Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

ve, 2 stretching at the present limits that might lead to a more favorable answer from the authorities later. 430 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War Il Difficult Elections Once again the elections were held behind closed doors. A major upset of the top leadership was prevented when the old presidium agreed to present a united front. Alexei Bychkov had to listen to sharp criticism, pri- marily because delegates felt he was spending too much time abroad. Andrei Klimenko received less criticism, but many delegates considered him too weak and he had obviously aged during his five years in the office of president. The dominant leaders at the congress were Bychkov and Dukhonchenko. Many new persons were elected because the size of all the committees was increased. Twelve of the 29 on the council were new, but it was still pri- marily a body consisting of senior presbyters, giving other groupings in the church less of a hearing.®5 Six of the previous candidate members now moved up to full council status,?6 The new list of nine candidates included a number of younger men who will likely move up into major leadership next time.3? The last of the Old Guard retired and the average age of the new presidium is younger than it has been for decades.*8 The presidium was increased to eleven members (six of which were new) and three candidate members. Although Klimenko and Bychkov remained president and general secretary respectively, most of the other positions were new and portend changes.® Four individuals would now need to move to Moscow (V. FE. Logvinenko, J. §. Gnida, N. A. Kolesnikov, and Jacob Fast). All four are widely respected as churchmen of integrity. If _ there will be any significant changes in Moscow, it will be because these men will be able to insist on it. That also applied to the candidate members to the presidium who will attend many of the meetings, although without the right to vote. Yet extra closed-door sessions were necessary. Delegates voted in favor of all 30 nominees (although some leaders barely squeaked through) except for one person—Peter K. Shatrov, the Pentecostal delegate. Delegates had voted for four Pentecostal representatives on the council, two candidates and one on the auditing commission, but the Pentecostal delegates who solidly supported Shatrov insisted on a second round of votes.*” Once again Shatrov failed to be elected and could therefore no longer be a candidate for election to the presidium. The delegates met in another closed session, proposed two alternative presidium members, but left the decision to the Pentecostal delegates. These weighed the alternative of forming a separate union but eventually in mid-January accepted the compromise of having V. S. Glukhovski and D. L. Vozniuk represent their interests on the presidium. New Frontiers After 1974 431 The New Leadership Team 1, Alexei M. Bychkov—the Leader, When Bychk