THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

following letter. b) “Honorable Sir! Most respected elder and pastor! “With the last mail I received a letter from His Illustrious Lordship, the Prince of Czartorysky, together with a gold medal intended for yourself, most noble sir, asking me to convey the latter to you in the name of the emperor. I acquit myself of this obligation with the more joy since this proof of His Majesty’s , and my most gracious Lord’s good will toward you, honorable and deserving sir, is long over-due and is simply to be considered a deserving reward for the outstanding ecclesiastical organization which you, noble sir, instituted here in New Russia 76 in 1794. Please accept, most noble sir, my hearty best wishes for this imperial distinction, and be assured of the constant very high 160 IN RUSSIA 1789-1860 regard and upright attachment I have toward you, and with which I have the honor to be your obedient servant, (signed) L. v. Trefurt.” [The Imperial Russian representative to the government of the then free city of Danzig.] Danzig, April 23/May 4, 1804 [According to Warkentin’s letter of thanks.] “To the elder of the Mennonite Church, Pastor Warkentin of Rosenort” [in Prussia near Elbing]. The same issue of the Rundschau also carried Warkentin’s response— and letter of thanks to the Tsar, signed: “May 18, 1804, Rosenort . . . Cornelius Warkentin.” The same issue also carries an excerpt from his diary concerning the trip: c) “On 77 June 15 [1794], the Lord’s Supper was served in Chortiz [more correctly: Chortitza] to 233 communicants. The introductory message was based on Psalm 3, the message on I Cor. 11:23: ‘For I received from the Lord. . . On the 19th the Lord’s Supper was served in Neuendorf to 173 persons and on the 20th I delivered a preparatory sermon for the Communion Service in Kronsweide. 78 A youth, quite ill during my stay there, was baptized, during which many tears were shed. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated on the 22nd, something that had not been done in this congregation for a period of five years [that is since the settlement in 1789!]. For various reasons a brotherhood meeting was held in Chortitza on the 23rd. . . . After the communion service in Neuenburg, Peter Dyck was once more unanimously elected to the ministry. [The same thing was done in Chortitza] . . . where David Giesbrecht and Gerhard Ensz were elected. On the 25th I preached in Kronsweide. Even though only an election to the ministry was to be held, many people had assembled in the hope that I would preach. So I spoke on Luke 19:10 about God’s great love toward mankind. After the sermon the election took place: Heinrich Arndt, Franz Bannmann and Cornelius v. Riesen were called. A deacon was also elected. The following Sunday I took my leave from this congregation, at which everyone melted into tears. On the 19th I gave my farewell address in Chortitza before a large gathering, including the Lord Director [of the colony,