125 Years of God's Work Compiled by Evelyn Duerksen and Randy Maass
Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church (EMB Church) of Mar- ion celebrated its 125th anniversary on June 23 and 24. Te cele- bration included an informal Meet-and-Greet time with refresh- ments on Saturday aſternoon. Te Sunday service included music shared by the reuniting of former choir members and ensemble groups that attended. Current pastor Randel Maass, brought the message. Former and current members shared memories. All enjoyed a catered noon meal. Te EMB Church is located in an area that was settled by three
ethnic groups of Mennonite immigrants from Russia in 1874. Te Low German, Swiss German, and Hutterite German settlers each spoke their own dialect, but all three worshiped in the same written High German language. Tey searched for land where hundreds of families could homestead and live in close proximity to each other. Te American Mennonites, who had migrated earlier, and who probably numbered 50,000 by 1873, paid the fares of the 1874 migration and also sheltered new arrivals in their homes for the first winter. Ten, in spring, the migrants continued west and settled in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Manitoba. About 38 families of the Low German group settled in the
area west of Marion, S.D., and northeast of Freeman, S.D. Te Swiss Mennonites settled southeast of Freeman, the Hutterites northwest of Freeman and the German Reformed group found land southwest of Freeman. Tus, quite a few Mennonite churches were established in our community. About 15 years before the major migration, new spiritual life
came to many of the Mennonites in Russia. It began when some Baptist ministers conducted services, lead in the study of the Scriptures, and helped the Mennonites to gain a deeper interest in God’s Word. Of course, during this time, differences of views also
developed, so that various groups of Mennonites were formed. Bishop Tobias Unruh, one of the most active leaders in the
migration, was also a leader in the new spiritual life and church or- ganization. He died only a few months aſter arriving in the United States. Another leader, Peter Becker, was elected as elder and was ordained in 1876. In 1891–1892, two pastors, the Rev. Heinrich Fast, Sr., and
the Rev. Heinrich E. Fast, Jr., both from Mountain Lake, Minn., came to the Marion, S.D., area, and began to preach boldly, stressing repentance of sin and salvation by faith aſter the fashion of the Baptist ministers in Russia. In the early part of 1893, a small group of believers who desired a deeper walk with the Lord had been meeting in various homes on Sunday aſternoon for Christian fellowship and a study of the Word of God. One of these families invited the visiting pastors to return to preach. Spiritual lives of believers were deepened, encouraged and strengthened. Others accepted salvation through Christ. Elder Aaron Wall, Rev. John Becker, and Rev. Peter Schultz,
all from Mountain Lake, Minn., were invited to come and give counsel and help, so that in August 1893, a church was organized. Te conference of United Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America had already been formed with churches in Henderson and Janzen, Neb., and Mountain Lake, Minn. Te 11 charter members at Marion affiliated with the conference of churches and took on the name of Bruderthaler Church [lit. brothers from the valley], most likely due to the influence of the founding church, the Brud- erthaler Church of Mountain Lake. Tis group met in homes until the group became too large to meet in a home. With the formation of the church, Mr. Benjamin Becker was chosen and ordained to become the first pastor, serving until his death in 1897. Incorpora- tion papers were filed with the State of South Dakota.
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