August Liebig was a Baptist preacher of Hamburg, Germany, who gave valuable assistance in the Mennonite Brethren movement in Russia. He went to Chortitza in the spring of 1866, was arrested by the district court (Gebietsamt) after a brief period spent in organizing the group, was taken to Ekaterinoslav and Odessa, and deported as an undesirable person. In June 1871 he returned in response to an urgent appeal by the Russian Mennonite Brethren and settled in Andreasfeld. He succeeded in leading the group into a quiet and orderly status. Among other things he arranged for annual Bible courses for preachers to continue a month. He did not touch the Mennonite confession of faith, and always advocated the parallel existence of Mennonites and Baptists. In 1875 he accepted the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Odessa, and later immigrated to America, keeping up his Mennonite contacts.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 337. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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