Russian Baptists hold reconciliation talks

MOSCOW — The Russian Baptist Public Council, a loose organization of 12 unions, missions agencies and associations, held its third convention in central Moscow in mid-February. The 150 leaders who attended the event sought to reconcile after years of divisions and breakups among Russian Baptists.

A declaration by the council affirmed that, "We do not want the tragic separation caused by our fathers to determine the fate of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We will do all we can to overcome the injuries caused by the separation and leave them behind us."

Russian Baptists endured a major split in the early 1960s when churches not registered with the Soviet government broke off from the national convention.