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

A revival, especially amongst the Mennonite villages in the District of Berdiansk, took place during the 1840s and ’60s, brought about by the existing believers who were in contact with the W uerttembergers in the vicinity of Berdiansk where a devout pastor by the name of Wuest dwelt. He worked actively in the Lord’s vineyard and, without discrimination as to confession, sought to win souls for the Lord Jesus. The Gnadenfeld Mennonite congregation, together with the “Planers” (the Lutheran settlers in the District of Mariupol not far from Berdiansk), conducted missionary endeavors and annual mission festivals. Even Prischib 10 did not remain untouched, and Pastor Landesen of Kharkov (cf. § 52 : J. Claas sen’s travels on behalf of his school) came to Gnadenfeld and Neu-Hoffnung several times for the mission festival. We Mennonite brethren began to meet together one Saturday afternoon of every month, and until 1858 (cf. § 52 : “Brotherhood School Dispute”) Pastor Wuest participated enthusiastically in these meetings. Our purpose was to strengthen one another in the faith, to take cognizance of or admonish one another to conduct ourselves as worthy members of the body of Christ, whose treasure is in heaven, not on earth. We also wanted to learn to know each other in our depravity and Christ in His boundless love. Oh, Pastor Wuest 207 these were often blessed afternoon hours during which our hearts were filled with Jesus’ love and we were fused together in Him. The alliance of believers reached as far as Odessa and the surrounding villages [colonies] wherever believing souls were to be found. I myself made a tour of these villages with two other brethren [Johann Claassen and Wilhelm Bartel] in 1853 on which we unitedly received many blessings from the Lord. Later a few also came to visit us. But the enemy of the soul could tolerate this no longer and so he filled the elders and minis ters as well as the respectable church-goers with envy, and these reported it to the authorities, who in turn circulated a petition: to expel Pastor Wuest from the villages in a civil manner. 11 Pastor Wuest was not allowed to preach in our churches or private homes. And although Lenzmann, our elder, had earlier fellowshipped with him— he preaching there and Wuest in our church— he nevertheless allowed himself to be intimidated by the others [elders]. Thereafter, when Pastor Wuest attended the monthly Saturday meetings, he dispensed with the customary address, which he or one of us who were particularly close to him, had formerly given in the presence of all the brothers and sisters. Now, after we had sung a hymn and prayed, the host would read a passage of Scripture. The leader [of the local brethren] would then pose a question, whereupon the dear pastor would take over the conversation, explaining the question to us in the presence of our chief shepherd Jesus Christ [as a simple brother of the group might do]; and we w