A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

government officials might interpret this as proof that they were indeed organizing a new religious fellowship, Becker began to read the works of Menno Simons to see whether he confessed baptism in water. To his consolation he found a reference in which Menno states "that baptism has changed many times since the time of the Apostles but the Apostolic baptism was no other than in uninhibited water." 14 Although Becker and Bartel now were convinced they had scriptural as well as historical proofs for immersion, they did not 56 HISTORY OF THE MENNON1TE BRETHREN CHURCH proceed independently, but presented the matter to the church for consideration and approval. At the church meeting they discovered that other members had become familiar with baptism by immersion through the reading of religious books and periodicals. The majority of the Brethren agreed with Becker and it was decided that he should baptize the sisters who had applied for baptism, by immersion. He himself, however, felt that he would first need to be immersed. This is how he describes the historic event: "Soon thereafter ... in the month of September, 1860, a wagon loaded with members drove to the water where we first knelt for prayer. Then we stepped into the water. Jacob Becker baptized Bartel, and then Bartel baptized Becker. The latter then baptized three others." 15 During Claassen's absence in the winter of 1860-61, there were no baptisms, but communion was observed frequently. According to Becker, a number of the members of the seceded group "were not yet sufficiently rooted and grounded for baptism by immersion."" 1 After further study and orientation during the winter months, baptisms were resumed during the Easter season of 1861. The early Brethren did not make immersion obligatory for those who had been baptized by sprinkling or pouring in the Mennonite Church. Many had been baptized after a genuine conversion experience in the old church, 17 and did not consider the mode of baptism important enough to warrant "rebaptism." Heinrich Huebert, the first minister and elder of the Mennonite Brethren Church, was baptized in May, 1861, a year after his election as a minister. Johann Claassen highly es- teemed among the Brethren, was not baptized until after June 30, 1862. As late as September, 1863, it was possible for non-immersed members to partake of communion, although by that time this may have been an exception.'" Throughout the first two years of Mennonite Brethren history this question repeatedly came up for discussion and was also the subject of an animated correspondence with Baptist and Mennonite leaders. By 1862, immersion had been established as the general practice in both colonies. It should be noted that developments in Chortitza differed from those in the Molotschna. Abraham Unger who had been under the influence of the German Baptists from Hamburg, considered baptism by immersion a prerequisite for church