Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

further specified that both the bread and the wine were to be received by the members standing. Once agreement had been achieved on these points of difference, it became easier to assert that whatever theological differences there had been, they concerned merely secondary matters,” Although the word fusion was used heavily, the statute makes clear that above all this was a union of two formerly separate unions and that an All-Union Council was the leading organ of the union.*® Nothing is said about how the All-Union Council members were to be elected, although it was obvious that the gathered delegates must now elect an All-Union Council. Whether they did so in their capacity as representatives of the former unions, or of local congregations, or as private individuals was not clarified. Local congregations, formerly existing separately, now were absorbed into one union but were given the freedom to select some version 90 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War Il of the name Evangelical Christian and Baptists. The new statute was also quite loose in specifying the organizational structure. The size of the All-Union Council was not indicated, but initially eight were elected, four Evangelical Christians and four Baptists. The statute did specify that the presidium of the council should consist of a chairman, two vice-chairmen (Tovarishchi Predsedatelyi), a secretary, and a treasurer. The following day Goliaev proposed to the assembly that the same persons who had served on the temporary council since 1942 should be elected to the new council. Goliaev explained that it was desirable to have those persons who had already started the work (the majority of whom lived in Moscow and were experienced workers) continue in office. Seven speakers, according to the stenographic report, then spoke in support of the proposed candidates with one of them requesting that all members be or- dained. Candidates were then elected unanimously. During a break the council met to organize itself and Orlov announced the presidium members. Whereas Orlov had been elected as chairman of the congress presidium, he informed the members that he had resigned from the post and that the new chairman was Jacob Zhidkov and the two vice-chairmen were M. I. Goliaev and M. A. Orlov. Elected secretary was Alexander V. Karev and treasurer Pavel I. Malin. Although the eight-man council was equally divided between Baptists and Evangelical Christians, the presidium was dominated by Evangelical Christians. In the next several years it be- came apparent that the two Baptists, Goliaev and Malin, were less im- portant than the other three.“4 Although not provided for in the statute, one of the first items of busi- ness was to resume the system of plenipotentiaries appointed by the council with responsibilities to oversee the work in major regions. Therefore, when the presidium was elected, the council al