Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

e basis for an offensive program, or is that possible only as long as a specifically Baptist viewpoint dominates? Perhaps the much-discussed split among evangelicals soon lost its sig- nificance for believers in the provinces because the daily questions of Chris- tian life were more immediate and urgent. Notes to Chapter 8 1. Their estimate was eventually confirmed by Soviet sociologist Lialina, p. dL. 2, One Mennonite journalist, for example, heard General Secretary Alexei Bychkov say: “Vins is in prison because he violated an existing law. We feel the door is open for witness in our way. Vins says we must change the law by political methods, But we speak to government in our own way.” The journalist concluded: “The delegation appeared somewhat unsympathetic to Vins.” Mennonite Reporter, June 14, 1976. . aed ; . 3, Michael Bourdeaux’s argument in Faith on Trial in Russia (London: Hod- der & Stoughton, 1971), pp. 101-110. . 4. BV, 2/70, pp. 62-65. Unity commission members were: I. G. Win (Iva- nova, recently deceased), V. M. Koval’kov, chairman (Moscow), V. I. Lebedev (Moscow), Ia. N. Tolpygin (Gor'ki), 'S.-V. Sevast’ianov (Riga), O. A. Tiark (Tallinn), A. A. Arder (Rakvere), A. D. Bespalov (Dnepropetrovsk), A. M. Ketsko (Minsk), A. A. Bogatyrev (Alma-Ata), D. I. Klassen (Karaganda), N. F. Samsakov (Moscow), A. P. Vasks (Riga), P. G. Kovalev (Omsk), N. I. Vysotski (Odessa). 5. BV, 6/66, p. 71. By 1968 Azarov had rejoined.the AUCECB and became assistant senior presbyter for Belgorod Oblast. ; 6. They were: Jacob Zhidkov, Alexander Karev, I. I. Motorin, A. I. Mitske- vich, A. N. Karpov, V. M. Koval’kov, M. Ia. Zhidkov. Also present were V. A. Mit- skevich and V. L. Fedichkin. 7. The detailed report by the reformers (AS 770, pp. 216-233) gave their own perspective but a careful reading can lead the observer to quite different conclu- sions, 8. Ibid., p. 221. . 9. Ibid., s 929. The reformers explained that this remark showed that Karev believed “that the church must be united with the state” (italics mine). That is read- ing into Karev’s statement what was not there. 10. Ibid., p. 233. =. 1l. Present were from the AUCECB: S. T. Timchenko, N. N. Melnikov, A. I. Mitskevich, M. Ia. Zhidkov, S. P. Fadiukhin, M. P. Chernopiatov, V. I. Lebedev. From the CCECB: S. T. Golev, M. T. Shaptala, M. I. Khorev, D. M. Vinogradskii, M. A. Pavlov. Again the most detailed report came from the reformers’ side (AS 827) but Alexander Karev also reported to the congress. An AUCECB letter to the con- gregations dated May 26, 1969, was also circulated by the reformers (AS 828). 12. Bourdeaux, Faith on Trial, p. 159. 13. AS 827. Reunification Rejected, 1964-1974 251 14. BV, 4/69, pp. 69-72; AS 827, 15. BL, 5/69 (AS 829). 16. BV, 4/69, pp. 71-72. 17. Le. Michael Zhidkov, S. T. Timchenko, V. I. Lebedev of the AUCECB and M. T. Shaptala of the CCECB. 18. BV, 2/70, p. 61; BL, 10-11/69 (AS 837); A