Adam Krehbiel was a Mennonite farmer-preacher at the Weierhof, Palatinate, Germany. He was a personal friend of Gerhard Tersteegen, exchanged letters with him and visited him at Mülheim. Tersteegen called him "a man after God's own heart." One of his letters was printed in Tersteegen's Weg zur Wahrheit (Cologne, 1865, 12-14). In this letter of 30 August 1766 Adam Krehbiel expresses his gratitude for Tersteegen's writings, for now he sees that "rest is to be found ... in self-denial, love, dying, and conquering in God's will and favor." He asks for Tersteegen's prayers, that he may be completely turned away from everything material and be led into sweet fellowship with God (Menn. Bl. 1875, 42).

Krehbiel's childlike faith and sincere piety are clearly shown in his correspondence with P. Weber of Hardenburg, whom he thanks (1771) for the stimulation and encouragement he had received from the books, Lebensbeschreibung heiliger Seelen and Swedenborg's Offenbarung von der gemeinschaftlichen Liebe und deren herrlichen Früchten. On 25 March 1773 he sent him a note to be forwarded to Johannes Deknatel. The last years of his life were saddened by the distress of war. The French used his beloved chapel as a barracks, and meetings had to be held in his modest living room. The weaknesses of age gradually prevented him from performing the duties of his office. He died in 1804.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 235-236. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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