Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2007

nd people again moved to Karaganda. At least here there was no hunger, and a loaf of bread in Karaganda only cost 40 roubles - five times cheaper than in Chelyabinsk, another big industrial centre. 59 In this way, Karaganda became a large German centre. On 13 December 1955, the Soviet government abolished the deportation status of the Germans in the USSR, whereupon more than one million people had the possibility to freely choose their place of residence. 56 Information of D. Koop to J. Dyck, 1999. 57 Material of R. Mantai, Honingen. 58 Nemetsko-mennonitskoe bratstvo. 59 Material of I. Braun, Honingen, 14 September 1999. Phonogram, J. Dyck’s personal archive. 48 Journal of European Baptist Studies Phase Two: Revival as Church New Survival Strategy: Disobedience In 1956, a thaw in the country set in. Prisoners of faith were released, and the number of faith fellowships rapidly grew. German believers began to trust the Soviet postal system and established letter contacts, building their own infrastructure. 60 Meanwhile, the ECB Church in Karaganda having grown to almost 1 9 W 1000 members with 65% of them Germans, erected a spacious building in the outskirts of the city. At the same time, a group of German members was dissatisfied with the situation in the church, which was led by a voluntary appointed council of twenty people as demanded by the religious legislation, had no special members’ meetings, and the number of preachers was strictly limited. In December 1956, twenty-one Mennonites decided to zro leave the church and organise a German Mennonite Brethren Church. From the very beginning, the new Church used Mennonite patterns of church life. In September 1957 David Klassen was elected elder, and Gerhard Harder and Abram Friesen assistant elders. In 1958, they were ordained by a Mennonite preacher. The church had regular members’ meetings, Bible and prayer hours, and home visitations in accordance with Mennonite practice. 64 A definite pattern became the coordinated system and reference point for church life. During the next two years, the MB Church grew to 900 members. Half of them had previously been baptised and were accustomed to church life. Another 454 people were baptised in the new church. 65 In this way, in a very short time, a new church was organised and became known in the country. In 1958, the political climate in the country changed, and a new wave of persecution became visible. The Church was refused legalisation. Confiscation of prayer houses and disruption to services in living rooms followed, forcing people to leave the city or be imprisoned. Mennonites 60 Reimer, Nur aus Gnaden. Erinnerungen , pp. 111-114. 61 Archive of the Karaganda ECB Church. 62 D. Klassen, Autobiography, 24 June 1977. Manuscript, J. Dyck’s personal archive. 63 Material of J. Friesen Sen., Honingen, 14 September 1999. Phonogram, J. Dyck’s personal archive. 64 Ibid. 65 [V. Fas