View source for Naumenko Mennonite Brethren Church (Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine)

The Naumenko Mennonite Brethren Church, a subsidiary of the [[Einlage Mennonite Brethren Church (Einlage, Chortitza Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Einlage Mennonite Brethren Church]], in the Naumenko (Petrovka) Mennonite settlement, province of [[Kharkov (Ukraine)|Kharkov]], South Russia (now [[Ukraine|Ukraine]]), was founded in 1889 by emigrants from the [[Molotschna Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Molotschna]] and [[Chortitza Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Chortitza]] colonies who had settled on private land at Petrovka, Vassiyevka, Elenovka, and [[Barvenkovo (Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine)|Barvenkovo]]. [[Siemens, Gerhard (20th century)|Gerhard Siemens]] of Neplyuevo was the leading minister. Later the ministers Abraham Pätkau and Johann Schellenberg of [[Yazykovo Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Yazykovo]] also served here. In 1905 the settlement had a population of 700 Mennonites, most of whom were members of this church.

At first the Naumenko MB Church seemed to flourish, especially economically, but soon it suffered a serious reverse. [[Dyck, Wilhelm I. (1854-1936)|Wilhelm Dyck]], who later moved to [[Canada|Canada]], David Klassen, Abram Martens, and Jacob Thiessen served the church until 1910. At this time Abr. Unruh of the [[Ohrloff Mennonitische Zentralschule (Ohrloff, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Orloff Zentralschule]] and Jacob Froese, both living at Barvenkovo, also ministering to the church after 1910, extended their ministry to the Russian people and were as a result arrested and imprisoned, but were released in about one month. The [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren]] Conference which was to be held at Naumenko at this time was forbidden by Russian authorities, and when the permission finally came from St. Petersburg it was too late.

Nothing definite was known in the 1950s about this church after [[World War (1939-1945) - Soviet Union|World War II]], and there was little information about its fate during and after the [[Russian Revolution and Civil War|Revolution]]. Some members left the settlement during the great westward move in World War II.
= Bibliography =
Friesen, Peter M. <em>Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte</em>. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga,” 1911: 450.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 201.
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[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Mennonite Settlements in Russia]]