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

Elder Bernhard Epp). The Rudnerweide and Gnadenfeld congregations stand in the "Frisian” ordination succession (which itself has its origin and ritual from the “Old-Flemish”): Bernard Fast, Ohrloff (ordained by Elder Franz Goerz, Sr., of Rudnerweide) commissioned Elder August Lenzmann who in turn commissioned Elder Heinrich Dirks. The same is true of the Alexanderwohl (and Waldheim) congregations: Elder Lenzmann ordained Elder Johann Schartner (Schartner in turn ordained Elder Cornelius Dirks). Thus the “Flemish” congregations of Lichtenau . . . and Pordenau have an "old-Flemish,” and the “old-Flemish” congregations a “Frisian” ordination! Even Halbstadt is in the “Frisian” ordination succession: Dirks-Gnadenfeld, Unruh-Halbstadt. Where did the Russian Mennonite ordination of elders originate, that is, from where did the Prussian Mennonites get it? Most probably from Menno Simons, Obbe Philips and Dirk Philips. (There is no official written document to this effect in existence, however.) Obbe Philips visited the Prussian Mennonites before Menno did. The “Frisian” or "Friesland” congregations certainly received their ordin- ation (or "commissioning”) from their compatriots Menno and the Philips brothers. In the last years of his life Menno had close contact with the Friesland congregations, receiving assistance from them on a regular basis (annually one-hundred Reichsthaler). The same must be assumed with regard to the separated “old-Flemish” congregations, first, because, according to the most reliable Dutch-Mennonite historical sources, they were considered to be "the strictest followers of Menno Simons,” and, secondly, because they, according to the same sources, held ordination ("commissioning”) in very high regard. Menno was personally in contact with the Prussian congregations as well as by letter (before their separation into "Flemish,” "Frisian,” “old-Flemish" and “old-Frisian”), and therefore an ordination succession beginning with Menno is also a strong possibility, indeed nearly a certainty, for the Documentary Supplement 171 “general-Flemish” group (we must always differentiate between the "Flemish,” the largest Mennonite group, and the “Old-Flemish” or “Ukowallians,” one of the smallest groups). The same can be said with equal plausibility of Obbe and Dirk Philips. (Dirk was the first elder in Prussia, an elder of the Danzig congregations, which subsequently rose to such importance that after the division the strict “Flemish,” or "Strict-ones,” were also called “Danzigers”.) Menno and Dirk Philips had both been consecrated as Anabaptist bishops or overseers by Obbe Philips (who later, however, doubted both the right and the efficacy of his consecration and consequently, as we know, withdrew completely from the Anabaptist cause); Menno had earlier been ordained as a Catholic priest and as such stood in the "apostolic succession” no worse and no better than Luther, Calvin and the oth