GLEANER 2 Editorial October 21, 1991 OP€1141011 From Russia With a Bearhug BC,AIIIIUG Editor's Note: The fol- tremendous. The advantage of having an lowing are significant ex- American come in to Russia to preach and cerpts from an interview conducted by Ed teach is that it helps broaden their vision. For Schwisow with Bruce Johnston, president of the instance, we told them that we needed a North Pacific Union Conference, just hours after minimum of 10 churches in St. Petersburg; Bruce Johnston Johnston's return to Portland, Ore., after a you know, it just blew their minds. But by the month of evangelism in Leningrad/St. Petersburg time we were through, that's what they were Russia;. talking about. They were saying, "We've got to have more churches!' around a man, a civilian, and we crowded GLEANER: While Operation Bearhug GLEANER: And yet, to do what you did in and I asked the interpreter who this was. may create sensational headlines and tingle with the help of Duane Bietz, M.D.; Duane She found out this was Alexander Rutskow, our spines with exotic imaginings, does it McKey, and others, couldn't have been easy. vice president of the Russian Federation, really bring the Northwestern Adventist any Time, preparation, legal technicalities, ques- and he was commending these officers. real advantages? It could become a "foreign tions about coup de'tats. How did you These were the officers who had gone down policy diversion" to keep our eyes off real surmount these obstacles? and brought Gorbachev back after the coup. problems at home? JOHNSTON: You know, we were sche- It was an historic moment, and then I JOHNSTON: Russia, with its new open- duled to leave on Aug. 25, and on Aug. 19, stepped up and got acquainted with the vice ness, has captivated our imagination, and they had a coup in which all public assembly president, and through my interpreter, I has drawn us together into a sense of was outlawed. But the coup failed rapidly, talked and commended him and Mr. Yeltsin coherence as a union. We're a team. You will beyond anybody's expectation, and we were for their courage in sustaining the country. note that Northwestern pastors are always right on schedule going in. We had no dif- Then he shook my hand and said: "The first involved in these campaigns, and they are ficulty. And the airlines were just super good priority is peace on this planet, and we must returning to their churches with enthu- to us. We had 27 pieces of luggage, includ- work together to accomplish that!' That was siasm. I believe that, in the end, this Op- ing big, big boxes. You can't imagine what a beautiful statement and I was able to use eration Bearhug experience will produce a a pile of stuff we had to take in, and they that in my meetings and also on my tele- companion upswing of evangelistic and wanted $109 per bag for any overage beyond vision interview. missionary fervor in the Northwest. His- our two that were allowed, and both Alaska Continued on page 6, col. 2 torically it's been true: One of the best ways and SAS (Airlines) took those bags and sent to revitalize the church locally is to mobilize them without any charge. It could have cost to serve others in missionary outreach. us well over $1,000. When we got into cus- toms, a young customs man looked at our A New Pitcairn luggage and just about threw up his hands. Operation Bearhug serves as a focus for the "What are they?" he asks, and I said, "Well, church. Even the kids are involved. We've they are equipment we have. We are having some public seminars and we've brought needed something like this, a new Pitcairn, North Pacific Union Conference some gifts, clothing. ." as it were. (A mission ship was outfitted (USPS 394-560) "Gifts!" he said. "Gifts?", and he called over earlier this century as a ministry to the South Address all editorial, advertising and address Sea Islands. It was named the Pitcairn, and a senior customs man and I explained. He change correspondence to: served as a symbol of Adventist commitment spoke fair English and I spoke to him and told him what we were there for, to help the GLEANER to mission. The funds were contributed North Pacific Union Conference people, and he let us on through, no problem. primarily by children, mostly in pennies, P.O. Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216-0677 nickels and dimes.) (503) 255-7300 • Fax (503) 253-2455 Barricade to Catapult GLEANER: Let's talk about the impact of Acting Editor, Ed Schwisow Operation Bearhug on the Russian people. GLEANER: Did you see or feel the effects Advertising Assistant, Pam Groff For four weeks you were an evangelist in the of the recent coup? Editorial Assistant, Greg Alekel Editorial Secretary, Lorraine Juberg second-largest city in that country. You JOHNSTON: In Moscow, we visited the Published by the North Pacific Union Con- trained pastors for evangelism while you parliament building where the people had ference of Seventh-day Adventists were there. Did you achieve your goals? erected barricades to guani Boris Yeltsin, Please Note — Every reasonable effort is made JOHNSTON: Yes, really, it was almost be- and I actually climbed up over the to screen both editorial and advertising materials yond our expectations. We had 25 ordained barricades. On the other side, I saw a group and to avoid error in this publication. But the pastors with us and about 15 laymen who of soldiers. There must have been, oh, North Pacific Union Conference GLEANER attended our classes. The response was just probably 15 or so, and they were all standing does not accept responsibility for categorical or typographical errors, nor for advertisers' claims. North Pacific Union Conference GLEANER, ISSN number 0746-5874, is printed semimonthly except July and December for $10.00 per year by Color Press, 312 S. College Ave., College Place, Wash. 99324-1222. Second-class postage paid at College Place, Wash. LITHO U.S.A. CP445I7 POSTMASTERS ONLY: Send form 3579 to North Pacific Union GLEANER, P.O. Box 397, College Place, Washington 99324-0397. An Olympic swimming pool is used for the baptisms of 212 persons in one day in St. Petersburg, Russia. NPUC Gleaner Editorial 3 may be mistaken, but I've viewed the Letters sec- tion as sort of a pulse point of the thinking of GLEANER Appreciated our church members. Viewed that way, it leaves the impression in my mind that Northwest In response to your request for input (Aug. 5, LETTE1 S GLEANER), I will offer my comments. Adventists have a great many petty, nitpicking, Letters are welcomed for publication. The critical, complaining, unhappy, narrow-minded The GLEANER, to me, is a letter from a loved editor reserves the right to reject letters and members in their midst. one. Since I no longer have my mother, there where necessary, to edit for continuity and space I'm aware of the phenomena that, in non- is no one to keep me informed of the activities requirements. Letters must be signed and should verbal communication, people tend to be more in the Portland area. not be more than 150 words in length except, caustic than they would be otherwise. Maybe that Even though I have received the GLEANER where, in the editor's discretion, more space is explains some of it. It's quite a conttrast to an- for many years, only since her passing, have I available. Address letters to Editor, Box 16677, other magazine I read where most of the letters looked forward to a periodical so eagerly. I Portland, OR 97216. are delighted comments about previous articles, especially enjoy the feature articles and the sharing of interesting information, and requests "Empty Shell" by Donna Bums (Aug. 15) was for future articles on various subjects. beautiful. Homesick Reader Fran McKain Many times I have disagreed with a letter to Boise, Idaho the editor, but have never written. Maybe I should have, so you would know, the articles in the Home for me is Oregon where I lived most of GLEANER are greatly appreciated. It will never my life, but I became an Adventist while living In selecting letters for publication, the be possible to please everyone's ideology or in Alaska. Not long after that my family relocated religious bent. to Tennessee. GLEANER is guided by an editorial policy that does not differentiate between "positive" and Vemise Goebel Ed Schwisow, in the July 15 issue, hit the nail Bend, Ore. on the head in describing Northwestern Advent- "negative!' To attempt to screen letters on the basis of tone would be to fly in the face of our ists and explains why we and another Adventist We so often take nice things for granted. I never family from the Pacific Northwest tend to feel readers' interest in constructive dialogue. This is not to say that the GLEANER has no interest prodigiously read the GLEANER . but I en- a culture shock in relating to our more southern joy glancing through each issue. I want to tell Adventists. One thing that has really helped our in promoting church unity; it does. Informed consensus, if only the agreement to agree to you that I sincerely appreciated your editorial of homesickness is receiving the GLEANER — an Aug. 5. Thank you for talking "Where the rub- always refreshing taste of home. disagree; the ability to clearly delineate the dif- Jeanine Toliver ferences between principle and tradition, are ber meets the road:' These are real issues for which we must challenge the people.