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

t it had come to a head), tried to subdue it. We did not seriously believe in this danger, since we believed that we had matters in hand, i.e., to be able to ward off any offence.” And— praise God! “It was peaceful and beautiful at the Conference,” an influential “brother” wired us. God will bless the “peacemakers!” b) And thus we, as “United Old-Evangelical, a so-called Mennonite Brotherhood” (see #294, “Explanations,” A, paragraph 4) have come before the highest government, as well as (indirectly) before the legislative body of our fatherland, and, finally, before His Imperial Majesty. This has been realized in that the Schoensee Conference has sanctioned all steps taken by the authorized representatives, and all resolutions of the various deliberative bodies (laid down in the above Preservation of Independence 651 The Commission for Matters of Faith reappointed by the General Mennonite Conference at Schoensee in October, 1910. a) Abram Goetz, Elder of the Mennonite Church, Ohrloff- Neukirch. b) H. J. Braun, Authorized min- ister of the M.B. Church Ruecke- □au. c) D. H. Epp, Minister of the Chortitza Mennonite Church in Ekaterinoslav. 652 MATTERS OF FAITH statutes) and submitted them as directives to the three newly-elected plenipotentiaries (Goerz, Braun and Epp). (De jure any single con- gregation, brotherhood-meeting or session could renounce the resolutions of the Conference, and would then be left to its own fate.) Among the approximately 16,000 Mennonite families, there are probably not more than 1,000 who are not deeply rooted in the soil of Russia, and for 121 years we all know "no king but the emperor” of Russia. When the North American colonies had declared and consolidated themselves as "The United States of North America,” and the Mennonites were better off under the new state-structure than before, a number of Mennonite families could not come to rest in their heart and conscience. A small group went in search of “a country in which the king of England was honored” and a massive emigration to Canada took place where the king of England was honored. 32 When Prince Galizyn visited the Russian Mennonites in Manitoba, Canada, around 1890, they asked him officially in their churches (in a naive and moving manner) “to say to the Tsar of Russia” that they were enjoying their life very much under Queen Victoria, but that their heart had not at all forgotten the love and gratitude toward Russia and its imperial family. Only for conscience’ sake (so they understood it— not we who remained in Russia) had they been compelled to leave the land so unforgettable for them; but they would never forget their love and gratitude toward the tsar and the country. We present-day Mennonites of Russia “would like to remain only in that country where the Russian tsar is honored!” If His Imperial Majesty considers it timely and willed by God to present all laws for consideration to “