other side of this Customs Declaration form indicates that he must "submit for inspection... printed matter" and if "concealed from customs inspection shall be subject to confiscation as contraband "

Refusing to cooperate with Communist wishes need not mean that Christians resort to deceit and lying, but simply choose not to declare all. Brother Andrew has stated, "I don't condone telling lies. As far as my own ministry is concerned, I will never tell a lie." He makes a distinction between partial truth and untruth, stating, "I pray hard that I don't have to tell the truth. But it's not telling a lie, if I hide the truth from people who have utterly forfeited the right to know the truth."

4) Copies of Western missions publications that have ministries penetrating Eastern Europe usually end up in the expanding files of Communist offices. Some supply information regarding standard questions such as: How many Bibles have crossed the borders? Who is involved on both the giving and receiving ends of literature exchanges and what are some of the techniques employed in propagating the literature? Some believers behind the Iron Curtain have been confronted with this information, resulting in reprimands, fines or worse. The publicity given to the best sellers that graphically portray the sufferings and torture during prolonged prison sentences spent by faithful pastors may have turned the heat on for their brethren, but there is less likelihood that more of the same will be repeated. Is it worth it?

One Bulgarian pastor, in an answer to the criticism of such an expose by a fellow pastor now in the West, said. "The story had to be told sooner or later." It should be noted that the Helsinki Agreement declares, "The participating countries will

recognize and respect the freedom of every individual to confess and practice alone, or in fellowship with

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(particularly Western mission publications), exposing their lapses of memory. Perhaps to improve their public relations and to provide some credible propaganda they have permitted the import of 25,000 Russian Bibles and 5,000 concordances to the Evangelical Christians-Baptist headquarters in Moscow. Since 1917 the evangelicals have been favored with an average of one official printing of ten thousand to twenty thousand Bibles for each ten-year period.

5) Critics suggest a switch to "open" ministries such as radio broadcasting to replace the

dangerous smuggling operations. Indeed the steady stream of letters that slip past the censors reveals a swelling mass of listeners tuned in to religious broadcasts. The militant atheists are deeply disturbed over the increase of gospel broadcasts from numerous powerful transmitters surrounding Communist lands Frequently the Soviet mass media must step up anti-religious programs to meet this growing threat. In a Pravda article, Kuroyedov, head of the Council for Religious Affairs. confessed that nine foreign, shortwave stations were sending eleven hours of spiritual programs to the USSR daily. The chief editor of Nauka i Religiya (Science and Religion) stated, "It is not by chance that religion uses the radio. The fact is that Christianity is now the only ideology which can be said to attract the crowds." With more than 100 million shortwave radios in the Sovie: Union, Party pressure to dissuade citizens from listening to religious propaganda is not succeeding

Since the atheists are angered by the violation of their territorial borders both by Bible imports and Bible broadcasts, why should one be

6) Do Bible deliveries conducted

by aggressive missions jeopardize

agreements that may be made between the Bible societies and the Communists? To the contrary, such activities have placed counter pressures on the Communists to sit down and negotiate with the Bible societies. This was confirmed recently by an official who encouraged a large mission to continue communicating the great need for Bibles.

Obviously this kind of publicity creates the illusion of religious freedom in Communist countries and helps to gain favorable propaganda mileage. However, the Communists maintain control of the distribution of the Bibles and register each recipient of a Bible, contrary to the historic role of the Bible societies as supplier and distributor. The registered Bible owners may be in a vulnerable position during times of increased harassment by militant atheists.

What's ahead? Honest differences continue to exist among Christians who hold different convictions regarding Bible "smuggling." Both sides agree that the nued for Bibles continues. The confiscation of Scriptures continues to be carried out with the zeal of a Saul of Tarsus, indicating the fantastic fear the Communists conjure up for the published Word. Theirs is a religion turned inside out. They are believing unbelievers, haunted by their doubts. Let Christians on both sides of this issue pray for a harvest of souls and a spiritual renewal in Communist lands that will surpass all expectations, ∞

Editor's Note: This article was written by a prominent Christian man who is an authority on the subject, has been to Russia and other Communist countries numerous times, and has several published works on the subject. He requests to not be identified due to potential visa problems in going back to the USSR

LOGOS

E

ver since I learned what really
is going on in Russia with
my fellow Christians, I
have known that I must

do something. I just can't pass by the
need on the other side of the road,
hoping that someone else might
stop and help.

The need is closer than I ever thought, for the history of the Russian Pentecostals is inextricably linked both to the Pentecostal movement in the United States, and by marvelous connections, to the charismatic renewal. They are descendents of American Pentecostals, and, in a significant way, we are their decendents.

The Pentecostal movement in Russia traces its roots to the work of a Russian preacher, Ivan Voronayev, who, before going to Russia, preached the gospel of salvation on the street corners of lower Manhattan. One of those who heard and believed was Stephen Malachuk, the father of Dan Malachuk, who is the founder of Logos books and the magazine you are now reading.

In 1924, Voronayev went to Russia and shortly thereafter, largely by his preaching, organizational skill and magazine publishing, Pentecostal communities spread through central Russia, the Ukraine and central Asia.

His was a quick work. It had to be, for in 1930 he was sentenced to prison; then sentenced again; then again. Finally, he died in prison. That began wave after wave of imprisonments, repressions, mass arrests and even some executions among his followers.

In Russia, walking in the light has been costly almost from the beginning; and today, despite what some political and religious leaders might say, it still is.

Some American travelers have reported seeing throngs of Christians attending vibrant, moving services in the Soviet Union.

What apparently happened was that the travelers failed to understand

90

a vital fact about churches in Russia: some are "registered" and others are not. It helps to know the difference between the two types, though both seem to be thriving in that country - Members and leaders of registered churches (registered with the government) agree to live under certain restrictions imposed by Soviet law in exchange for the right to assemble in a state-supplied building. Others, however, refuse these limitations, and they belong to unregistered churches. Here is a sample of the laws under which registered churches must make do, according to Evgeny Bresenden, a Russian Pentecostal who was able to emigrate several years ago:

-no preaching outside the designated prayer houses.

-visiting preachers must get permission from local authorities before preaching outside their city.

-you cannot go to hear another preacher in another place.

-the unexpected arrival of a visiting preacher or group of Christians must be reported to the local authorities. Sometimes, the visitors are called in for questioning and threats.

-children under eighteen are forbidden to attend prayer meetings, and churches cannot organize activites outside the prayer houses for youths.

-no meetings for women; no special prayer meetings, literary, musical or work groups.

-money may not be collected for the aid of the ill, the aged, for prisoners or for their families.

-a congregation cannot choose its own pastor. Local authorities do that; and, according to Mr. Bresenden, those authorities choose men who will cooperate with an atheistic government, to the detriment of the church. The law stipulates that no one can be appointed a pastor of a recognized church who has been in jail; but, according to Mr. Bresenden, "Almost all sincere ministers and preachers of the church have been sentenced two or three times."

--a local congregation cannot collect funds to build a church building, and the state rarely provides a building. though it is supposed to.

To some Christians, these restrictions are unconscionable. Soviet laws, Mr. Bresenden said, "carry so many prohibitions that it becomes senseless to believe and it equals spiritual suicide."

That is why unregistered believers prefer their tenuous status. They meet in forests, out beyond city limits, or in small apartments with the shades pulled, singing, praying and preaching softly, fearing all the time that the police might burst in upon them and haul some off to jail or slap heavy fines on those who can barely

make ends meet anyway.

Some Pentecostal young men refuse to swear allegiance to the Soviet government in the armed forces. Three years at hard labor is not unusual punishment for such behavior. The few who have joined the army but refused to carry arms have gotten worse treatment.

But what can we do?

Recently, I heard a Jewish immigrant from Russia describe the power of the American public and its press. Eight lines of type in a prominent newspaper in the U.S. can save the life of a person being persecuted in Russia, he said.

The Soviet government officially maintains that American public interest and government pressure make no difference on Soviet policies concerning Jews and Christians. Reality is different. Before Jews in America began to call world attention to the plight of Soviet Jewry, and before the U.S. government began to put pressure on the Soviet government, Russian Jewish emigration was a trickle. But after years of sustained American public interest and U.S. government initiatives tens of thousands of Russian Jews have been allowed to leave the Soviet Union to go to Israel and other countries of their choice.

LOGO

The reality of the matter is this: unless American Christians do for Russian Christians what American

Jews did for Russian Jews, nothing will change for thousands of Pentecostals and other Christians now living under severe persecution.

Mrs. Alla Ivask, an official in the Tolstoy Foundation, who began almost single-handedly the present campaign to help Soviet Christians emigrate, put it this way:

"Absolute public support is what is needed, because the system works this way. It goes from representative to senator to governors. If the American people want it enough and pursue it enough, they get it."

In a recent letter "to all Pentecostals and Baptists" in the United States and other free countries, dated Oct. 30, 1978, hundreds of Soviet Christians who signed the appeal said

"We really need your help and assistance in trying to leave the Soviet Union and we also need financial help for our trip from there to wherever we are going.... We are waiting for your help in the name of Christ, because without this help, it will be impossibly difficult for us to leave."

What can we do? We can write our congressmen, our senators, our governors, our President. We can ask them to make it clear that the Soviet Union will not enjoy the trade benefits that come from this free land until they allow basic freedom to those who cry out for it. And we must not give up. 8

Logos International Fellowship, as a non-profit Christian ministry, wants to help persecuted Christians in Russia. A special fund is established to assist the Pentecostals; your help is needed. Gifts are tax deductible; send to Logos International Fellowship: Aid to Christians in Communist Lands, 201 Church Street, Plainfield, NJ, 07060.

MAY/JUNE 1979

By HARRY HAGGERTY

An atmosphere of prison surrounds the everyday lives of thousands of people in the Soviet Union declared enemies of the gov ernment because of their religious and political beliefs, a former Soviet journalist told a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute audience Friday night.

Arkadiye Polishchuk, a Soviet dissident who for many years was a free-lance journalist in Russia, told how members of several Christian churches have suffered severe repression, both in labor camps and psychiatric centers, and "In their everyday lives."

Touring the country under sponsorship of Amnesty International, a worldwide movement working on behalf of prisoners of conscience, Polishchuk recounted several of what he said were "thousands of cases" in which people are being harassed, hounded from their work, chased from their homes and, many times, imprisoned for exercising their religious beliefs.

Claiming to have been a firm believer in the Marxist philosphy and a member of the Communist Party for 15 years, Polishchuk sald he became sympathetic to political and religious dissidents while covering some of their trials. Although being told what to report, Polishchuk documented the true stories behind their persecution and later helped in their movements.

In 1978, he was given the choice of

ARKADIYE POLISHCHUK

leaving the country or being imprisoned in a labor camp.

Polishchuk told the audience, many belonging to the local chapter of Amnesty International, how Soviet oppression of religious enemies of the government affects both young and old.

He described how a man was refused permission to expand his home and he, his wife, and five children had to live in a one-room house. He said a child proclaiming his religious belief in school is scorned by the teacher, who orders fellow classmates to do the same. He

said this often results in the child being beaten or stoned.

"One child had nine scars on nis head from being beaten by his classmates," Polishchuk said.

He also told how persons are bounded by the KGB, the Soviet secret police, and forced to constantly move from community to community. Many never find employment after being declared a religious dissident.

Polishchuk relayed how Soviet newspapers print propaganda about how ignorant Christians are and about how they "sometimes like to sacrifice their children."

He said of the hundreds of cases he had documented, only one girl was allowed to enter college. He said most Christian children are expelled from school in the lower grades. Many children are taken from their. parents and placed into the care of the state.

Polishchuk's lecture tour is part of Amnesty International's campaign to release imprisoned dissidents, primarily through a massive letter-writing movement. Polishchuk said the letter-writing campaign has proved effective in helping people escape persecution. He said the Soviet government operates from three sources of strength the police machine, the military and propaganda.

"Through letter writing, you are saying that freedom of religion advertised in the Soviet Union is not true."