Busau Mennonite Church (Busau, Crimea, Ukraine)
Busau Mennonite Church, located in the village of Busau, Yevpatoriya, Crimea, was founded in 1884 under the name Ettingerbrun Mennonite Church as a result of a Mennonite migration from the mother settlements in the Ukraine to the Crimea. The members of the congregation lived in the following villages: Sarybash, Tokulchak, Muni, Temirbulat, Yapuntchi, Safronovka, Yalantush, Kutyuki, Busau, Aktatchi, and Montonai. Most of the members were engaged in farming.
The first elder of the congregation was Friedrich Raabe (1884-1890). The congregation was without an elder from 1890 to 1901. During this time Elder Abr. Friesen of the Karassan Mennonite Church conducted baptismal services and the Lord’s Supper. During this period a number of members joined the Mennonite Brethren. In 1901 Heinrich Martins, who had been ordained as minister in 1892, was installed as elder of the congregation. It was at this time that the name of the congregation was changed from Ettingerbrun to Busau Mennonite Church. Martins died in 1905 after a short but active period of service. He was succeeded in 1906 by Peter Friedrichsen, who served the congregation until 1926, when H. Dück became the leader of the congregation.
Bible studies and conferences as well as song festivals did much to enrich and strengthen the spiritual and cultural life of the congregation. Under the Soviets the large congregation was divided into groups consisting of 20 members each. In 1905 the total population of the congregation was 632, of whom 272 were members. The enrollment in the Sunday school at that time consisted of 55 pupils.
In addition to the elders mentioned, the following ministers served the Busau Mennonite Church: Peter Stobbe, Abr. Rempel, Abr. Barg, Abr. Unruh, Jakob Harder, Peter Wohlgemut, Franz Wiens, Karl Friedrichsen, P. Martens, Wilhelm Voth, Abr.Dick, Joh. Heinrichs, Joh. Martens, H. P. Friedrichsen, and J. Driediger. Little is known about the experiences and the disintegration of the congregation under the Soviets.
Bibliography
Friedrichsen, H. H. "Die Geschichte der Busauer Mennoniten-Gemeinde." Unser Blatt II, No. 8 (May 1927): 236-238.
Friesen, Peter M. Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga", 1911: 709.
| Author(s) | Cornelius Krahn |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Krahn, Cornelius. "Busau Mennonite Church (Busau, Crimea, Ukraine)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Busau_Mennonite_Church_(Busau,_Crimea,_Ukraine)&oldid=86403.
APA style
Krahn, Cornelius. (1953). Busau Mennonite Church (Busau, Crimea, Ukraine). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Busau_Mennonite_Church_(Busau,_Crimea,_Ukraine)&oldid=86403.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 480. All rights reserved.
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