Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

evch, ass’'t general secretary; S. T. Timchenko, vice-president; N. N. Melnikov, vice-president; and S. P. Fadiukhin, AN. Kiriukhantsev, M. Ia. Zhidkov as members. 59. Sergei T. Timchenko was born in Poltava (Ukraine), where he was converted and baptized in 1918. In 1929 he was ordained presbyter in Poltava. The official biography says nothing about the long and very likely difficult interval but from 1947-32 he lived in Alma Ata (Kazakhstan) and then moved to Moscow, where he continued in civilian employ till he was pensioned in 1963, after which he be- came an active worker in the Moscow congregation. In the last five years of his life as first vice-president of the union he became widely respected, the Estonian presbyters crediting him with persuading the Estonian church to remain on the side of the AUCECB leadership. (BV 4/73, p. 73.) 60. The official report in BV 2/70, passim. An English-language brochure was again published. 61. Dr. C. Ronald Goulding (England), then European secreta for the Baptist World Alliance and secretary-treasurer of the European Baptist Federation. 62. This was based very heavily on his report to an extended plenum held in March 1969 (BV 3/69, pp. 61-73). 63. See above, chapter 4, pp. 112-115. 64. BV 2/70, p. 23. 65. Ibid., p. 26. 66. Based on the decision at an Evangelical Christian con ress of 1920 the 1969 plenum had decided that if a man’s family lives a decent life and there is no disorder in the family, then such a person may be ordained even if his children are not believers. (Ibid., pp. 63-65; 2/70, p. 32.) 67. BV 2/70, p. 45. 68. Ibid., p. 46. 69. Discussed in detail in the following chapter. 70. AS 565 (Dec. 1970). 71. They were: G. I. Maiboroda, P. P. Raka, A. G. Popov, sister Kopylova, Ia. B, Starodubets, F. 1. Saprykin (a guest), and G. P. Tsorba. ; 72. At the plenum in March 1969 A. I. Mitskevich had reported that 960 Init- siativniki had returned in 1968, and more than 30 of those returning so far were presbyters and preachers. Some of these were then elected as senior presbyters such as: N. N. Sizov (SP for Kirgizia), M. I. Azarov (asst SP for Belgorod), V. F. Vasilenko (SP for Vinnitsa), I. D. Laiko (SP for Chernigov), and E. A. Savenok (ass't presbyter in the large Rostov church). BV 3/69, p. 69. 73 Nominees needed to get a majority vote, with each candidate voted on separately. The number of negative votes were revealed to this writer later. 74. New members were: Robert P. Vyzu (Estonia), Viktor A. Kriger (Moscow), Alexei M. Bychkov (Moscow), N. I. Dolmatov (Rostov), Ivan S. Gnida (Kirovograd), A. D, Savin (Krasnodar), V. S. Glukhovskii (L’vov), M. M. Samotugin (Tashkent), P. K. Shatrov (Leningrad, now Moscow). 75. ie., M. §. Vashchuk. His successors were M. M. Samotugin, N. A. Ko- lesnikov (candidate), and N. N. Sizov (Revision Commission). During the previous three years the Central Asian administration had been decentralized again