A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

mission fuer Kirchcnangclegenhexten (KfK)." The KfK, or commission for church affairs, became the executive committee of the united Mennonite conference to carry out its decisions insofar as they did not conflict with the local autonomy of the congregation, and also to represent the collective Mennonite body to the government. 63 During the time of the Revolution and the confusion following it, all activities of this commission were temporarily ended. I ll The Alliance Church {Allium (leiiiciiidc).'' The progressive "Left wing" of the Mennonite Brelhren Church in the Mololsehna. which had been advocating open communion and fellowship with all believers, regardless of church affiliation, finally gave rise to the found- ing of a new fellowship. "The Evangelical Mennonite Brotherhood." also known as "Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church,"'' in 1905. 1 1 was popularly known as Allium (icmeinde because il symbolized the attempt to bring together all true believers who had been separated by the polarization in doctrine and organization of the two main bodies: the Mennonile Church and ihe Mennonite Brethren Church. The founders of this inter-church movement in the Molotschna were ministers and elders from both groups. Peter M. Friesen, a lifelong advocate of such an "alliance" was not among them and hence cannot be considered as "the founder of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren" as claimed by one historian. 56 Important leaders of the new church were I'eler Schmidt (1860-1910), well-known Mennonite philanthropist, ami Abraham Nachtigal I ]876-l9!j0), its leading minister for nineieen years. In their church polily the " Lichtfelder" ' 7 Evangelical Mennonile Brethren differed from ihe other Iwo Mennonile bodies in thai ihey rejecled ihe "one elder syslem" and replaced it by a council of elders. ()i special interest is the fact that at the time of the "founders' meeting," the new church elected three Mennonite Brethren ministers, Jacob W. 104 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH 18. Jacob W. Reimer 19. Heinrich Braun Koimer, Peter Unruh and Jakob Kroeker, as "associate elders" of this council, although these brethren did not officially join the group. 5 '" Their strong emphasis on "the unity of all true children of God" found concrete expression in their practice of open communion, and the acceptance of believers who had been baptized by a mode other than immersion.'" As a result of this development P. M. Friesen concludes, "the Mennonite Brethren Church (justly) lost its monopoly in the realm of being a 'church of believers.' " B " Two years later, in 1907, a similar church was founded in Altonau, Zagradowka, which differed, however, in its historical background and motivation from the Allianz Gemeinde in the Molotschna. In 1903 the whole church council (Kirchenvorstand) of the Nikolaifelder Mennonite Church under its evangelical elder Franz Martens agreed to practice believers baptism,