Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

ican conferences/. An All-Union ECB congress is called, as a rule, once in three [to five] years, The norms of representation / and election procedures/, place, and time of the All-Union Congress are determined by the plenum of the All- Union Council of Evangelical Christians and Baptists. § 5.The All-Union ECB Congress meets to examine / and decide/ the internal church questions of the Union and of the activities of ECB churches: (a) Hears and ratifies reports from the AUCECB and its auditing com- mission; (b) Reviews, changes, and confirms the statutes of the ECB Union; (c) Hears and considers papers concerning doctrine and spiritual ques- tions, which arise from the life and activity of the churches; (d) Elects the leading organs of the Union. § 6. For carrying out the resolutions of the All-Union ECB Congress and to conduct, in correspondence with the teachings of Jesus Christ, the activities of the ECB Union in the period between congresses, and also for external representation, the All-Union Congress elects ae among its par- ticipants by open vote, / but with a majority of no less than two thirds of the delegates,/ the central leading organ of the Union: the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christian-Baptists (AUCECB). / Keeping in mind the representation of the evangelical denominations in the Union,/ the AU- CECB is elected from the most experienced and worthy workers of the churches (Acts 6:3; 20:28). § 7.The AUCECB elects a presidium from among its‘members. / De- partments subordinate to the AUCECB presidium for carrying out its work’ are: evangelism and Christian unity; the preparation and qualification of church workers and the leaders of music and singing; international; pub- lishing, finance and management. Persons responsbile for the work of a department must be members of the AUCECB, approved by the plenum of the AUCECB. / § 8.The AUCECB plenum meets as necessary, but at least once a year, 482 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II § 9. The AUCECB is responsible for: (a) Putting into action the tasks of the ECB Union, as stated in Para- graph 8 of this constitution, and to carry out the resolutions of the All-Union , Congress of ECB; (b) Maintaining ties with local churches (congregations and groups) and to conudct these activities in correspondence with Holy Scripture, the constitution, and the decisions of the ECB Congress, both by means of let- ter correspondence, and also by visiting them; (c) Helping local churches in inner-church spiritual questions both ue senior presbyters and oblast councils of presbyters, as well as. irectly; (d) Maintaining contact with churches close to it in faith and with / re- ligious/ unions and organizations in foreign countries* through cor- respondence, sending its representatives to their congresses and conferences, and also-inviting foreign spiritual workers to the USSR; (e) Preparing / and qualifyin