , (7.11.1965). SG. UDBA. 73 Ibid., (7.12.1963). 74 Strahil Grozdanov Personal Documents, Letter to Tito (24.7.1959). 77 Stella Alexander, Church and State in Yugoslavia since 1945 (Cambridge University Press, 1979), p. 220 . 76 Report, (24.4.1965), SG, UDBA. 34 Journal of European Baptist Studies 77 government. Whether Strahil realised the source of the information to the UDBA, or had decided to keep quiet in front of everybody, remains unclear. Either way, in the next decades Strahil enjoyed less harassment because he no longer spoke his mind, even in front of Karamazov. Until 1980 he continued to lead the church that he had established in his home in Skopje. It was a small church, but as his children reached maturity, it started to experience growth among the student population in the 1970s. His focus was primarily on reaching out to university students. 78 He continued to help in the churches in Radovis and Leskovac, although there were now other people involved in ministering to these churches as well. The leadership years of Strahil’s ministry were marked by both achievements and shortcomings. He persevered through the problems with the Union leadership and the UDBA to establish the Skopje Baptist Church as a centre for South Yugoslavia’s mission. He helped train and empower local leaders in the churches under his care, which provided future ministers and pastors in these churches, and established a literature ministry in the region. He did not manage to stay in full-time ministry, and this limited the time and energy he could spend on ministry, which had an impact on the results. 4. Late life (1980-1997) In 1980, Strahil turned 60, and the church finally moved out of his house, although it wasn’t until 1987 that the church had its own property. Strahil stayed active in the leadership of the church, although his role had significantly diminished. His sons Ivan and later Samoil, as well as others, helped in the leadership of the church. Strahil helped them in their work until the late 1980s, when he completely withdrew from church work, because of his age and ill health. In his latter years he devoted himself to a quiet existence and the support of the new leadership in the church. He set out to write several works, most of which were never published. These dealt with the history of the Baptist movement in Macedonia, the work of the Baptist churches he was leading, and his own personal memoirs. In 1990 the communist government was toppled, and he enjoyed gr