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

[Elder of the Alexanderwohl Church], Toews [Elder of the Lichtenau-Petershagen Church, succeed- ing Duerk Warkentin], Goerz [Franz, Elder of the Rudnerweide Church succeeding Ratzlaff who had already retired], Peters [Bernhard, Elder of the Morgenau-Schoensee Church, succeeding Heinrich Wiens after a long vacancy], Peters [Isaak, successor to Heinrich Toews, Pordenau, and still living in America], Thomsen, Rempel [the latter two ministers in Gnadenfeld, replacing the sickly Elder Lenzmann].” This document should be compared with #J08f. 2) “The Halbstadt Area Administration to the Inspector of the colonies: In response to Your Honor’s instructions of last October 23, No. 692, the Molotschna Area Administrative Office hereby most humbly reports to Your Honor in the enclosed submission that the administrative Molotschna and Kuban 1865-73 471 office had made inquiry not only to individual religious leaders but to the Molotschna Mennonite Council of Church Leaders whether the baptism of F. performed by Reimer was in keeping with Scriptural precept and is duly recognized. "But because the Molotschna Mennonite Colony is divided into a number of church parishes and each has its own particular church elder, the elders deliberated concerning this issue at a general conference. As is obvious, however, the church elders were not able to arrive at a general consensus; therefore six church elders 262 submitted an explanation the substance of which stated that the baptism had not been performed according to Scripture, whereas the church elder Johann Harder with five of his minis ters maintained the opposite in another explanation. As was mentioned earlier, there is a council of church leaders in the Molotschna District, which is made up of representatives from the various churches, each of which is supervised by a particular church elder. The church elders are all of equal rank and their declarations are regarded equally before the law. Which of the two explanations was the right one or the one on which a final decision was to be based could not be determined 263 by this area administration because the issue was of a purely spiritual nature. Rather it could only state that a similar separatist church 264 had already been founded here earlier. Its elder had been confirmed by the church itself and also recognized by all other churches and also by the government. June [?], 1868. Administrator, Toews.” 3) "Brief statement of the rules and regulations of our church. [Submitted by Elder Heinrich Huebert in the above mentioned matter, representing the Molotschna M.B. Church., June, 1868.] a) “On the occasion of an enquiry by the supreme government directed to the church elders of the Molotschna Mennonite District: 1. Whether the baptism of Johann F., performed by the Minister Jakob Reimer, has come to the attention of the Mennonite clergy? 2. Whether the baptism was registered in the church records and when? Whe