Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

senior presbyter who preached but whom the believers referred to behind his back as comrade rather than brother. Senior Presbyter K. S. Veliseichik, who had Moscow support, became the leader of the republic in 1958 and remained in office till 1976. He was a very energetic leader who also represented the AUCECB on the WCC executive committee, but locally he was heavily criticized for forcing adherence to the 1960 statute. !9 His predecessor, V. N. Chechnev (1882-1958), had been very different. Chechnev began his service in the Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk Oblast) and was sent by Ivan Prokhanov to Minsk (Belorussia) in 1924 because an experienced worker was needed there to organize church growth. Chechnev remained at his post till his death, also serving as an AUCECB member after 1948. He was a wise leader who read extensively and was especially respected for his loving manner.2° The present senior presbyter, Ivan Bukatyi, attended the Swedish Baptist Seminary and is also highly respected?! Belorussia has the second largest concentration of Pentecostals, Until 1949 the senior presbyter was assisted by a Pentecostal. This was I. K. Pan’ko (1901-1964), who bears primary responsibility for successfully bring- ing the Belorussian Pentecostals into the union. Even a term of imprison- ment (1949-55) did not alter his deep commitment to the unity.22 It was not until 1966 that another Pentecostal, L. S. Vladyko, began to exercise a similar leadership role. Vladyko became a candidate member of the AUCECB in 1969 and a full member a decade later. The Belorussian Re- public, with its 10,000 members, also has a structure whereby the senior presbyter is assisted by five oblast senior presbyters.25 No doubt the strictness of Veliseichik and his assistant, M. N. Germanovich (Brest Oblast), helped trigger the split in Belorussia, but state officials did their part through severe methods. From 1961 to 1965 only eight persons served prison sentences, but during the next two years an ad- ditional twenty-five persons were sentenced to prison. In 1978 the entire prison alumni met for a reunion. The group totaled forty-eight persons, including six women.”4 Imprisonment of leaders did not stop the work nor reduce the boldness of the believers. The Reform Baptist church in Brest with a membership over 800 was finally offered state registration without conditions several : i 2 i i g 262 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II years ago, and then began the negotiations for an adequate church build- ing. When the authorities refused one church building, the believers sug- gested that they should take over the atheist club since only ten persons at- tended it anyway. That, too, was refused, as well as an unused Roman Catholic church, so finally the believers told the authorities that, if they did not receive a building, they would divide up into fifteen small groups and meet in houses! This