A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

ennonitische Brnederschaf't in Russlund, 1789-1910, begun in 1886, describes not only the history of the Mennonite Brethren, but constitutes the best collection of source materials on Russian Mennonite history in general. Mennonite Brethren were also pioneers in providing Christian periodicals for the general public. It is almost incomprehensible that for about one hundred years the Mennonites of Russia managed to carry on without a religious periodical of their own. During the last quarter of the nineteenth century two Mennonite papers from America found their way into many Mennonite homes, the Mennonitische Rundschau (after 1880) and the Zionsbote (after 1885). During the first seventy-five years of their history, the religious diet of Russian Mennonites consisted almost 96 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH 16. Abraham Kroeker 17. Abraham and Maria Friesen exclusively of the reading materials drawn from Pietist and Baptist sources in Germany. The "father" of Mennonite Brethren publication in Russia was Abraham J. Kroeker (1863-1944) a minister and writer. Kroeker entered publication work in 1897, when, in cooperation with his cousin Jakob Kroeker, he began to publish the Christlicher Familienkalender, a Mennonite almanac. As it was the only almanac published by the Mennonites in Russia, it was read by nearly every Mennonite family and reached an annual circulation of 15,000. In 1899 the Christlicher Abreisskalender, also published by A. Kroeker, made its appearance. This daily devotional booklet, in the form of a wall calendar consisting of detachable sheets, was not particularly Mennonite in character, but was designed to serve an interdenominational public. Before World War I over one half of the twenty-five thousand copies sold were purchased by non-Mennonites. 23 Equally important for the constituency was Kroeker's venture of faith in publishing the first Mennonite periodical in Russia in 1903. 2t The semi-weekly Friedensstimme was printed for the first three years in Berlin, but in 1906 permission was granted to publish it (under censorship!) in Halbstadt. Here a Mennonite publishing company had been organized in 1904 under the name of Raduga ("Rainbow") of which A. Kroeker was a partner. Although privately owned and published, the Friedensstimme became the semi-official organ of the Mennonite Brethren Church, and the Botschafter served in the same manner as voice of the Mennonite Church. In March, 1913, the subscription of the ERA OF PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS (1885-1914) 97 Friedensstimme had reached its highest point, five thousand eight hundred. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I it was discontinued. Jakob Kroeker (1872-1948) who assisted A. Kroeker in his publication efforts, must be ranked as the leading theologian and writer of the Mennonite Brethren in Europe. He traveled widely as evangelist and Bible conference speaker, and had contacts with leadin