Работа украинских и польских пятидесятников на Буковине и в Румынии

January 25, 2014 · Adam Bondaruk, Baptists, Victor Belykh, AUCECB, Persecution, Interview, KGB, Books, Unregistered Pentecostals, Nikolay Kotyakov, On Emigration, United Church of Evangelical Christians, Vestibule, Petr Saenko, Pentecostals, Religious Mafia, Slavik Radchuk, Contemporary Persecution, Security Services

In 1934 and 1936, the president of the Eastern European Mission, Paul Peterson, and the superintendent of the Field Office of the EEM in Danzig, Gustav Schmidt, twice visited Chernivtsi. They were accompanied by an interpreter from Czechoslovakia, but in Chernivtsi his services were not needed, because Stepan Tsyganyuk knew German well enough and was a good interpreter for them – both into Russian and Romanian. Peterson and Schmidt stayed at Tsyganyuk’s house in Chernivtsi.

In terms of doctrinal distinctives, the group of churches in Bukovina was closer to what Peterson and Schmidt preached than the movement in Arad. Not surprisingly, strong ties developed between them, and Vasily Gashpar, Eugen Bodor, and Panteley Kozhukaru began actively building relations with the Eastern European Mission.

In 1936, Bible courses were established in Iași, taught by Paul Peterson and Gustav Schmidt. Their lectures were translated into Romanian by the interpreter Telman Sibiu. Eugen Bodor also gave lectures. The courses were held in a prayer house. Actually, it was a building that was privately owned by one of the church members and made available for church services. Initially, the courses lasted three months and were supported by voluntary donations from both the students themselves (as much as each could give) and church members. Later the curriculum was expanded to two years of study. From time to time, Schmidt came in 1937 and 1938 and personally taught certain subjects. In addition to the classes in Iași, Bible courses were also held in Bukovina, in Rădăuți.

The Eastern European Mission also maintained relations with the movement in Arad, and three‑month Bible courses were also held there.

Thanks to contacts with the Eastern European Mission, the churches in Bukovina regularly received the EEM magazine «Примиритель» in Russian and the magazine «Евангельский голос», which was published by the All‑Polish Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith in Ukrainian.

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