Perilous Journey: The Mennonite Brethren in Russia 1860-1910, John B. Toews, 1988

h and be a great blessing to it. He even viewed their initial, rather loudly expressed, joy in their newly experienced forgiveness as scriptural. At first he was kindly disposed to the movement and extended to it every sympathy and friendly good wishes. 14 27 The beauty which Elder Hildebrand witnessed in the young movement was of short duration. An assertive minority was forcing its views upon an unwilling majority. Though the many tried to "distance themselves from the unwholesome activities," 15 this proved difficult, as the leaders of the Neu-Kronsweide movement were "among these few and that cast a bad light upon the entire movement." 16 Johann Loewen of New-Kronsweide and Heinrich Hildebrandt of Burwalde apparently encouraged the dissenters to engage in an ongoing celebration of salvation. Their antics gradually eroded the elder's forbearance. In the fall of 1855 Jacob Hildebrand was invited into the home of one of the non-conformists, the minister Peter Unrau. The meeting followed the regular worship service and was apparently called to facilitate discussion between the disputing parties. Both groups were still attending the services in the old church. A spirit of good will prevailed, for "much singing" 17 from the traditional hymnal interrupted the discourse. The elder observed another scenario in the kitchen. In the words of Cornelius Hildebrand: The Unraus invited the meeting to stay for coffee. Since they had no children the female guests gave a helping hand. It became noticeable that Johann Loewen, the leader of the movement and a married man at that, found much to do in the kitchen and exchanged the "sister kiss" with the single sisters working there. Naturally father, who was very strict in ethical questions, could not reconcile this with the "new life," and his enthusiasm for the movement was considerably dampened. Even my mother and older brother observed incidents at this meeting that they could not reconcile with a pure Christian walk. Similarly, in the discussion with father a number of things came to the surface which signified a false concept of freedom, which permitted the use of the Spirit of God as a cover for the carnal satisfaction of impure lusts. 18 Other episodes were equally painful for Hildebrand. At first the dissidents regularly attended worship services. The church began to fill, almost as if the old wanted something of the new. Such unity did not last. Not only were separate home worship services inaugurated but the "old order and its representatives" 19 were severely criticized. As the attack intensified, the old church became a place from which the pure in heart must flee. Key 28 leaders left. When the Chortitza elder celebrated the Lord's Supper on the second Sunday after Pentecost in 1859 all his song leaders were absent. They were singing other melodies. Hildebrand's assistant and oldest fellow preacher did not parti- cipate. Finally Heinri