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

s of rich blessing, nevertheless. The Word was read and participants sought to explain it in child-like simplicity. For variation they also read expositions and devotional materials, as, for example, Spurgeon’s sermons. “Of great blessing to all was the spontaneous telling of personal experiences of the grace of God.” Such meetings often witnessed what the poet describes, “One says to others all around, In Jesus I my rest have found.” In the following winter a revival broke out among the children as well, and many were converted to the Lord. In the village of Hochheim (Naimann), too, a number of persons were converted to God at this time, largely through the admonitions of parents who had come to the faith during Pastor Wuest’s ministry; for example, the aged Br. Andreas Voth. (See above 083, January 6, 1860, and “First Election of Ministers”; 0157.) Almost simultaneously, persons in Tokultschak and surrounding areas were being brought from death to life through the grace of God. Those who had come to new life in Hochheim (Naimann) and other places soon made contact with those in Spat and became more and more closely united; they also became acquainted with individual members of the M.B. Church who had come to the Crimea from the Molotschna and Sagradovka to take up residence in Saribasch, Temirbulat, and other localities. The fact that the close bond among these believers, and particularly the unusual nature of their meetings, was not understood by The M.B. Church 1885-1910 553 others in the co mmuni ty, did not hinder the progress of the Kingdom of God. The believers continued to search the Word of God, whereby many of them came upon the “question of biblical baptism.” When later they were visited by itinerant ministers of the M.B. Church, they raised this question with them, but were referred back again to the Scriptures with the words, “Read the Word of God diligently, and it will all be revealed to you.” These ministers were acting appropriately, according to Mark 16:15, "Preach the gospel to the whole creation.” “With much prayer and determined searching, several of these believers soon came to the conviction that they must fulfill the obedience of faith and be baptized according to the example of Jesus (Matthew 3) and in accordance with the command of the Scriptures (Matthew 28; Acts 19:1-6). Upon their request, Br. David Schellenberg came to Spat in the spring of 1885, together with the brethren Wilhelm Loewen, Klaas Enns, and several other members of the M.B. Church of Rueckenau. Twenty-one of these believers were baptized by Elder David Schellenberg on April 28, and were received into the Church. Thus, there was founded in Spat an affiliate of the Rueckenau M.B. Church. This group increased and multiplied, and soon felt the need to appoint brethren to the leadership and to the preaching ministry. Under the leadership of the Minister Johann P. Fast of Rueckenau, Br. Hermann Konrad