The "Kirchliche" Mennonites in the USSR

Photo: Rudy RegehrIn November, Aeltester Bernhard Sawatzky, of Novosibirsk, Siberia, visited the HeritageCentre, together withfellow delegatesfrom the AUCECB, Traugott Quiring, Sergei Nicolaevand Jacob Fast.

Mel?l?ol?iteHistorial?

The situation and future of Mennonites inthe Soviet Union continues to be of interestto many fellow-Mennonites throughout theworld. An unprecedented reunion at thetenth Mennonite World Conference in 1978,and the recent visit to Canada of AeltesterBernhard Sawatzky has added strength andintensity to a relationship which has devel­oped significantly in recent years. 1

Aeltester Sawatzky carne as the leadingminister of the so-called "kirchliche" Men­nonite congregation at Novosibirsk, a grow­ing city of about a million and a half inSiberia, RSFSR, in the Soviet Union. Assuch he brought to Canadian Mennonitecongregations the greetings not only of about

130 members in his own congregation, butof several thousands of "kirchliche" Men­nonites2 living in many of the fifteenrepublics of the Union.

The pre-revolution Mennonite communityin Russia had divided into eight or ten sub­groups of which the largest two were theMennonite church, and the MennoniteBrethren church. The former, as the greatmajority, essentially sustained the traditionsand practices brought to Russia in theemigrations of the late eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries. Though heavily con­centrated in the mother colonies of Chortitzaand Molotschna, they had formed large com­munities also in the new settlements of the

Volume V, Number 4December, 1979

Crimea, the Volga River and Ural Moun­tains area, and Siberia further east.

As for millions of other Russians, the firstWorld War, the Great October Revolution,the Civil War, collectivization and WorldWar II caused many drastic community dis­ruptions, and much personal distress. Funda­mental changes in Mennonite congregationallife resulted as well. Most churches wereeventually closed, and the great majority ofchurch leaders who chose to stay in theSoviet Union in the 1920's were subsequent­ly exiled. In many cases they were neverseen again. J Contacts with the rest of theworld almost ceased.

As the rigors of the thirties, forties and fif­ties began to recede, information about theSoviet Mennonites could become availableagain. For "kirchliche" Mennonites thefigure of 20,000 baptized adults remainingcame to be quoted in the West;4 the total of50,000 for all Mennonite-related groups wasused as well. By the middle fifties revivalshad begun to occur in many places and Men­nonite congregations began to take root oncemore.s

Aeltester Sawatzky's congregation sharedsome of the "gathering" experiences of manyother localities. Individual Mennonitefamilies began to arrive in Novosibirsk soonafter World War II, though with little oppor­tunity to worship together. Some occasional­ly attended the local Baptist congregation.6

During the next decade or so a few smallMennonite fellowships began to form in thesuburbs of the city. Several MennoniteBrethren families also moved to Novosibirskand joined the local Baptist congregation.Such leaders as David Klassen and JacobEsau began to preach in surroundingvillages. Although finally pressured to leavethe Baptist group to which they belonged,their influence continued, and they were ablealso to help some of the "kirchliche" Men­nonites become better established in thefaith.

By 1955 the latter had begun to meet as aseparate fellowship, following the patterns oftheir former worship settings, and hoping tosustain the German language as a medium ofcommunication. They were unable to gainthe protection and sponsorship of the Baptistunion and could not find the Initiativniki

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group altogether congenial either. Thiscreated delays in registration, and com­plicated acquisitions of needed worshipbooks and Christian literature for themembers.7

When Aeltester Heinrich Voth ofKrasnovishersk visited the city in 1956,these scattered elements began to fuse into asingle unit. Voth conducted a baptism inMarch, 1956, and on a second visit thefollowing year baptized a further 60 persons,ordained a local leader Franz Wiebe to serveas minister, and arranged for others to assist.State pressures caused considerable disper­sion of leadership in the early sixties andregular church services ceased for the period1961-1967. Infrequently, members con­tinued to meet in homes. Though somefamilies also left the city, other Mennonitefamilies arrived so that the potential forrenewed congregational life did not dis­appear. (to be continued) LawrenceKlippenstein

Notes

1. The delegation to the Mennonite WorldConference at Wichita, Kansas, includedMichael Zhidkov, Sergei Nikolaev, TraugottQuiring, Jacob Fast, Heinrich Goertzen, andBernhard Sawatzky. They had hoped to visitCanada on that trip, but had to postpone theplan. The recent trip of a delegation toCanada in a sense completed that mission.This group included the above delegation,but without Heinrich Goertzen and MichaelZhidkov. Cf. Allen Siebert, "RussianVisitors arrive in Winnipeg," MennoniteReporter, November 12, 1979, 1.

2. Russian Mennonite denominationallabels seem to defy precise Englishtranslations. Registered Mennonite churchesin the Soviet Union bear the names Tserkov­nyi mennonlty (lit. "Church", or "kirchliche"Mennonites) and Bratskii mennonity(Brethren Mennonites). In this essay theformer will be called simply Mennonites (oc­casionally "kirchliche") and the latter, Men­nonite Brethren.

3. Olga Rempel's recent book aboutMinister Aron Toews, entitled Elner vonVlelen, depicts these experiences drama­tically.

4. F.H. Epp, "The Mennonites in theSoviet Union," in R.H. Marshall, ed. Aspectsof Religion in the Soviet Union 1917-1967(Chicago, 1971), 296. Reliable statistics are,in fact, not yet available outside the SovietUnion. Cf. especially Walter Sawatsky,"Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" inMennonite World Handbook (Lombard, Ill.,1979) ed. by Paul Kraybill, for the bestestimates today.

5. The revivals are briefly discussed inWalter Sawatsky, "Mennonite Con­gregations in the Soviet Union Today,"Mennonite Life, XXXIII, March, 1978, 13tT.

6. The existence and growth of Baptistcongregations in the USSR has been greatlyaided by the formation of the All-UnionCouncil of Evangelical-Christian-Baptists in1944, and the possibility of registering forany group accepted into the Union.

7. The Initiativniki (Action Group)represented Baptists and others who wouldnot join the Union, and therefore remainedunregistered as congregations. A goodnumber of Mennonite Brethren and someMennonites were associated with thesegroups also. Sawatsky, "Union of SovietSocialist Republics," 65-67.

New Acquisitions

*A microfilm copy of the issues of Red RiverValley Echo (formerly Altona Echo), 1941­1978, Vol. 1-38. Donated by FriesenPrinters, Altona, Man.·Missing issues of Chrlstliches Jabrbuch(1897-1920), published in south Russia, andedited by A. Kroeker. Courtesy of MBArchives, Winnipeg, J.P. Dyck, Springstein,and Mennonite Library and Archives, NorthNewton, Kansas.*Records of Assiniboine Mennonite MissionCamp, (now Camp Assiniboia), Springstein,Manitoba. Courtesy of J. Martens, Win­nipeg.*Microfilm copy of Friedensstimme and DerBotschafter, both Mennonite newspapers ofthe period 1906-1914 in south Russia.Almost complete run for both.*Manuscripts and library books of the lateC.C. Neufeld. Courtesy of Mrs. GertrudeNeufeld, Winnipeg, Manitoba.*Records of the Conference of United Men­nonite Churches in Ontario, 15 boxes.*Files of Burwalde Album editorial office.Courtesy of Isaac Froese, Winnipeg,Manitoba.*Papers of Rev. Jacob Gerbrandt, Saska­toon, Saskatchewan formerly from Drake.*Records of the Red River Valley Mutual In­surance, early years. Altona, Manitoba.Includes Waisenamt materials. Courtesy ofFrank Sudermann.*Sermons and manuscripts related to thehistory of the Sommerfelder MennoniteChurch. Courtesy of Jake Peters, Winnipeg,Manitoba.*Files (including many filmstrips) of MCC(Manitoba). Courtesy of Vern RatzlatT.*Papers of H.T. Klaassen, Rosthern,Saskatchewan.·Records of The Pas Mennonite Mission,Manitoba. Courtesy of Menno Wiebe.

*Treasury files of the Bergthaler MennoniteChurch of Manitoba. Courtesy of D.H.Loewen, Altona, Man.*P.A. Rempel papers, including cor­respondence from his brother, AeltesterJacob A. Rempel, of south Russia. Courtesyof D.G. Friesen. Altona. Man.*Jacob T. Gerbrand. papers. Courtesy ofJohn T. Wiens. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Archives Day

Archives is still a new word for many peo­ple. Its mysteries are being unravelledhowever. At the Mennonite Heritage Centre,Archives Day may have helped us to "openup" the program to a growing number ofcurious persons who wonder what is goingon.

Actually a number of smaller and largercommunity groups had earlier received on­the-spot presentations and tours to acquaintthem with archives development at the Cen­tre. Our visitors' register includes well over500 entries in the last five months alone.

On a broader front, we have sought torelate to Archives Week in Canada as awhole. The Association of CanadianArchivists placed that label on the period ofNovember 1-8. It coincided almost exactlywith the first anniversary of public activity atthe Mennonite Heritage Centre, and seemedlike a good time to talk about that as well.

On November 5 about fifty or more per­sons from the community and the CMBCcampus looked over the new art and sculp­ture display, and enjoyed a leisurely cup ofcotTee, with doughnuts, in the guest area ofthe archives. Several displays had been pre­pared for the occasion, recent acquisitionsand books for sale being two. Three or fourpersons brought in new manuscript depositsat this time.

Visitors are always welcome. The archivesarea is open daily Monday to Friday from8:30 a.m. - S p.m. The displays can be view­ed free of charge. For tour arrangements caD1-204-888-6781, or write to MennoniteHeritage Centre, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd.,Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Specialarrangements for evenings or Saturdays canbe made as weD.

Correction: In the book review of TheMennonite People (MH, Sept., 1979) thereference to C. H. Smith should haveread ... add C. J. Dyck's An Introduc­tion to Mennonite History ••• " In parag.5 "non" should be deleted. Our apologies!

MENNONITE HISTORIAN is published quarterly by the History-Archives Committee of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. It isedited by Lawrence Klippenstein. All correspondence and unpublished manuscripts should be sent to the editorial office at 600 ShaftesburyBlvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P OM4. Subscription fee, $2.00 per year. ISSN 0700-8066.

*Fi'rnsThe Coming of the Mennollites to NorthAmerica20 minute, color, 16 mm.The major Mennonite migrations from 1683(Switzerland to Pennsylvania) to the po tWorld War II period.

And When 1 heir Time Had Come45 minute, black and white.The story of the Ru sian Mennonites andIhe truggles they went Ihrough arter thecollap e of their way of life in the wake of there olution in 1917. Includes emigration toWestern Canada.

Beyond This Land42 minutes, color.A 1972 documentary on the Amish Men­nonite esquicenlcnnial in WilmontTownship. Onlario.

Menno's Reins60 minute , color.Trace the 450 year hi tory of the Men­n nile people. with focu on anadian Men­nonite.

Wichita '78I I minutes color.On the 10th Mennonile World Conferenceheld in Wichila. Kan a .

9th Mennonite World Conference35 minutes color.

cenes from the 9th World Conferenceheld in uritiba. Brazil. On life in Brazil.orne of Ihe is ues empha ized. intervie\

with delegate and gue t . and Ihe proftJe ofIhe Mennonile church.

Slide-setsFaith of our FalberFrom the beginning of nabaplism to themigration to the new world. Complete ver-ion . 240 slides: . hart ver ion - 160 tides.

Heritage Serie Slide Set8 mini el of 5 lide each on the followingtopics: Fraktur Writing: The Life of MennoSimon : Mennonitc eelinghou e ; The Lifeof Conrad Grebel; Habaner Pottery' TheLife of Georg Blaurock; Secret MeetingPlace ; The Life of Felix Manz.

FilmstripsMennonite Migration to Ontario; Mennon­ite Migrations to Western Canada; Men­nonite Way of Life; Mennonite Con­tribution to Canadian Society. A erie offour flIm trips of appro imately IS minutein lenglh each. cripi and cas ette included.

Ten Mennonite World ConferenceFilmstrip and ca ette.

@GanaesAnabapti t Heritage GamesTo teach factual information in a relaxedselting.a) BAP • attempts to familiarize player

with belieE and practices of Anabaptistsand/or pre enl day denominations and

ct wh have an Anabapti I tradition.b) What 'N Where - !eache facts aboul

places. date.. and events in Anabapti thistory.

c) Persecution - familiariz.es player withsome persons who have made igniticantc nlribution to the nabapti I heritage.

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For further information write to the above address.RentaJ Free to Conference of Mennonites in Caoada Congregations.

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Book ReviewsFrank H. Epp, Stories with Meaning.,

Waterloo, Ontario: Mennonite HistoricalSociety of Canada, 1979. 32 pp., pb., $2.00.Reviewed by Gerhard Ens, Winnipeg, Man.

One of the more prolific editors andwriters on the Canadian Mennonite scene, ajournalist and historian of no mean repute,Dr. Frank H. Epp, has now presented uswith a concise "how to" booklet; how tomake history writing a "do-it-yourself' pro­ject, as it were. It has come none too soon.Local and congregational histories are roil­ing off the presses at a rate one wouldscarcely have believed possible a shortdecade and a half ago. Unfortunately someof these have been poorly researched andbadly written, among them not a few editedand written by a "committee". It is mosttimely that Epp argues the case for a singleeditor or writer of any history.

This very comprehensive yet concise bookof directions is particularly valuable andpracticable in the eyes of this reviewer,because of its constant references to alreadypublished and available volumes like thoseunder discussion. The author finds bothstrength and weaknesses in the exampleswhich he quotes, and he urges the would-bewriter to emulate the strengths and avoid thepitfalls if possible.

The author does not shy away from someof the very practical problems that confrontthe compiler and writer of local and con­gregational history. Two are. the matter ofpublishing and financing. His wide ex­perience in this field results in valuable ad­vice as to the do's and dont's in printing,publishing, marketing and financing. Toomany Mennonite authors in the past werediscouraged by lagging sales of technicallyinferior products. Epp and a few other Men­nonite writers have been able to breakthrough this barrier. The congregationalhistorians will not have the big-timepublishers waiting at their doorstops, but thisis no reason to have books leave a printshopwith badly matched type face, poorly alignedpages and almost non-recognizable il­lustrations.

Epp's booklet itself is a model of goodpublishing: clear print on non-crowdedpages, profusely and tastefully illustrated.Every historian and chronicler of historyshould read this booklet before sitting downat the typewriter or threading his (her) taperecorder to secure material for one morehistorical publication.

• • •Irene F. Petkau, ed. Just When We Were:

The Story of the Conference of Mennonitesin Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba: TheHistory Archives Committee of theConference of Mennonites in Canada, 1978.60 pp.. pb., $6.00. Reviewed by RodneySawatsky, Conrad Grebel College,

Waterloo, Ont.The sub-title says it well. This is more a

story than a history in the technical sense.This is a piece of art - not a monologue but adialogue. It is completed only with theresponse of the reader.

The art form is a collage. Photographs,documents, newspaper clippings, extractsfrom conference minutes and reports, inter­pretive comments from conference leaders,are combined to provide an impressionisticrepresentation of the Canadian Conferencestory.

Superimposed on the collage is an inter­pretive theme, "just when we were ... ".When do we read, what do we see? Has theconference been pursuing "every wind ofdoctrine" only to find them all tainted withvanity? Or possibly seeking the best vesselfor the treasure, only to find that they are allearthen? Will the next 75 years move thisconference into a maturity which overcomesthe adolescense of the first 75 years? Or isthe "just when we were" dynamic the in­evitable result of seeking to be God's peoplein the midst of the world? Like good art, thequestion is posed for us, the reader suppliesthe answer.

In a time when history does not sell well,this piece is a most creative vehicle to en­courage the necessary reflection on the pastfor the sake of the present and the future.Hopefully we'll see more of this same genre!

Future works will want to take into con­sideration some shortcomings in this piece.The binding is poor and the organization issomewhat confusing. The thematic com­ments might also be better correlated withthe collage material.

• • •Barbara Claassen Smucker, Days of

Terror. Toronto, Clarke, Irwin & CompanyLimited, 1979. Pp. 156, $8.95. Reviewed byLaVerna Klippenstein, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Those who remember Henry's Red Sea,those with an interest in the Mennonitemigration from Russia to Canada after therevolution, and those looking for an outstan­ding historial novel for older children andyoung people, will welcome BarbaraSmucker's new book.

Days of Terror is the story of the Neufeldfamily, caught in the horrors of anarchy, warand famine. They struggled against bandits,disease and hunger. They face the temptationto compromise their position of non­violence. They are shaken by loss of religiousfreedom, imprisonment of Grandfather andby the knowledge that Otto, the eldest, hasjoined the Self Defense army.

Miraculously, after much suffering, thosewho are strong enough are offered passageto North America. There is the pain of par­ting. the uncertainty of a taxing journey andfinally relief and deep gratitude at the warmwelcome and prospects of a new life inCanada.

Told through the eyes of young Peter, thestory deals realistically with trials and

tragedy and reveals the strength and stabilitywhich the Christian faith gives to a family incrisis.

This is the author's fifth book and like theothers demonstrates Mrs. Smucker's talentfor combining historical accuracy with ex­citing fiction. She has again "recreated adramatic period of history with vigour andauthenticity.

Parents will appreciate that the book isdivided into three sections: Peace, Terror,Deliverance, which remind readers of theperspective of hope from which events areseen by the Neufeld family. Their gratitudefor God's care is transferred to the readerand affirms the validity of the Christian faith.

Church librarians should make this booka top priority purchase. Families who read ittogether will make a significant investment inenriched understanding and appreciation forthe strength and courage which broughttwentieth-century Mennonite immigrants tothis country.

Other New Books

Klassen, Anne, ed. Under God's Wings.Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Box 717,1979. 172 pp., pb., $2.50. Inspirational ar­ticles.

Klassen I. P. Die losel Chortitza. Win­nipeg, Manitoba, 205-300 HawthorneAvenue, 1979. 126 pp., pb., $7.50; hard­cover, $8.50.

Kroeker, Nettie. Tbey Left Their Mark.Winnipeg, Manitoba, 903-1100 HendersonHighway, 1979. 185 pp., pb., $3.50.

Mennonitlscbes Jabrbucb 1980.Konferenz sueddeutscher Men­nonitengemeinden, West Germany, 1979.146 pp., pb., $6.50. Order from: ChristianBookstore, 266 Hawthorne Ave., Winnipeg,Man.

Neudorf 1. 1. Spuren. Osler,Saskatchewan, 1979. pb. Poems andmemoirs.

Ratzlaff, D. Wymyscble. Calgary, Alber-,ta, 5504 Centre Street, 1979. 62 pp., $3.00.About Mennonites from Poland.

Riegert, Paul W. 2005 Memories. Regina,Saskatchewan, University of Regina, 1979.129 pp., hardcover, $10.00.

Rempel, Olga. Einer von Vielen. Win­nipeg, Manitoba, CMBC Publications, 600Shaftesbury Blvd., 1979. 201 pp., pb.,$10.00. Biography and diary of Rev. AronToews in Soviet Russia.

Tilitzky, Jacob, ed. Cburches in Profile:Conference of Mennonites in B.C. Clear­brook, B.C., 1978. 118 pp.

Tiessen, Henry B. The MolotoschnaColony. Kitchener, Ontario, 291 WeberStreet East, 1979. 110 pp., pb., $7.50.

Zeman, Jarold K., ed. The Believers'Church in Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba,1483 Pembina Highway, 1979.410 pp., pb.,$9.95. Essays by Mennonite and Baptistwriters.