Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

f Evangelical Christian Baptists and thereby the CCECB would be left without a. constituency. Reunification Rejected, 1964-1974 249 That may have been an over-reaction, since most of the autonomous regis- tration was given to Pentecostal and Mennonite congregations. In the decade of the seventies the reports of the religious situation for ECB churches became increasingly contradictory. AUCECB congregations reported increased freedom, whereas the CPR had negative news to report. In spite of world pressure, Georgi Vins was sentenced to five years’ im- prisonment plus five years exile. At the end of the prison term he was deported to America in exchange for Soviet. spies, effectively terminating his influence on the churches. Kriuchkov is only one of a number of leaders who are hunted like criminals,”8 Christian mothers became increasingly concerned that the authorities would carry out their threats to take their children away because they were not being raised in a spirit of communism. For the CCECB, this contradic- tion in conditions seemed evidence enough that the Moscow leadership was still cooperating in the church’s destruction. The CCECB no longer desired the unification because it was not possible to join light and darkness. Yet their members locally were becoming tired of the tension that life in a CCECB congregation required and became increasingly uncomfortable with the unbending attitudes of its leaders. Some Open Questions ; _ The split became permanent after 1969. Living conditions for CCECB churches are now so difficult that their ability to survive is questionable. Not only have the moderates and those who are tired returned to AUCECB churches, in Siberia, Northern Kazakhstan, and the Baltic region many of the key leaders emigrated to West Germany before they realized that state policy had made it easier for leaders to emigrate. Each one promised help from abroad and left only after a replacement was assured, but some loss in quality is apparent. , How realistic are the appeals of the Reform Baptists? Will the laws change to permit freedom of religion in the classic liberal sense? Will their union eventually receive legalization? There is a deeper and more disturbing question. Was it realistic to ex- pect broad support among fellow Christians for their uncompromising stance that the church must be completely separated from the state? When - taken to its full consequences as the Initsiativniki have done, how many of the Christians in North America would follow their stance? Or did they ex- pect from the beginning that they would remain a remnant that would be persecuted? > 250 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War Il Has the AUCEGB really gained by fighting the split? Can their slogan for unity—“On essentials, unity; on secondary matters, freedom; and in everything, love’—ever become more than a defensive statement to preserve unity? Can it provide th