Shtundists

Stundists (Russian штундисты / Stundisty; ukr. штундисти ) is used in Russia and Ukraine for free ecclesial communities designation.

Etymology

The term Stundists is derived from the German word hour, which is found in many event offerings pietistic or Free Church embossed circles. Examples include, among others, the children's hour, hour woman, youth hour, hour of prayer, community hours, Mission and Bible study hour. Also, the church service is often simply referred to as the hour.

The term Stundists corresponds to the Swiss German term Stündeler. It was first used as a term of abuse and later as a proper name.

History

The stundistische movement arose among other things, by the contact of Orthodox Russians and other Slavic peoples influenced by pietism German immigrants, especially in the south of Russia, such as among the Bessarabian Germans or even among the Russian Mennonites in Ukraine. As seasonal workers in these colonies they came up with the Bible and prayer time, the central week meeting of Germans from Russia, in touch and adapted the unit.

In the Russian home villages, the hours of prayer led to violent conflicts with the Orthodox clergy, so that the Stundists from the Orthodox communities were excluded.

The exclusions followed as a reaction against the refusal of the Orthodox liturgy and tradition on the part of Stundists. The Bible was the only valid guide for the life and teaching for them. Singing of psalms, biblical interpretation and the free prayer played from now on in the meetings of the Stundists a prominent role.

Importance

The Stundists considered in Russia as the oldest Free Church community, which consists of Russians. While foreigners and settlers were granted by Tsarist side early on religious freedom, it was Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and other Slavic peoples in Tsarist Russia banned until the Edict of Toleration of 1905, to belong to another than the Russian Orthodox Church.

Founded in St. Petersburg in 1909 Evangelical Free Church of Evangelical Christians led many stundistische communities together. In Soviet times, they had to join forces with the Russian Baptists, Mennonites and Pentecostals to the Evangelical Christians- Baptists. About the return migration of Germans from Russia late 20th century corresponding communities arose in Germany.