Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

Novosibirsk Oblast 77.5 percent were under fifty, while in Tomsk eighty-nine percent were under fifty. “This is one of the major features distinguishing them from other sectarian groupings. ”’33 This deep concern that children receive a religious upbringing also comes through when one speaks with AUCECB members | ocally. Their journal, however, must be more circumspect and contains rather little. Ina recent article, “On Being a Christian,” the writer stated that “believing parents must convey a knowledge of God to their chil must not impose their faith on the children, but rel help and the sufficiency of personal exampl dren, but in this they y only on faith in God’s e. 34 Too often, considering the atheist competition, this proved inadequate and parents were relieved to see that their children were attracted to the active youth program offered by the Reform Baptists. She had been in prison simultaneously with her father. (Photo courtesy of Friedensstimme) Special activities for children were a key part of the program of the Initsiativniki. They conducted Sunday school classes, although they had very little specialized literature for this purpose. When Georgi Vins was put sentence. 322 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War Il on trial in 1975 a major charge was that he had been actively involved in the preparation and printing of children’s literature. A handwritten teacher's manual entitled “The Song of the Shepherd”, had been confiscated. This book consisted of individual lessons prepared by F. W. Kasakova with cor- rections made by Vins. Another book confiscated consisted of religious pic- tures and was entitled “Paint Them Yourself.’’> Seeing the staggering array of children’s literature in North American bookstores, Vins’s daughter Natasha announced she would devote herself to translating the best ma- terials so that the CCECB could publish more. According to Soviet sources, Mennonites are also active in circulating children’s educational materials. This German language material has been sent to them by relatives and friends from abroad, and some individuals spend their time making additional handwritten copies.°* In recent years AUCECB Baptists have again increased their children’s activity. This is, however, done at local initiative. The Moscow union is unable to support even one children’s specialist, Where this children’s work is done, it is car- ried out under conditions of strict secrecy. Officially, the AUCECB churches do not have Sunday schools. Parents are specially concerned about the atheist pressure their children experience at school. As a result a tradition has developed whereby the worship service preceding school opening day focuses especially on the children and special prayers are said for them. Enterprising churches, espe- cially Reform Baptists, take the children on a special outing on