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

55(4) XIII. The Gortschakovka M.B. Church {-“Ufa") See above #242, 5. §255(5) XIV. The Karagui-Kamyschevo M.B. Church (-“Molotschna-Orenburg") See above #242, 6. The M.B. Church 1885-1910 567 NB! Up to this point we have dealt with the churches chronologically, that is, according to the date of their origin. The next three are dealt with outside their chronological sequence because of their exceptional geographic locations and even more particularly because the story of their origins and existence is so exceptional. XV. The Deutsch-Wymyschle M.B. Church in Russian §256 Poland from 1884 to 1910 Province of Warsaw and other locations. (Postal Address: Gombin) We already took note of the beginning of an M.B. Church in Russian Poland above (see #131, c). However, most of these early Mennonite Brethren formally joined the Baptist churches. But two decades later, a small group of persons of Mennonite origin and with Mennonite privileges, coupled with a strong Mennonite doctrinal orientation and an even stronger commitment to baptism by immersion, sought to establish contact with the Mennonite Brethren churches in South Russia. The first baptisms were held here in 1884. Repeatedly they invited ministers to visit them and Elder Jakob Jantz, Friedensfeld and Minister Wilhelm Dyck (now in Millerovo) made frequent trips in response to these invitations. On Nov. 4, 1895, Elder Jantz (according to a report written by him) ordained the following: Br. Peter Ratzlaff as elder and Br. Johann Kliewer as co-elder and Br. Heinrich Wohlgemut as deacon. Br. P. Ratzlaff made frequent visits to the M.B. churches in the South and East in Russia as guest minister and conference participant. A brief report written by him in 1902 is extant (in addition to one written by Elder Jantz). A rather strange error was made in certain annual statistical information in that the name and address of Elder Ratzlaff appeared in the list of ministers instead of in the list of elders. Membership in 1908 stood at ninety, with 139 adherents. XVI. The Mariental Mennonite Brethren Church §257 (old Samara ) from 1886 to 1910 Province and District Samara (Postal Address: Samara, Volost Alexandertal, Village Mariental) According to a brief report by Br. Jakob Epp, minister of this church (formerly a minister of the Alexandertal M.B. Church) written in 1902, the earliest beginings of this small church can be dated 1883. (In a statistical report of the M.B. Church, the year of origin is set at 1890, but in the general statistical report of the Mennonite brotherhood, written by Minister Heinrich Dirks, Jr., in 1905, the date 1886 is named which is probably correct as the date of formal organization.) At 568 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH §258 Pentecost, 1883, a certain Brother Johann Hein travelled to the Molotschna and was baptized in Rueckenau. Visits were requested and the following brethren came in response: Br.