REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Marius SILVEŞAN: Romania’s Baptist Churches under the Persecution … 147
could not be counted 24 , they decided and proceeded to ordain one or two deacons whom
they chose. For the ordination, neither publicity nor advertising were made some time
before; only the pastor officiated the ordination act with an ordained elder, seemingly
come to pay a visit.” 25 Because a small number of pastors had been approved, of the
workload they had to perform 26 , of the religious activity restriction, the deacon became a
sort of helping pastor, or supplying pastor.” 27 “In the beginnings of the regulation
application 28 and of the reduction in the number of ministers, some pastors were left
without jobs, so it was natural that, to their greatest part, they should become elected
deacons, who fulfilled in fact all religious works. And it was no longer necessary for
them to be ordained. Later, when, because of the deceases, the number of the pastors
gradually diminished and at the studies of the Baptist Theological Seminary of Bucharest,
only four youth were admitted, the deacon system had to be applied by churches” 29 .
A case we refer to is the one of the pastor of the Baptist church from Ploieşti, Leric
Ioan, whom the Ministry of Cults withdraws the recognition as pastor and the Baptist
Union submits to the Ministry a memorandum requesting the reconsideration of the
decision 30 . Meanwhile, he received his wages from the own funds of the church during
1953 and in 1954, through his appointment as elder 31 without the approval of the Ministry
of Cults 32 .
4. Claims against arbitrary decisions
An interesting case is the one of the pastor Herlo Teodor from Petroşani who, on the
basis of the new provisions 33 of R.P:R.’s Penal Code, was sentenced in 1961 by the
Popular Court of Petroşani town, “to 1 correctional prison year and 1 correctional
interdiction year, consisting in the ones stipulated by - art. 58 point 2 and 3 penal code.” 34
In reply to his sentence, Herlo Teodor appeals to the Regional Court of Deva, “which,
through the penal decision 2.169/1961 from 13 oct.1961” discharged any penalty and
passed penal expenses to the State 35 .
5. Memoranda
Memoranda were used as protest form against the State’s intrusions in the internal life
of the churches, being addressed both to the institutions of the Baptist cult on central or
local level, and to the local or central authorities. The protest must be understood in this
case as a modality for drawing the attention upon some irregularities or for asking the
return upon some decisions taken by commissioners or by the Department of the Cults.
24
Equivalent of the communion within Orthodox Churches.
25
Alexa Popovici, Istoria baptiştilor din România 1856-1989, p. 753.
26
The pastors from the rural environment had sometimes 5 or 6 churches to serve.
27
Alexa Popovici, Istoria baptiştilor din România 1856-1989, p. 753.
28
Reference to the religious-service regulation within Baptism during 1954.
29
Alexa Popovici, Istoria baptiştilor din România 1856-1989, p.754.
30
Ibidem, file 133.
31
Deacon
32
ASSC, collection Direction of Studies, 1954, file 133, ff. 1-2.
33
Pastor Herlo Teodor was accused of having continued to fulfil the function of pastor after his
recognition had been withdrawn by the Department of Cults.
34
ASSC, collection Direction of Studies, 1962, file 69, f. 2.
35 Ibidem, f. 1.