A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

ew world had few earthly possessions, but they brought with them an enriched Christian experience and a new spiritual concern born in the harsh school of human suffering and in the warm atmosphere of religious revival. The Mennonite Brethren from this background who came to Canada had a decisive influence on the future development of their denomination in this country. The "second awakening" among the Mennonites of Russia is also characterized by an increased concern for the evangelization of their neighbors: the Russian people. 'A. h'eic Efforts of Evangelism Among Russians Prior to the Revolution of 1917, evangelistic work among the native Itussian population could be carried on only under stringent government regulations and often in the face of severe opposition. Nevertheless, as Saloff-Astakhoff has pointed out, "they (the Mennonites) had a very strong spiritual influence upon the Russian population surrounding them, and eventually helped to spread the Evangelical Protestant movement in that country."" Both before and after the Revolution, the Mennonite Brethren were in the vanguard of this movement to bring the gospel to the Russian people. One Mennonite historian, who admits that the old Mennonite church had practically no part in this outreach, explains that as a result: 116 HISTORY OF THE MENNON1TE BRETHREN CHURCH many of the old church joined the new Mennonite movement because they shared the rising vision in evangelism together with a longing for deeper spiritual life. . . . Thus, while the Mennonite Brethren Church comprised only 4.3 percent of the total Mennonite population in Russia in 1888, they had grown to include 22.5 percent by 1925. " Among the outstanding leaders in this new era of evangelism, Adolf A. Reimer (1881-1921) deserves special consideration. As a young teach- er in the village of Tiege (Molotschna) he began to preach to Russian servants, who eagerly responded to the gospel. Burdened for these people, and encouraged by this response, Reimer resigned from his teaching position to devote himself completely to the task of evangelism. 10 For years he traveled the length and breadth of European Russia assisting the Russian Baptists and Evangelical Christians in their evangelistic outreach. But he often also preached in theatres of cities where as yet there were no believers. Reimer's golden opportunity came during the days of the Civil War, when he resided in the village of Alexandertal, Molotschna. During the White Army offensive in 1919 and again in 1920, when the front line of battle was temporarily just north of the Molotschna colony, every village was occupied by troops. On one occasion the White Army general, who was favorably disposed toward Reimer, called together a whole regiment on the street of Mariental (a neighboring village) and the evangelist had a unique opportunity to preach to this multitude as a dying man to dying men. On another occasion he w