Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

ommunists. As Robert Kelly, a UE executive, explained in a cover letter, their organization regretted the necessity of publishing this material, but: “We trust you will recognize, however, that the facts so clearly outlined in these documents would never, and could never, have been revealed except by availing ourselves of the fair and impartial procedures of our American judicial system.” Among other things, the documentation claimed that key witnesses, including Filka Bankov, had been brainwashed by Michael Wurmbrand, and at a subsequent legal deposition, Filka Bankov reversed much of her testimony. Not to be outdone, Michael and Richard Wurmbrand responded in December 1978 with a 78-page booklet entitled ““The Evidence Against Joe Bass, Stefan Bankov and Underground Evangelism.” On page one was a photocopy of Joe Bass’s arrest record of 1959.54 This book provided a résumé of witnesses’ depositions plus photocopies of major depositions including a love letter from David Hathaway to Mrs. Lois Bass, wife of Joe Bass, written on Christian Prisoners Release International stationery, and the transcript of an interview with Filka Bankov by a California journalist. The latter two were filled with salacious tidbits. The booklet also contained photocopies of UE publications, especially photographs, to demonstrate regular falsification of information and the curious tendency to black out the faces of some individuals leading underground activity in order to protect their identity, having printed the full face a month previously. UE responded with its own evidence to show that Wurmbrand printed pictures such as a photo of children in a communist prison which turned out to be a prize photo in a Dutch swimming contest. In January 1979 Bass released “Conspiracy Part II.” As the writer for Christianity Today concluded: “Despite their volume, however, the conflicting accounts generate more questions than answers.” What the massive documentation has also demonstrated is that regardless whether the specific charges against UE are proven, it is evident that both missions have systematically engaged in dishonest practices, and in their conduct of the case fail to demonstrate the qualities one would ex- pect of Christian leaders who together were responsible for dispensing $13.3 million in 1977. The final installment to the scandal story was supposed to be a state- ment released by Underground Evangelism on July 3, 1979, announcing an out-of-court settlement. Both sides had signed a statement declaring their mutual accusations to be “groundless.”’55 Major newspapers carried the an- Assessment of East European Mission Societies 409 nouncement, since they had started covering the story months earlier, and it sounded as if “these men can now continue their work for Christ unham- pered,” to quote the UE International Committee statement. That was not to be the end. Underground Evangelism in circulating the announceme