View source for Martens, Franz (1869-1943)

Franz Martens (5 May 1869-21 January 1943), a Mennonite elder, was born in [[Hutterthal (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Hutterthal]] near [[Melitopol (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Melitopol]], South Russia. He was a public school teacher for 17 years and chairman of the district (volost) school board for 17 years. He was elected minister of the Nikolaifeld Mennonite Church in 1894 and elder in 1902. His attempts to reform the traditional church practice in regard to [[Baptism|baptism]], [[Communion|communion]], and [[Discipline, Church|church discipline]] led to his resignation from the [[Nikolaifeld Mennonite Church (Zagradovka Mennonite Settlement, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine)|Nikolaifeld church]] and the founding of the [[Orloff Evangelical Mennonite Church (Orloff, Zagradovka Colony, South Russia)|Orloff Evangelical Mennonite Church]] in 1907, of which he was elder until 1924, when he left for [[Canada|Canada]]. He died in [[Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario, Canada)|Kitchener]], [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]] on 21 January 1943.
= Bibliography =
Friesen, P. M. <em class="gameo_bibliography">Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. </em>Halbstadt, 1911: 724-27.

Lohrenz, Gerhard. <em class="gameo_bibliography">Sagradowka. </em>Rosthern, SK 1947: 73-76.
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[[Category:Persons]]
[[Category:Ministers]]
[[Category:Elders]]