Appeal of G.G. Ponurko and S.M. But to all brothers and sisters from Christians of Evangelical Faith who did not join the United Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists
January 10, 1956
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord!
Peace of God to you and your hearts!
We cordially greet you as servants of God, with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We, your brothers who love the Lord and all of you, God’s children, from a pure heart, known to you from our past work, address you with our heartfelt greeting and love for the good of God’s cause, with this present appeal.
The Lord Jesus, loving His people, heard the prayers of His children for unity, and in fulfillment of His High Priestly prayer (John 17:20–21), He accomplished a great union of the separate unions into one union, into one flock of Christ, which during the past nine-year period brought great blessings.
The Lord Himself moved the leadership of the Evangelical Christians-Baptists to unite God’s children, and also drew our hearts to participate in holy unity.
This unity was achieved, as you know, through a mutual agreement between the leading brothers of the ECB and Christians of the Evangelical Faith in August 1945, which was signed on behalf of the Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith by brothers Ponomarchuk, Bidash, and Panko.
After a careful examination of the said Agreement and verifying it by the Word of God, we have come to the conclusion that it is from the Lord, and therefore we declare that we approve it and join this agreement on uniting into one union, also in accordance with the questions of refraining from other tongues in our worship gatherings and from imposing our convictions on other believers.
In these matters we are guided by the following passages of Scripture: “So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? You will be speaking into the air” (1 Cor. 14:9). “Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified” (1 Cor. 14:16–17). “But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church” (1 Cor. 14:28). “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).
As you yourselves know, the great majority of our congregations and brothers of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith continue to remain in unity, staying in the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, except for some who yielded to temptation, who disrupted the good order of our prayer meetings and disregarded brotherly exhortations, as well as the Word of God itself about striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1–3; 1 Cor. 14:9, 16, 17, 28), and have left their local congregations, thereby breaking this unity.
There are still believers from among Christians of the Evangelical Faith who up to this time stand aside from unity, and by this violate God’s will and deprive themselves of blessings.
We cannot pass by indifferently, seeing all this: we want to raise our voice both to those who have not entered the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists and to those who have left it, and to say to our dear brothers and sisters that there is no ground for standing aside from unity, since the believers from among Evangelical Christians-Baptists also have the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14) and are, like us, children of God, for it is said: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).
Since we and they have one God and Father, one faith in Christ, one baptism (Eph. 4:5), so you all must also constitute one body of Christ, i.e., one church, one brotherly union (Eph. 4:4).
Therefore, beloved, we ask you to follow the example of many thousands of believers from Christians of the Evangelical Faith who have joined the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, and also to enter the united Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, in order together with all God’s children to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed us.
May the Lord Himself help you to come to such a desire and decision. When such a decision and desire arise, seek help from the senior presbyter of the AUCECB for your region.
If you desire to meet with us personally, notify us at the address: Kiev, Lenin St., 53a, office of the senior presbyter of the AUCECB for the Ukrainian SSR.
Be healthy!
We remain in brotherly love to you,
Yours,
Ponurko
But
GA RF. F. R.-6991. Op. 4. D. 61. L. 26-28. Typescript copy.
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