Fast, Johann J. (1834-1898)
Johann J. Fast, a nephew of Daniel Fast, was born in South Russia in 1834, and through reading and independent study he became a well-informed and powerful minister in the Mennonite Brethren Church of Russia. Five sons and one daughter reached maturity: Johann, Peter, Bernhard, Isaak, and Justina stayed in Russia, most of them perishing behind the Iron Curtain, while Daniel came to Canada in 1904, entered the teaching profession, and located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Johann J. Fast began with a prosperous lumber business, but when this was destroyed by fire, he gave himself more and more to the ministry of the Gospel. Although he lived in several villages of the Molotschna, he settled in Rückenau, close to the church, where he worked in close fellowship with the renowned Mennonite Brethren Bible expositor, J. W. Reimer. In his preaching Fast was not particularly dramatic but the fervency of his spirit and the excellent testimony of the purity of his life gave his presentation of the Gospel a dynamic impact. He made a particular contribution in the work of house-visitation and personal contacts with neighbors and friends, and thus led many to the saving knowledge of Christ. He died in Rückenau in August 1898, his last admonition being, "Brethren, cover up and forget."
Bibliography
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 635.
| Author(s) | Christian Neff |
|---|---|
| Jacob J. Toews | |
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neff, Christian and Jacob J. Toews. "Fast, Johann J. (1834-1898)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fast,_Johann_J._(1834-1898)&oldid=107368.
APA style
Neff, Christian and Jacob J. Toews. (1956). Fast, Johann J. (1834-1898). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fast,_Johann_J._(1834-1898)&oldid=107368.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 316. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.