A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

time for decisive action had come. After brief consultations with his wife, his brother-in-law Cornelius Reimer, and his close friend Heinrich Huebert, he suddenly disappeared on the night of March 29. Claassen was on his way to Petersburg to seek help from the Russian government. He made his way to Charkow on horseback. From Charkow to Moscow he traveled by mail-coach. He had left none too soon — the following morning representatives of the Colony Administrative Office appeared at his home to arrest him. Claassen's first mission to Petersburg was not very successful. He accomplished "little enough" and realized that "the matter is very difficult." 22 In his contacts in Petersburg he learned one thing, however: the Brethren would have to organize as a church in order to make effective representation of their cause possible. He returned to the Molotschna on May 23, 1860, in order to encourage the Brethren to do just that. A week after Claassen's return, on May 30, Heinrich Huebert and Jacob Becker were elected as minister and associate minister, respectively. With the ordination of these men on June 5, the basic organizational pattern was completed. This election of ministers did not ease tensions between the Brethren and local authorities. Several days after their ordination Huebert and Becker were summoned to appear at the Colony THROUGH STORM AND STRESS 45 6. Johann Claassen 7. Heinrich Huebert Administrative Office to explain their action, in the same manner as Claassen had been asked immediately after his return from Petersburg. According to Lohrenz, the two ministers were asked to make a promise not to baptize, which they refused to do. 23 Throughout the summer months the Brethren were subjected to intimidations and threats. The gathering storm finally broke after the first public baptism in mid-September, I860." Becker, who had performed this baptism, was summoned to appear before the administrative officials. During this hearing Becker remained calm and unruffled, and fearlessly defended the position of the Brethren. After giving him strict orders not to perform any religious acts, he was released. After another baptism somewhat later, the Colony Administrative Office issued a summons to all thirty-three Brethren who had signed the statement that was presented to the Church Council of Ohrloff, to appear in Halbstadt on October 11. Here they were interviewed not only by the administrative officials, but also by the five elders and five other ministers. According to Becker, this was a final attempt to bring the members who had seceded back into the old church. When these efforts failed, David Friesen, Colony Administrator, addressed the Brethren as follows: "We give you one month to think it over. If within that time you do not return to the church, measures will be taken in earnest to execute church verdicts against you to disfranchise you as colonists and to banish you from our m