View source for Mariental Mennonite Brethren Church (Mariental, Samara Oblast, Russia)

The Mariental Mennonite Brethren Church, a subsidiary of the [[Rückenau Mennonite Brethren Church (Rückenau, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Rückenau Mennonite Brethren Church]] of South [[Russia|Russia]], was established as a schism from the Alexandertal congregation. In 1887 Heinrich Ewert (preacher of the [[Kirchliche Mennoniten|Mennonite Church]]), Johann Penner, and Jakob Hain joined the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren ]] following a visit to Rückenau. Gerhard Claassen (a teacher) joined them, as well as some other members; these organized a small congregation with a church in Mariental. They were then joined in 1896 by Johann Wiebe, the elder of the Mennonite Church, who became the elder of the small congregation. In 1900 [[Köhn, Peter (b. ca. 1873)|Peter Köhn]] of Waldheim (a graduate of St. Chrischona, Switzerland) was called to preach for them; he soon realized that this group could not exist as a Mennonite Brethren congregation, and aided in reorganizing it as an Alliance congregation <em>([[Mennonite Brethren Church|Allianzgemeinde]]), </em>so that members could be received without rebaptism. Köhn, who was held in high esteem by all groups, also found opportunity to preach in the Mennonite church. In 1907 Köhn returned to his native town because the small congregation was unable to support him. Then Jakob Töws was ordained elder (he had also previously been a Mennonite preacher) and served until he was banished to Siberia in 1925.
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