Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

er receiving freedom of religion. Thereafter some of their leaders. served prison sentences until finally, in 1973, they renewed their attempts to emigrate. First they submitted requests to the Soviet au- thorities, then expanded their appeal to the United Nations. By January 1978, the Pentecostal. emigration movement encompassed 10,000 people, and by July the number of people wishing to emigrate had increased to 20, 000 and was still spreading to new congregations and to more members within congregations.*4 In a virtual repeat of the 1963 drama, seven Soviet Pentecostals from Chernogorsk managed to enter the American embassy.a 290 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II second time on June 27, 1978. This time the Americans did not turn them out, nor were they able to act on their request, so they are still in the em- bassy at the time of this writing.8® Recently AUCECB Pentecostal spokesman Peter Shatrov urged educational work in the churches against doing something foolish in order to emigrate. ® Soviet Jews and Soviet Germans have been able to emigrate in large numbers during the past decade, but so far only two Pentecostal families were able to emigrate after major press campaigns. A major reason why the Pentecostals wish to emigrate is that they feel there is no place for them in Soviet society. At the International Sakharov Hearings in Copenhagen in 1977 recently emigrated Evgenii Bresenden stated: In view of the religious intolerance in the USSR, the majority of Chris- tian Pentecostals wait for a chance to leave the country and to emigrate to any non-communist country. They would rather go to Israel than to any other place because according to the Bible and Gospel, when justice and peace will be re-established after the present turmoil, the beginning of everything will be in Israel. Therefore we would be prepared to share all the Israeli People’s difficulties and hardships.” Another of the Pentecostal leaders, V. M. Vatulko, addressed a letter to the Conference for European Security meeting in Belgrade in 1977 in which he listed ten requests.8° They wanted unhindered worship services, buildings for worship, the right of parents to raise children in the faith, freedom to or- ganize Sunday schools and youth groups in the congregations, no restriction on religious congresses, no discrimination in education, permission to print literature, returning children to parents from whom they had been taken, releasing persons from prison, and rehabilitating. those persons imprisoned because of religion. It is a familiar litany of the problems that persist. For a short period an organized Pentecostal Samizdat journal was begun, but then the leaders stopped it.® An important reason why Mennonites have gained in status within the AUCECEB is their intimate link with fellow Mennonites abroad. Foreign support for Soviet Pentecostals leaves something to be desired.