Roots of the Russian Pentecostal Movement in Berkeley

Earlier this month Vladimir Franchuk, a Ukranian Christian historian,  the author of this book on the Russian Pentecostal movement and John (Ivan) E. Voronaev (or Varonaeff), visited the library to review some of the early 20th century Baptist publications in our collection. Last year marked the 90th anniversary of the Pentecostal movement in Russia. He donated a copy of the book and signed it as follows:

"This is just a very simple book about the great man of God, the first Pentecostal missionary in Russia,  who emigrated from Russia to the USA, who lived in San Francisco, who studied in the Baptist Seminary in Berkeley, who was a pastor in Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, who went to Soviet Russia in 1920, who started the Pentecostal movement in the former USSR, and became the martyr in Siberia in 1932."

Varonaeff, a graduate of Berkeley Divinity School (now American Baptist Seminary of the West) in 1913, later  became a Pentecostal minister in New York.  He returned to Russia and founded the Pentecostal movement there. He was arrested in 1930 for his ministry and died in a Siberian prison camp in 1932.

Franchuk, along with his wife and entourage, continued on their pilgrimage to the Potrero Hill area in San Francisco, Voronaev's home, and most likely the Russian Baptist Church location,  is listed as 1109 Wisconsin, according to the San Francisco Baptist Association Annual Publication for 1913.

This was our first contact with Franchuk, pictured below with his wife. Previously,  Dony K. Donev has also been in contact with us and  in pursuit of the story behind Voronaev. Helped by Franchuk's research, last year he published, The Life and Ministry of Rev. Ivan Voronaev (English). 

The Elephants in God's Living Room: Clergy Abuse and Clericalism, Volume 1: Theoretical Issues

Ruth Krall, retired Professor of Religion, Nursing and Psychology at Goshen College, just sent us a hard copy of the first volume of her work on clergy abuse: The Elephants in God's Living Room: Clergy Abuse and Clericalism, Volume 1: Theoretical Issues. The book can be viewed online on her website.

Krall has studied and worked in the area of sexual violence for over 30 years. While she is a part of the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, her book focuses on the issues that developed since 1984 in the Roman Catholic communion. She began donating her papers and manuscript collection to the GTU archives in 2004. Related collections in the archives include Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence Collection, 1977-1992 and two interviews featuring James A. Donahue, GTU President, on the sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States during April 2002.

Stephen De Staebler, Memorial Exhibits and Retrospectives

Stephen de Staebler in his studio, October 1992. Below, with Jane Dillenberger. From the slide collection of Jane Dillenberger.

Stephen de Staebler (1933-2011), one of the artists associated with Graduate Theological Union since at least 1978, has had one memorial exhibit this year and a larger one that is currently beautifully displayed at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

The first one featured bronze sculptures from his last works and was on display at the Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, which went through January 28.

The larger retrospective, Matter + Spirit: The Sculpture of Stephen De Staebler, is on display at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, January 14 -April 22, 2012. One room shows scale models of his work, figures and other sculptures and an impressive wall of masks. A second display area is peopled with his ceramic statues,

A panel discussion on De Staebler's work is set for Saturday, February 25, at 1 pm, in the Koret Auditorium at the museum. Moderated by John Handley, a doctoral candidate at the GTU, the panel includes Timothy Anglin Burgard, Ednah Root Curator in Charge of American Art for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Nancy M. Servis, Executive Director of the Richmond Art Center; and John Toki, a noted Bay Area sculptor and former assistant to Stephen De Staebler. for more information see www.deyoung.famsf.org.