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

stion. In a wonderful way the Lord provided in this regard. A merchant owned a house at the end of the village of Kotliarevka. The house measured seven and one-half by four fathoms. He offered to sell it to the church. This was regarded as an answer to prayer. But where was the congregation to obtain the necessary 1,000 rubles? That was the second big question. Though the church did not have the necessary resources, the Lord provided (through a loan from the building fund of the Rueckenau Church; see H224). Thus, the house with one dessiatine of land was purchased, and the building was furnished and dedicated in that same year. The church rejoiced greatly and was thankful to the Lord to own a building which they believed would be adequate since it seated 400 persons. But the little group grew steadily, and with the increase in numbers there was an increase in work, the more so because there was no dearth of difficulties in the church. However, Jesus, the good Shepherd, provided workers for the work. In 1888, Br. Jakob Wiens (now of Tschunaievka, near Omsk) was confirmed as minister and the brethren Aron Friesen and Heinrich Fehdrau as deacons. The Lord visibly blessed the proclamation of the Gospel, locally and especially also The M.B. Church 1885-1910 559 through ministers of sister-churches who occasionally came on visits to the great joy of the church. Because the church increased year by year, in number and in strength, it soon became apparent that the meeting house was too small. Also the church had been informed by the local authorities that they did not have government approval. Thus the church agreed in 1892, having reached a membership of 213, to apply to the government for the approval of a plan for a new meeting house. The brethren Jakob Wiens and Jakob Braeul, who were commissioned to represent the church, received a negative response together with a threat that the present meeting place might be closed. This was a difficult time for the church! However, the members sought to fortify themselves in the prospect that even greater difficulty might strike them, convinced that the Lord would carry forward the work which He had begun. Considerable animosity was expressed against the church. Finally, in November, 1896, the church building in Kotliarevka was closed by the police. (See above, “Sagradovka.” What happened here was a part of the same movement against those of other faiths as was the disruption of the annual meeting of the church in Rueckenau in 1895, and the episode regarding the Einlage Church. Cf. 0214 and 241, 2.) The church, whose membership had reached 330, was required to meet for Sunday worship in three different locations. Accompanied by much prayer and petition to God, the church decided after much deliberation to ask the brethren Isaak Fast and Jakob Braeul to present a new plan to the government officials in Ekaterinoslav, with a renewed request to be permitted to erec