A NOTABLE RUSSIAN BAPTIST.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1002, 17 December 1910, Page 9

A NOTABLE RUSSIAN BAPTIST.

INTERESTING LIFE, STORY. ; Among the inany- inch.'wlio have been raised ;up to bo "the;' leaders ! of • the evangelical revival in' Russia, ono of the most notable is Mr.Prokhanoff, the head of the -Free Baptists.- Hb was converted in 1887, and being . convinced . that the day of jgligious .liberty was about. ; to,|da>yn in>RTi.ssi? r he.sct-to;.v,:ork ' to prepare;'; hiniielf't/tbl take advailtagq " of. toleratidn--whcii 'ii: Siltiuld come. Ho ; studied at Bristol, ; Baptist„ College,and ' New.-College, London, and afterwards . wenton to Berlin to complete his theological studies ill tlie University there. He had some difficulty in getting back to his native land, : for his : father', "had been exiled..for.'his faith ,to TransCaucasia. However, he went ;to Constantinople, and caused himself to bo arrested and sent-to Odessa,-by. letting it bo known that he- was a Russian subject with a passport. .He. obtained a post in thes Technical School.at Riga, but was soon dismissed-'when it was founds that' he was a leader of the Stundists.., Ho then iwpnt to St. Petersburg, where ho supported himself by working, as.aji engineer,- devoting, ail Ins spare time "to 'evangelistic work. Sineo the Imperial Edict' granting religious toleration, .his. work has . "Advanced in, a marvellous manner. The Free Biiptists_ have Eleven places of worship, with. 540 members, two .ministers,- and a missionary, in- addition to 'numerous organisations. -Among these is a Publication House iiV one of tho leading streets in St. Petersburg, from which three magazines are .issued. Mr. Prokhanoff, is also the 'author- of -150 , hymns, aiid.the translator of. many others from English,. German, • anil French hymnals,...: He .'has,, in -addition-, founded tho first evangelical school authorised by tho Government, for the' education -of Nonconformist , children, and a Bible" School for young men. In these and .other, ways 'Mr. Prokhanoff is exercising- a remarkable influence on tho religious life of-Russia.-' j. OVERLAPPING. < LORD /ROSEBERY ON 'CHURCH > EXTENSION.. ~ Lord Rosebery. .the following letter' to-a'minister iii-'a small country village -n-ho "asked for.'help'for, his' building fund.. ' . "Dalmeny House;: Edinburgh. • "Dear siri—l have : just -rcceivcd a circular signed by' ydn appealing' for a contribution. 1- by no: means. wish' to hold'back from Co:operatioii; in such' a case as this, but it does' incidentally raise very largo and seriousVquestioiis. In the sanio village' there ..is another church .'-with a congregation which numbers loss than yours., For tho. spiritual needs of these people tuo churches, two ministers;- two manses, appear to be required, .and this .without any difference of Christian faith 'or dogma or discipline. Meanwhile the Churches arc appealing for more'' men and more churches ill '..the growing" populations elsewhere. Tho .ease 6ecms 'to me an objcct-lcsson of what must: be going ou elsewhere —waste of effort in one. pTace, crying demand for ,effort in another. : Scotshicn who .wish' well for, their : country. cannot' but ■ hope f: ; that ■ the - Churchcs; will' soon agree 'and put an : end to a, state of things so anomalous and so indefensible.—l-am, yours very respectfully, > - ~ • ' His Lordship', in a siibsequent letter, | sent a handsome' donation.

| wesLeyans l new home. The now AVesleya'n 'Methodist headquarters at Westminster,arc iapproaching completion The '-work'-'of. construction lias been going on for. three years now; Hie great outer Avails.have'"been erected, but as yet work: has'not- been commenced oirtlic lnige'doine which will in the-TOD.ar future be one:ofWestminster's "most conspicuous landmarks. There is a splendid, entrance hall and staircase in polished' marble, and particular .features" of tlie building- will be the great . .Congress , Hall, capacious committee-rooms,'-and a large 'tca-mcet-ing hall ill the basement, a library,-and probably a Methodist ladies' " club.. The dome will : ,,rise, to;, a height of 212 feet from'.the. pavement; and the total cost, of the building,will, fall but little short of a quarter of. a million sterling. Oil the south v side front", there will be a statue of Wesley.