Ältester Peter P. Toews (1841-1922) of the Kleinegemeinde in South Russia

by Delbert F. Plett

Ältester Peter P. Toews was the son of Johann Toews (1793-1873) and Maria Plett Toews (1811-1895) of Fischau, Molotschna. As a young man, Toews was converted although "the emphasis was more on living a life of discipleship." His favourite devotional reading at the time was Menno Simon's "Meditation on the 25th Psalm". In 1863 Peter Toews had the privilege of accompanying Isaak Harms (1811-1891) on a trip looking for settlement opportunities, visiting what became known as the Fürstenland area, and several other locations.

Later that year he married Anna L. Warkentin (1843-1925), daughter of Johann Warkentin, formerly of Blumstein, Molotschna, and later of Blumenhof, Manitoba. In 1864 Peter Toews and his bride moved to rented land at Andreasfeld, Markuslandt, northeast of Chortitza. In 1866 Peter and Anna Toews moved to Blumenhof, Borosenko, where they acquired a Wirtschaft of 140 acres.

In that same year Toews was elected as minister of his Kleinegemeinde congregation. He was a man of genuine piety and intense religious experience. In his "1866 Epistle for Intercession" written after returning home from the Molotschna where he had just been elected as a minister, Toews reflected on his anxieties over his election. "On the one hand I felt within myself my very great impoverishment and my sinful flesh and blood which are my greatest enemies. On the other hand, I felt my very definite calling and the vast fields ripe for the harvest."

But the epistle quickly focused on a much more traumatic event, his young son who lay dying when he arrived home in Blumenhof, Borosenko, "Here my pride and joy, my only child lay prostrated and on the death bed, and also died, having preached repentance to me for two days and two nights, suffering in all parts of the body. It was not the death of the child, rather the sorrow and loneliness of my wife and the acknowledgement of my sins in the suffering of the innocent child which grieved me so."

In 1870 Peter P. Toews was elected as Ältester of what became known as the Blumenhof congregation. Several branches of the Kleinegemeinde were reconciled under his leadership. The family also raised two foster children, Isaac Wiens and Anna Broeski.

Ältester Toews led the denomination through the difficult emigration period of the 1870s. In 1875 Toews led the last 30 Kleinegemeinde families leaving south Russia. Peter and Anna settled in Grünfeld, Manitoba. Upon arrival in Manitoba Toews poured immense energy into the organization of the pioneer church and educational system.

In 1882 he left the KG to join with Johann Holdeman. In 1897 Toews was the co-founder of Botschafter der Wahrheit of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, being the first denominational paper among all the Russian Mennonites.

In 1900 Peter Toews moved to the village of Hochstadt, several miles to the southeast of Grünfeld. In 1911 they moved again to Swalwell, Alberta, to join their four sons - Johann, Cornelius, Peter and Isaac - who had moved there several years earlier to homestead.

Peter P. Toews was an historian and collected many writings and documents pertaining to the history of the church in his 1873 "Sammlung zur Historie ... der Kleinen Gemeinde der Molotschna Kolonie..." Toews was a gifted poet and expositor of the evangelical faith and some 20 of his sermons are still extant. Peter Toews' extant writings and documents form one of the more important collections of source materials of the 19th century Russian Mennonites.

An extensive biography of Peter P. Toews was published in 1993 (Leaders, pages 819-858). A brief biography of Anna Warkentin Toews by Margaret Penner Toews was published in 1997 (Pres., No.10, June 1997, Part Two, pages 23-25).

Excerpt from D.P. Plett, Saints and Sinners: The Kleine Gemeinde in Imperial Russia 1812-1875 (Steinbach, MB: Crossways Publications, 1999), pp.307-308

Delbert P. Plett, Q.C., is editor of a six volume Kleine Gemeinde Historical Series and also editor of Preservings.

Manitoba Mennonite Swedenborgian Research: An Update

In 1992 Leonard Doell of Aberdeen, SK, and Dr. Adolf Ens of CMBC, published an article in Journal of Mennonite Studies titled "Mennonite Swedenborgians". It brought together various scattered references to what may have treated as a "fringe group" at the time. The Swedenborgian development was however a movement with a good deal of momentum in the heyday of its influence in Mennonite communities of Western Canada. Both authors have continued their interest in the topic. We are learning about new sources for study on this theme, particularly the work of Doreen Funk of Quesnel, B.C. We introduced her project in the March issue of HP (see p.4.) She has recently sent a number of photos including one of the Happy Lake school building where, incidentally, the recently retired Professor of Music, Dr. George Wiebe, also taught in 1946-1947.

We also established contact with Michael Hamm who works at Suite 202, l0816A-82 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6E 2B3. He submitted some very interesting articles from Swedenborgian publications, including one "A Visit to the Northwest" by Rev. F.E: Gyllenhaal, which describes numerous contacts with Mennonite families in the Happy Lake school district area, as well as the Rosthern, SK area where they visited the Wilfred Klippensteins, and then going on to Grande Prairie, Alberta as well as Dawson Creek, BC.

The most recent addition to these research files is a book just published by Peter Letkemann who grew up in the Arrow Lake district of the Renata, B.C. area. He includes a chapter on his experiences in the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) congregation of that community. Although he does not refer to his Mennonite roots, he seems to have connections with Saskatchewan families at Rosthern and Waldheim.