Baptistic Theologies, 2009

ovites “are living evidence of great tolerance that can be used within ancient Orthodox 24 Sharyl Corrado, The Philosophy of Ministry of Colonel Vasiliy Pashkov (Russian Translation from the English original), (Saint-Peterbugr, Bibliya dlya Vseh, 2005), pp. 32-39. 25 S.N. Savinskii, Istoriya Russko-Ukrainskogo Baptisma [History of Russian-Ukranian Baptist Movement] (Odessa: Bobomislie, 1995), http://www.rusbaptist.stunda.org/, accessed 10 th March 2008. “ 6 Corrado, The Philosophy of Ministry of Colonel Vasiliy Pashkov, p. 42. 27 Ibid., p. 49. 2S H. Coleman, Russian Baptists and Spiritual Revolution , 1905-1929 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005), p. 17. ~ 9 Corrado, The Philosophy of Ministry of Colonel Vasiliy Pashkov , p. 49. Relationships between Evangelicals and the Orthodox Church in Russia 77 30 borders”.’ Pashkovites eventually became a separate movement from Orthodoxy as a result of being associated with and persecuted as Stundists after 1879. 31 The teaching of Pashkov was marked by the desire to help people ‘to understand the love of Christ beyond our understanding’. ‘ Pashkov expressed the main points of his faith in a letter to the Rector of St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Archpriest I. Janishev, which was published in 1880 in an Orthodox magazine: - Man sinned and became unable to receive justification and salvation by means of his deeds. - Christ by death on the cross saved people and those who believe in Christ are saved. - Everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness and inherits eternal life. - Repentance is the only requirement for forgiveness. - Eveiybody who believes in Christ has a gift of understanding, interpreting and proclaiming the Scripture. - Good deeds are a necessary consequence of repentance as ‘fruits of faith’, 33 but they do not save people as Christ alone did that. Pashkovites had no official creed or dogma, but they sought the truth of the gospel in the Bible. 34 At their prayer meetings they informally celebrated the Eucharist, which was open to everyone. They recognised infant baptism and did not require people to be baptised as adults. However repentance, rebirth and belonging to the fellowship of the church were considered as necessary elements of salvation. 35 Proclamation of the Word of God was the main ministry of Pashkov. He opened his house for prayer and study where people of different classes and ages could come together and hear about salvation. Pashkov’s meetings were visited by people of different ethnic groups and denominations as this was not an issue for Pashkov. He was happy that people had an opportunity to follow Christ’s way while denominationally remaining where they were: Lutherans, Orthodox, Stundists, etc/ 30 Ibid., p. 50. 31 Coleman, Russian Baptists and Spiritual Revolution, p. 17. 32 Ibid., p. 49. 33 1. Ianyshev, ‘Religioznie Mneniya g. Pashkova’ [Religious Opinions of Mr. Pashkov],