Rivne, Ukraine: Format-A, 2020 284 pp., $25.00 (via
CHARLEY WARNER
Beginning with the thousandth anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’ in 1988 and drawing further impetus from the implosion of Communist rule in 1991, Evangelical churches in the Soviet Union set about considering how better to train their members for church service through theological education. One of the key leaders in developing Evangelical theological education has been Sergii Viktorovich Sannikov, who was born in Odessa, Soviet Ukraine, on 5 October 1950. As a convert to Christianity in his mid-twenties and one of the few local Evangelicals at that time with academic training, Sannikov pioneered the effort to start a theological seminary for Baptists. Encountering the Mystery: Essays in Honor of Sergii V. Sannikov on his 70th Birthday is a fitting Festschrift for someone with such broad involvement in education, ministry, and training for Evangelical churches in the former Soviet Union.
Lev Golodetsky of the Euro-Asian Accrediting Association begins Encountering the Mystery with a warmhearted biographical overview of Sannikov’s life and ministry. Trained as a specialist in social psychology, Sannikov began his academic career at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov State University. It was during this time that he studied many philosophical systems, but found no inner satisfaction. Only after a friend gave him a New Testament, which he read and studied intensely, did he realize that this satisfaction could be found in Christ alone. Baptized in 1979, he lost his university position immediately and was forced to work in various menial jobs.
After attending a nearby Baptist church, Sannikov grew more involved in its Christian community as a new “home,” both in terms of pastoral ministry and academic life. He became increasingly immersed in theological education, culminating in the founding of the Odessa Bible School (1989) and Theological Seminary (1991), as well as the eventual establishment of the EuroAsian Accrediting Association (EAAA) of Evangelical schools, which currently has more than 50 member institutions across the former Soviet Union.
Sannikov’s writing ministry also reached its apex at this time, with the publication of his two-volume Russianlanguage work Twenty Centuries of Christianity [Dvadtsat’ vekov khristianstva]. This magnus opus was published in Ukrainian in 2011 and will soon be available in English. Sannikov has also spearheaded the establishment of several theological journals and played a significant role in various edited volumes, including the Russian-language Slavic Bible Commentary. In 2018 he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in theology and was awarded the Doctor of Science degree from Drahomanov National Pedagogical University in Kyiv.
Aside from Golodetsky’s introductory chapter, Encountering the Mystery is divided into four main parts, followed by a list of Sannikov’s publications, presentations, and a chronology of his life. Part One, dealing with theological education, includes chapters by Taras Dyatlik, Walter Sawatsky, and Joshua Searle.
Dyatlik, a long-time worker with the EAAA, starts by discussing [in Russian] the interrelationship between different generations of theological educators: a younger generation (aged 25-35), a middle generation (aged 25-42), and an older generation (aged 49-70). Through asking many open questions, he examines the shared values and goals of each. For Dyatlik, Sannikov is a good example of bridge-building between generations of pastors and leaders of theological schools. He is a person who values guidance and mentorship, who “sows into someone” in leadership development.
Sawatsky of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in the USA—a long-time observer of the Church in the former Soviet Union—writes on “The Amazing Story of the EAAA.” He recounts some of the early attempts at founding theological training, such as the Moscow correspondence courses started in the 1960s, as well as at publishing study aids, such as a Russian translation of William Barclay’s New Testament commentaries. He notes that “the EAAA has been a leader in shaping and building Slavic Evangelical ministry for the sake of the churches, to foster a consciously Slavic theology, and also contextual sensitivity in Central Asia” (68-69). The impact of EAAA projects—including the setting of standards for accreditation, archival, and oral history research, as well as the Bible Pulpit Series of textbooks—gives Sawatsky hope for the future.
[Editor’s note: In the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EAAA separated into two major groups of theological schools. One serves Ukraine, Moldova, and the Baltic states, while the other serves Russia, Belarus, and Central Asia. Those in Armenia have not joined either group.]
Searle of Spurgeon’s College in the UK discusses [in Russian] the prospects for renewal and reformation of theological education in the post-Soviet space. He notes that, under Sannikov’s leadership, the EAAA provided an impetus for theological schools to learn from one another by promoting collaboration and pooling resources. For Searle, the main challenges faced by the Evangelical community are interaction with wider society concerning scientific issues, overcoming the Soviet past, vision for mission, and equipping theological students with not only practical skills for ministry, but also the potential to become effective agents of change in society. His hope is that the EAAA will continue to have a unifying role for discussion of these issues by various denominations and Christian ministries.
In Part Two, chapters by Anthony Cross, Tony Peck, Mary Raber, Ian Randall, and Alexei Sinichkin [in Russian], address topics related to Church history and Baptist theology. Cross—of International Baptist Theological Study Centre in the Netherlands—discusses sacramental baptism as being essential to the Christian spiritual life, giving historical examples to support his view. He notes that the EAAA journal Theological Reflections [Bogoslovskie razmyshleniia]—co-founded by Sannikov— began a conversation on this topic by publishing two articles in 2008. This discussion has been furthered by several articles and conferences since and continues to this day.
Peck, a British member of the European Baptist Federation, gives a personal reflection on the relationship between European Baptists “East” and “West.” He also finds Sannikov to have been a “bridge-builder” through his relationships with Baptists throughout Europe, his expertise as an historian, his pioneering work in theological education, and—most importantly—his gracious and generous spirit. Peck then recounts his own experiences of bridge-building, from his first visit with Latvian Baptists in 1990 to more recent discussions on how Baptists in the West can recover from European secularism through Christian discipleship, and how Baptists in the East can re-engage society after being isolated under the Soviet regime. Baptists in East and West have different perceptions of theological issues—such as the role of women in the Church—and Western Baptists have noticed sometimes a certain attitude of spiritual superiority from those in the East. However, it is Peck’s hope that the common beliefs of the European Baptist Federation can still be a uniting force for all Baptists in Europe.
Raber of Odessa Theological Seminary tells of the cooperation between foreign and Soviet Baptists for relief efforts during the famine of 1921-3, which occurred a decade prior to the infamous Holodomor famine in Ukraine. Following the First World War, severe drought across Ukraine and southern Russia threatened millions, including about 50,000 Baptists. Through the initiative of Ivan Neprash, a Russian Baptist immigrant to the United States, connections were made with the Baptist Union in Moscow, thus facilitating a program of famine aid that included clothing, food, and money. British Baptists also joined the effort. Raber sees this historical example of cooperation between Baptists as a much-needed example for today.
Randall—of International Baptist Theological Study Centre in the Netherlands—explores the ministry of John Melville in Sannikov’s hometown of Odessa during the mid-19th century. Although never a member of the official British and Foreign Bible Society, Melville was involved in evangelism as well as the distribution of Scripture portions and Christian literature. Of particular note here is Hans Brandenburg’s cited belief that “the way in which Stundist and Baptist movements in Russia had remained close to the Bible ‘has much to do with Melville’” (122).
The archivist of the Russian Baptist Union in Moscow, Sinichkin began investigating the historical Congresses of the Russian Baptist Union—documented in its archives—at Sannikov’s suggestion. His Russianlanguage essay here recounts his discovery of the Baptists’ “Unknown Congress” held between 30 November and 30 December 1914, including the key leaders attending and issues discussed. This was a difficult time for Russian Baptists as the First World War had just begun, and historical ties with German Baptists were seen as “aiding the enemy.”
Part Three of the Festschrift covers philosophical theology and methodology with excellent chapters by Yuriy Chornomorets, Inna Golubovych, Sergiy Holovashchenko, and Roman Soloviy. Examining Sannikov’s theological m e t h o d o l o g y , Chornomorets of Kyiv’s Drahomanov National Pedagogical University concludes [in Ukrainian] that it is especially helpful for discussion across denominational and church traditions. Sannikov is described as having a “holistic hermeneutical” approach which charges the theologian to speak on behalf of the Church community as well as for him- or herself, as a teacher and prophet imitating Christ’s example. In other words, the ministries of teacher and prophet are not in opposition.
Also writing in Ukrainian, Golubovych of today’s Odesa National University examines Sannikov’s audio series of “portraits” of great theologians and historians of the Church, reviewing his biographical method in the light of philosophical, historical, and theological guidelines.
Holovashchenko—of National University of KyivMohyla Academy—recalls the historical research project that he and Sannikov “dreamed up” in 1993 to discover and process documents related to the history of the Evangelical Baptist movement in Ukraine. This project proved to be not only a matter of publishing what was discovered, but also of how to interact with and teach their findings. The study of a denomination’s history, Holovashchenko insists, represents both archival verification of facts and a motivation for personal spiritual devotion.
Roman Soloviy of Ukraine’s Eastern European Institute of Theology explores [in Ukrainian] the role of the prophetic in the philosophy of religion. He focuses on the conceptions of the American Christian philosopher Merold Westphal, who is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Fordham University in New York. Soloviy suggests how Westphal’s thought intersects and accentuates Sannikov’s ideas of the Church’s prophetic ministry and practice of the presence of Christ in areas of justice, peace, and compassion. While the prophetic can challenge complacent church belief and traditions, it can also challenge us to be truer to the Word of God.
Part Four, “Church and Witness,” contains chapters authored by Mykhailo Cherenkov, Yuriy Chornomorets, Ludmyla Fylypovych, Oleksandr Geychenko, and Katharina and Peter Penner. Cherenkov—of Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv as well as Mission Eurasia at his time of writing—discusses [in Russian] Sannikov’s writings in the context of four pillars of the mission of the Church in the modern world. These are: education as mission, the cornerstone of freedom, Christian culture as a mission field, and radicalism as a form of witness. Cherenkov then describes Sannikov’s pioneering and prophetic understanding of each of these four pillars. He concludes by noting the importance of Sannikov’s writings as a foundation for post-Soviet Christian missiology, as well as a body of work that will continue to challenge future generations.
Chornomorets’ second contribution to this volume [in Ukrainian] focuses on how Christianity can give hope to a hopeless secular society. Although post-industrial society has an anti-Christian bent, it is possible for the Church to overcome this bias through every Christian’s gracious living. This is accomplished through Christians’ relational living in the world as God’s priests, prophets, and teachers, combined with the testimony of living holy lives.
Fylypovych of the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Philosophy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences offers personal recollections [in Ukrainian] on the life and ministry of Sannikov in his many guises of scholar, pastor, writer, and Odessan. For her, Sannikov’s life purpose is to show the world the true essence of Christianity: Jesus Christ revealed in his life and works. This is his calling. Sannikov is not a boring, traditional Christian but rather a living man of faith, a man of the Scriptures. He destroyed the Soviet paradigm that perceived Protestants—as well as Christians in general—as marginal relics of the past.
Also writing in Ukrainian, Geychenko of Odessa Theological Seminary is in dialog with Sannikov on the topic of the sacramental dimension of the Church. He introduces Sannikov’s three-part series Znaki prisutnosti [Signs of Presence], of which the first volume—published in Ukrainian and Russian in 2019—examines baptism in the context of Baptist sacramentology. The second volume—published in Russian in 2023, with a Ukrainian version to follow—examines the Eucharist, while a future third volume will consider ordination. Geychenko then interacts with Sannikov’s conceptions of the sacraments in Baptist theology. He discusses the sense in which the Church—and thus the Christian community itself— is sacramental, before arguing that, should certain aspects of sacramentalism be combined with the traditional Baptist sense of being the visible Church, then true unity might become possible.
Katharina and Peter Penner of Campus Danubia in Austria reflect upon the significance of the publication of the Slavic Bible Commentary and Sannikov’s major role in seeing it come to fruition. After discussing the importance of the pioneering Africa Bible Commentary, the Penners examine the characteristics of what makes a contextualized commentary contextual. They also consider the importance of having contextualized commentaries for various parts of the Eurasian region, including a Central Asia Bible Commentary as well as a Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary. Finally, they discuss the missional use of such commentaries by the church community as well as individuals, the development of national authors, and the stimulus to write other theological works.
The editors of this volume are to be congratulated for having such a wide variety of topics by authors from different generations writing in multiple languages. This certainly is an honoring reflection of the life and ministry of Sergii V.
Sannikov. Full translation of each essay into English, Russian, and Ukrainian would allow a greater audience to benefit from and appreciate more deeply the serious and important theological reflections it contains.
Charley Warner is a missionary serving with Barnabas International. He and his wife Cheryl are currently based in Irpin, Ukraine.
