What Happened to The Russian Mennonites?

 

   For a long time, Russia had vast areas of uninhabited land. In the late 1700s the Russian czars offered many incentives for German speaking people to settle on some of the most fertile land. The first Anabaptists to move into Russia were Hutterites who settled into an area northwest of present-day Kiev, Ukraine. By 1877, all of them had moved to Canada and the United States.

   Mennonites in Holland and northern German had fled to Prussia (now Poland) to escape persecution. In 1786, Prussian Mennonites were offered land in Ukraine.  Two delegates of the Prussian Mennonites went to inspect the land. Russian Empress Catherine II guaranteed they would have exemption from military service and free exercise of religion. Two hundred and twenty-eight Mennonite families moved to Ukraine in 1788 and established the Chortiza Colony along the Dnieper River. From1803-1806, another 365 Mennonite families moved to Ukraine and established the Molotschna Colony. By 1859, there were 34,500 Mennonites in sixty villages in Ukraine, primarily in the Crimea and Zaphoresia areas.

   In the late 1800s, military exemption was revoked. From 1874-1880, one-third of the 54,000 Mennonites in Ukraine left for United States and Canada. They took with them the Turkey Red wheat seed that turned the Great Plains into the breadbasket of North America.

    The Mennonite population in Russia grew to 120,000 by World War I. The Bolshevik Revolution had taken away all religious and economic freedoms. From 1922-1927, about 23,000 Mennonites left Russia for Canada, Paraguay, and Argentina.

   In World War II, the Chortiza Colony came under German occupation. When Hitler's army was driven out by the Russians, the Mennonite population followed the German army to Poland where they had come from 150 years earlier. Two-thirds of these 35,000 Mennonites were forcibly exiled to Siberia and the Far East in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan where all faced persecution for their faith.

   A Pietist Evangelical church was established near the Molotschna Colony in 1845. The movement spread through Russia and played a large role in the formation of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Russia. It drew together the Baptists, Evangelicals, and Mennonites as well as some smaller groups. Since 1943, these groups have been united as the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christian Baptists. 

   The persecution after the Revolution and during the two World Wars tended to draw believers together as they found themselves in prisons and labor camps. There were no Mennonite churches in many of the places where the Mennonites were exiled, so they attended Baptist or Evangelical churches. Their shared faith in Jesus Christ drew them together instead of splitting as was happening in the Mennonite churches in North America where there was freedom of religion.

   As the Baptists organized, they got some concessions from the government, especially if they registered their churches. The Mennonites had never been recognized by the government and received few concessions. By joining hands with the Baptists, they found a measure of tolerance. The merger resulted in a Baptist church with many Mennonite convictions and practices. 

   There were some who refused to register because it restricted them from having Sunday school or taking their children to church. The unregistered churches worshiped in small groups in homes and suffered much persecution for "illegal" activities. Registered or unregistered, the believers were commonly called Baptists. The Mennonite name faded into history in Russia but was carried with those who left the country. Although they are known as Russian Mennonites, they were actually Dutch and German Mennonites who migrated to Russia and maintained the German language in all their wanderings.

   

   

Three Challenges of a Christian

   I was impressed and challenged by a message my brother Merle preached this summer titled Three Challenges of a Christian. These are not three obvious sinful acts but insidious ways we can get off center and veer off the path. Here are some excerpts from his message.

1. Nominalism

   People who are nominal Christians may do all the things we would expect a Christian to do. They adhere to a religious system and learn the behaviors they need to practice in order to be accepted and approved by the group. They know what words to use or not use, what to wear and not wear. They meet the group's expectations and appear to be doing well. However, it is all external behavior with little happening in their hearts.

   Too many Christians are going through the motions of what they feel a Christian should do, but without any deeply felt heart emotions. They are missing out on so much. The Christian faith is not about what we do but about our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2. Individualism

   Individualism is a focus on self and what is good for me. It is the idea that I need to take care of myself and make sure I get what I want or need. Individualism in spiritual matters results in a person who serves God only because of what they feel God does for them. It brings a consumer mentality to matters of faith. I am willing to invest in matters of faith and a relationship with Christ as long as the return on my investment is working for me and in my favor.

  Individualists focus on the idea that if they faithfully serve God, He will bless them and things will go well for them. This mentality puts me in control. If I behave a certain way, I can manipulate God to do what I want. It also reduces the Christian life to a business arrangement. I have a contract with God. If I do my part He is obligated to serve me. 

   Our relationship with Jesus Christ should not be a "what's in it for me?' but "what can I do for You?" If we love Him we will want to please Him. We will serve Him gladly, not expecting anything in return.

3. Minimalism

   Minimalism is an effort to keep things to a bare minimum. In spiritual matters, this is often expressed as a desire to minimize the expectations of Christians down to just what are salvation issues. The question is often asked, "Is this a salvation issue?" or "do people who do this go to heaven?" The idea is that if we can go to heaven without doing something, then we need not make an effort to do it. Or perhaps it is something that people are asked not to do, but there will be people in heaven who did it. Why do we require things or forbid things that are not salvation issues?

   The minimalist makes several false assumptions about Christian faith. First, they assume the objective of the Christian is getting into heaven. But the goal of the Christian is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If we reduce the Christian experience to just getting into heaven, we miss the joy of an intimate, ongoing relationship with Christ in this life.

    The second false assumption the minimalist makes is that only those things that are salvation issues are things that please God. There are things that please or displease God that are not salvation issues. Our desire as Christians is to please God because we love Him and want to glorify Him. 

   Why is there pressure to do just the bare minimum spiritually? We don't take that approach to our marriages or employment. Why do we want to do the bare minimum spiritually? Is it because of a lack of a relationship with Christ?

   We live in a society that has a spiritually deadening effect, promotes Individualism, and distracts us from a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Let us live with spiritual passion, strive to please God, and enjoy our relationship with Him.

Chicken Rice Soup

 This week I canned some Chicken Rice soup which will be handy for quick winter meals. The recipe is for quarts but since there's only two of us a pint is enough.

1/3 cup uncooked rice

1/3 cup chopped carrots

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 c. cooked and chopped chicken

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. chicken bouillon

Put all in a quart jar. Fill to the neck with hot water. Cook jars in hot water bath 2 hours.

Add more water and bouillon when you heat and serve it.

For 14 quarts:

1 bunch celery

2 lb. carrots

2 1/4 lbs. rice

5 medium onions (2-2 1/2 lbs.)

7 cups chicken.

Ruth and Naomi

   This month our Sunday school lessons are from the book of Ruth. It is a familiar story. Elimelech and Naomi left their home in Bethlehem with their two sons because there was a famine and moved to Moab where conditions were better. During the ten years the family lived in Moab, the sons married Moabite girls named Orpha and Ruth. Both sons and their father died, leaving three widows. Naomi decided to go back home to Bethlehem. She urged her daughters-in-law to go back to their families and marry again among their people. 

   Orpha accepted Naomi's advice, walked away and was never heard of again. But Ruth was committed to staying with Naomi. Although spoken from one woman to another, we used Ruth's words for our wedding text. "And Ruth said [to Naomi], Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

   Ruth went to Bethlehem with Naomi where she had friends and relatives. Ruth worked hard to provide food for Naomi. In the process she met a wealthy land owner named Boaz who was a relative of Naomi's deceased husband. Before long, Boaz and Ruth were married and had a son named Obed. 

   One of the questions that was asked in our class last Sunday was when this story took place. No one had an answer. 

 Follow the clues.

   1. In Joshua 2, Rahab hid some spies who scoped out the land before the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. In exchange for her help, the spies promised to spare her life when the Israelites conquered Jericho. They kept their promise, and Joshua 6 tells us Rahab lived in Israel "to this day" (the rest of her life).

   2. The genealogy in Matthew 1 tells us Rahab married Salmon and had a son Boaz. Recognize that name? 

   3. Joshua died at the age of 110. He led Israel approximately 50 years. Rahab survived the fall of Jericho and obviously gave birth to Boaz before fifty years had passed. Therefore, Boaz was born during Joshua's lifetime.

    4. The book of Judges covers a period of about 350 years from the death of Joshua to Saul, the first king. Boaz was a wealthy distinguished gentleman and considerably older than Ruth when they married. However, the events in the book of Ruth can be placed early in the 350 years of the judges.

   Some important truths are hidden in the story of Ruth. The genealogy of Matthew 1 traces many generations of fathers and sons. Two women, Rahab and Ruth, are mentioned. Both were gentiles who embraced the God of Israel and were accepted by Him. God chose to bring the Messiah into the world through the Jewish people, but His plan of salvation always was intended to be for all people. Gentiles were included in the plan from the beginning and two gentile women played a part in bringing the Messiah into the world. 

   Boaz and Ruth had a son Obed. He had a son Jesse who had a son David that became a great king of Israel. God promised David he would always have a descendant to sit on the throne. This was fulfilled in Jesus who was born in David's hometown of Bethlehem and is now king of kings in an eternal kingdom. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever" (Isaiah 9:6-7). 

   

   

Betty Zane

    When my mother was in grade school, her teacher gave her a book by Zane Grey titled Betty Zane. The story was based on historical facts that happened in the 1700s in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. Betty Zane was the heroine and other main characters were Samuel McColloch, Simon Gerty and Lewis Wetzel. I loved that book and read it over and over. 

   When our daughter married and moved to Ohio, we went through Wheeling every time we went to visit her. I always thought someday I want to see the places I read about in the book, but we were always in a hurry to get there or get home again and never took the time to stop and hunt up the places. We went again this weekend and took a little side trip on Saturday to see some of the sites related to Betty Zane. We were blessed with a warm 70-degree day and colorful autumn leaves.

   Betty Zane (July 19, 1765 – August 23, 1823) was the daughter of William Andrew Zane and Nancy Ann (née Nolan) Zane, and the sister of Ebenezer, Silas, Jonathan, Isaac, and Andrew Zane. Ebenezer is known for building a road from Wheeling, West Virginia to Kentucky. "Zane's Trace" opened Ohio to settlement and was the only major road in Ohio (now route 40) until 1812. In exchange for his work, Ebenezer received a tract of land in Ohio which was named Zanesville.

 Three of the Zane brothers — Ebenezer, Silas and Jonathan — migrated from present-day Moorefield, West Virginia in 1769 and founded the first settlement at present-day Wheeling. The rest of the Zane family later joined them at the new settlement. At the conjunction of Wheeling Creek and the Ohio River, they began clearing land to farm, as well as established Fort Henry. The site of the fort is now under the streets of Wheeling but identified by a historical marker on the corner of Main and 10th streets. The marker stands at the entrance to the Wheeling Suspension bridge which was constructed in 1849 and easily identified by its red stone pillars.

   Two major battles were fought at Fort Henry. On September 1, 1777, during a Native American siege on the fort, Major Samuel McColloch arrived at the fort with 40 mounted men from Short Creek. To allow entrance the gates were opened for the men. Major McColloch lingered behind to guide and protect the men. The Indians attacked, and all of the men except McColloch made it inside before they were forced to close the gates. McColloch found himself alone and surrounded by Native Americans, and he rode immediately towards the nearby hill in an attempt to escape. McColloch had earned a reputation as a very successful "borderer" (one who protected the frontier borders from the Native Americans) and was well known to both the frontiersmen and the Indians. The Indians eagerly pursued McColloch and drove him to the summit of the hill.

   As he rode along the top of the hill, he encountered another large body of Indians. He now found himself surrounded, with no path of escape. He knew, because of his reputation and history against the Indians, he would be tortured and killed if he were to be captured alive. With all avenues of escape cut off, he turned and faced the precipice, and with the bridle in his left hand and his rifle in his right, he spurred his horse over the edge to an almost certain death. The hill at that location is about 300 feet in height, and in many places is almost perpendicular.

   The Indians rushed to the edge, expecting to see the major lying dead in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the hill. To their great surprise, they instead saw McColloch, still mounted on his white horse, galloping away from them.

   We drove to the top of this steep hill and had a beautiful view of the Ohio River below.

   Lewis Wetzel was involved in the 1777 battle at Fort Henry and again in the second battle in 1782. He was the son of John and Mary (Bonnet) Wetzel who moved to the Wheeling Creek area (about fourteen miles from Fort Henry) by the 1770s. Lewis was a scout, frontiersman and Indian fighter.  He was renowned for an ability to load his rifle while sprinting (perhaps by using smaller shot than other frontiersman as well as for always holding a few bullets in his mouth), and which probably saved his life several times during raids. He roamed the forests waging guerilla warfare on Native Americans and sheltered in a cave now known as Wetzel's Cave. I would have liked to see this cave, but it is accessible only by a hiking trail which I would not have been able to do. We should have done this twenty years ago!  Now I have to be content with photos I found online. The cave is located just south of I70, between Route 250 and Wheeling Creek.

   Betty Zane had a crush on Lew Wetzel (in the story, perhaps not fact) but he was not the marrying kind. He helped defend Fort Henry in the siege of September 11-13, 1782, when Betty was the heroine.

   A force of about 300 Wyandot, Shawnee, Seneca and Delaware Indians, under the direction of Simon Gerty, accompanied by a force of 50 British officers laid siege to Fort Henry. The colonists were disobeying royal order that all land west of the Appalachian Mountains was reserved for Native Americans. Simon Gerty had been captured by natives as a child and grew up among them. He was notorious for his savagery toward settlers.

   As the force arrived at Fort Henry, the Zane family, under direction of Colonel David Shephard, was charged with defending the fort. The defending force was made up of 40 men and boys protecting the 60 women and children from the surrounding area who had come to the fort for protection.

   The whole first day of the siege was wasted in attempting to batter the fort and burn down buildings. During the second day of the siege, the settlers encountered trouble. Their supply of gunpowder was running low, and they would not be able to defend the fort much longer if they lost use of the cannon and their rifles. 

   Betty Zane remembered the store of powder in her brother's cabin and volunteered to retrieve it for three reasons. First, the enemy would be less inclined to shoot a woman, and the twenty men still able to fight could not be spared. Second, she knew exactly where the powder was kept in the cabin. Third, she was young, and strong enough to carry the powder from the cabin back to the fort. What Betty Zane did not tell was that she had gone 40 hours without sleep as she was molding bullets for the men defending Fort Henry.

   At about noon on the second day of the siege, 17-year-old Betty Zane opened the front gate of Fort Henry and walked the 60 yards to Ebenezer Zane's cabin. There was a pause in the fighting while the native and British force stared in awe as she disappeared into the cabin. Betty was not as fortunate on her return trip. As she wrapped the powder in her apron and left the cabin to return to the fort, the attackers recognized what she had and opened fire on her. She ran the 60 yards up the hill to the fort and made it safely inside unharmed. The powder allowed the settlers to defend the fort until help arrived. In the morning the native and British force left as patriot Captain John Boggs arrived with 70 soldiers to aid Fort Henry.

    While the fort no longer exists, we were able to see a monument commemorating Betty's brave deed. This monument stands outside the Walnut Grove Pioneer Cemetery in Martin's Ferry, Ohio.

 

 The Zane family eventually moved from Wheeling to Martin's Ferry on the Ohio side of the river. Betty Zane, her brother Ebenezer, and other Zanes are buried in this cemetery.

Memorial stone for Betty (above) and burial vault of her brother Ebenezer (below).

Ebenezer's wife, Elizabeth, is also buried in the vault with him.

  Elizabeth "Betty" Zane was married to Ephraim McLaughlin with whom she had four daughters: Mary Ann "Polly", Sarah Nancy, Rebecca and Hannah McLaughlin. After his death, she married Jacob Clark with whom she had a son, Ebenezer Clark, and a daughter, Catherine Clark. Betty Zane died August 23, 1823. Her heroism is remembered each August during Betty Zane Pioneer Days in Martin's Ferry.

   Betty's great-nephew, Zane Grey, wrote the historical novel about his famous aunt, titled Betty Zane. When he could not find a publisher for the book, he published it himself in 1903 using his wife's money. The book was a success and can be purchased today on Amazon. He went on to write many other western fiction books. 

    I am not a fan of cowboy and Indians books and have not read any other Zane Grey books. The characters in Betty Zane are less than noble and it contains far more war and killing than you would expect a nonresistant Mennonite woman to enjoy reading. Why did I find this book so fascinating? I think it was the historical aspect, pioneer setting, and the fact that Betty was a real person who risked her own life to save the lives of others.  Also, the skillful portrayal of the Betty's character made her blossom under the author's pen to become larger than life. 

    Now that we took time for a little sightseeing in the Wheeling area, one more thing is crossed off my bucket list. I should read the book again.

   

   

    

What Has Not Changed

  Every July 4 there is a big celebration of the United States gaining independence from Great Britain. Those who fought in the Revolutionary War are seen as heroes. The English redcoats were the enemy. Time moved along and today England is among the best friends of the United States. The two countries are working together to help Ukraine fight to keep its independence from Russia.

   The eyes of the world were on England since Queen Elizabeth's death on September 8, watching elaborate and carefully choreographed ceremonies preceding and during her funeral. Multitudes stood in line for nearly a day to file past her coffin as it lay in state four days. Many Americans are fascinated with the monarchy and watch the royal family's movements. Few people alive today can remember a time when Elizabeth was not queen. Her seventy-year reign is unmatched in England's history.

   Immediately upon her death, her firstborn son, Charles, became king. There was no long noisy campaign to determine who would take the throne. It was his by birthright and he waited seventy-three years for his day to come. However, years ago he would have been disqualified by his marriage to a divorced woman. It was for that reason that Elizabeth became queen.

   King Edward VIII became king in January 1936 and abdicated 326 days later to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American woman. A divorced woman with two living ex-husbands was politically and socially unacceptable as a prospective queen consort. Additionally, such a marriage would have conflicted with Edward's status as titular head of the Church of England, which, at the time, disapproved of remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was still alive.

    When King Edward abdicated, the crown went to his younger brother, George. King George VI reigned from 1936 until his death in 1952. George had two daughters but no sons, so the crown passed from him to his oldest daughter, Elizabeth. 

     Despite his marriage to a divorced woman, Elizabeth's son Charles became king upon her death. What changed since Edward VIII in 1936? The Church of England's prohibition of remarriage after divorce melted in the passing of time. Divorce and remarriage no longer carried any stigma and is socially acceptable.

    What has NOT changed is the Word of God and the words spoken by Jesus himself. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18 NKJ)

   Those are harsh words in today's culture, but the Word of God has not changed with the times. The Bible is not a smorgasbord where we can pick and choose what we like and leave the rest. Jesus said what He meant and meant what He said. He also said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." 

Every Little Bit

  The calendar says there are two weeks of summer left but the shift to fall has begun. Schools are in session, leaves are beginning to fall (drying up due to the dry weather), the AC is turned off, and mice are looking for shelter. Yesterday I wrapped up canning with five pints of pears and today I will do some fall housecleaning.

   August was the hottest one in 124 years of record keeping. It was also very dry and farmers started chopping corn in August because it was already dried. We finally got a good soaking rain this week which is another indication of the shift into fall. The dry weather reduced crops for farmers but we lack nothing. Gardens produced all we need to provide us with food for the winter. 

    Yesterday the news included a report on famine in Somalia due to a long drought. Babies are too weak to cry. People are trekking across the desert in search of food and burying their dead along the way. The lack of food is also the result of the war in Ukraine not being able to ship grain and oil from their ports. Although the ports are now open it is too late to get enough food to everyone in time.

    As I stored the last jars of food on my canning shelf I felt guilty to have such an abundance and not be able to hand some of my jars to those starving people. The problem is not lack of food but uneven distribution. So much of the food grown in the US is wasted. Food pantries and organizations such as Blessings of Hope and Helping Hand distribute foods that have been rejected for various reasons. For example, one company tried a different kind of lid on an ice cream box and didn't like it. There was nothing wrong with the ice cream but whole batch was rejected because of the box and sent to Blessings of Hope for distribution. At least it didn't wind up in a landfill where a lot of good food goes.

   I don't have any answers to the problem of uneven distribution of food, but there are things we can do to be good stewards of what we have and share with those in need. We are involved in a local food pantry, helping to package food to be shipped overseas by Christian Aid Ministries and Blessings of Hope. It's a drop in the bucket of the global needs but every little bit helps.