View source for Pavlodar Mennonite Brethren Church (Pavlodar Mennonite Settlement, Kazakhstan)

Pavlodar Mennonite Brethren (MB) Church was organized in the [[Pavlodar Mennonite Settlement (Pavlodar Province, Kazakhstan)|Pavlodar Mennonite Settlement]], located in the Semipalatinsk Region, now [[Kazakhstan, Republic of|Kazakhstan]]. Very little information about the organization, development, and religious life of the group is available. The <em>Adressbüchlein</em> (1913) by D. H. Epp does not list the congregations. According to Gerhard Fast, the Pavlodar MB group was originally without a minister but met in the home of Johann Janzen. Later Jakob Kröker became the elder, assisted by Johann Voth. A simple adobe meetinghouse was built in the village of Rovnopolye, Taldy-Kuduk. Some difficulties are reported about the two ministers, who were both excommunicated. They were succeeded by Johann Dekker and Jakob Kirsch.

In the Musde-Kul district the [[Kirchliche Mennoniten|Mennonites]] and the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren]] worshiped together in the home of Abraham Unruh. After a revival a baptismal service was held in the MB Church, at which 28 were baptized and Unruh was ordained minister, and later elder. Later Jakob Wiens joined this group as minister. In the 1920's Aron Reimer was ordained elder of the Pavlodar MB Church. Later Franz Friesen and Daniel Heide were also ordained elders. Both immigrated to Canada in 1925. After this Heinrich M. Janzen was ordained elder; he immigrated to Canada in 1929.

<em>[[Unser Blatt (1925-1928)(Periodical)|Unser Blatt]]</em> (October 1926: 24) gives a report about a song festival held in the Pavlodar settlement. Five MB [[Choirs|choirs]] participated, two coming from Slavgorod, and one from a neighboring Russian church. It can be assumed that this active religious life, typical of the Mennonite congregations in 1924-1927, was soon thwarted by the Soviet attack on all organized religious activities. Whether it has ceased or continued on a reduced basis to be revived since 1953 was not known in the late 1950s.
= Bibliography =
Fast, Gerhard. <em class="gameo_bibliography">In den Steppen Sibiriens</em>. Rosthern, 1957: 144 ff.

Unruh, A. H. <em class="gameo_bibliography">Die Geschichte der Mennoniten-Brüdergemeinde</em>. Winnipeg, 1954: 204 (not reliable), 368.
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