Bekker, Benjamin (19th century)

Benjamin Bekker was one of the first traveling ministers (Reiseprediger) of the Mennonite Brethren in Russia; he took an active part in its founding. He was one of the signatories of the declaration to the Orlov and Halbstadt church leaders on 19 March 1860, and the petition of 30 December to the government. Ordained as traveling evangelist by Elder Heinrich Hubert, he was very successful in this service in 1861 and 1862. At Easter of 1862 he performed in Einlage the first wedding in the Mennonite Brethren Church. He soon joined the extreme "over-joyful" wing, and as their apostle (as he called himself) he exercised a dictatorial authority and banned his fellow preachers who did not share his views, such as J. Reimer and Gerhard Wieler. His influence soon waned.

Bibliography

Friesen, Peter M. Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga", 1911: 199 et passim.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: I, 161.

Additional Information

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 268. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

To cite this page:

MLA style: Neff, Christian. "Bekker, Benjamin (19th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 06 July 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/B44445.html>

APA style: Neff, Christian. (1953). "Bekker, Benjamin (19th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 06 July 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/B44445.html>

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