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

Friesen [then the head teacher of the Halbstadt Pedagogical Secondary School] the right to preach the Word whenever and wherever the Spirit might lead.” (Schellenberg.) Several other brethren were appointed as candidates for the preaching ministry in the same year. Brother Heinrich Koehn (Pordenau) was ordained August 4, 1885, and Brother Isaak Fast 297 and Brother Jakob Doerksen on September 8, 1885, in the Memrik settlement. David Duerksen, Jakob Reimer and Peter Bergmann were given public recognition as preachers of the Word. §228 12. The Question of Co mmuni on. Can believers, who, according to the teaching of the M.B. Church, have not received a biblical baptism, be The M.B. Church 1873-1885 499 admitted to the Lord's Supper? (For the first time after many years, evidently since 1862-1863) this issue was raised in a brotherhood council session in January, 1882, and again later at a meeting of the entire brotherhood in response to questions from the Molotschna and, as it seemed, the entire Mennonite Brethren brotherhood. The issue came to a head because of a visit made to St. Petersburg by the Brethren Johann Wieler and P.M. Friesen on behalf of the Church. In St. Petersburg there was lively discussion of the issue among the believers (Paschkovzy). Few brethren were favorably inclined toward the issue. The church decided to refer the question to the M.B. General Conference which was to convene in Rueckenau that year. In May, the matter was brought before the annual session. “The question was tabled for further deliberation and consideration.” P.M. Friesen informed the Molotschna brotherhood session as well as the general conference, that should the Lord so lead, he would no longer allow himself to be bound in the matter. Johann Wieler took a similar stance. All three bodies, the Brotherhood Council in the Molotschna Mennonite Brethren Church and the annual meeting of the General Conference took note of P. M. Friesen 's declaration without placing a prohibition upon him . Since that time he has practiced open communion at appropriate occasions, but without being impatient or wanting to cause offense. (This was written in 1903; cf. #136 and #198.) The question led to major deliberations and resolutions of great seriousness only after 1885 and especially after 1900. 13. The Affiliated Groups of the Molotschna Mennonite Brethren Church. These were established through resettlement of members of the church, revivals and acceptance of new members. With the exception of the Kuban, the first resettlement of members took place into the areas of Mariopol and the Don River. Then Blumenau was established by members from the Molotschna, but affiliated with the Einlage Church. Friedensfeld was established in the Province of Ekaterinoslav, as well as Sagradovka in Kherson, with “brethren” participating. Blumenau, which counted as an affiliate of the Einlage Church, has been described above, but special