Pordenau Mennonite Church was located in the village of Pordenau, Molotschna settlement, South Russia. The village was established in 1820, and in 1869 consisted of 48 farms with 4,676 acres. The settlers were primarily Flemish and belonged originally to the Grosse Gemeinde of the Molotschna. When Elder Jakob Warkentin was deprived of his office in 1842, Pordenau became one of the three congregations emerging from the Grosse Gemeinde or Lichtenau-Petershagen Mennonite Church. In 1887 Pordenau had 984 baptized members and 1,033 children.
The first elder was Heinrich Töws of Pordenau, succeeded by Isaak Peters who migrated to America in 1874. After this the congregation was subject to Elder Diedrich Barg of the Margenau Mennonite Church for a number of years. The following elders were Gerhard Regehr and Peter Epp. Other ministers who served this church were Isbrand Friesen, Franz Töws, Peter Dyck, Johann Görzen, Johann Neufeld, Isaak Braun, Johann Töws, Peter Ewert, Jakob Dyck, Jakob Gerbrandt, and Gerhard Dürksen.
The first church building was erected in 1828 which was replaced in 1860 by a larger building. In 1905 the congregation had a total population of 1,771 and membership of 806. Little is known about the later development of the congregation.
Dirks, Heinrich. Statistik der Mennonitengemeinden in Russland Ende 1905 (Anhang zum Mennonitischen Jahrbuche 1904/05). Gnadenfeld: Dirks, 1905: 20, 63.
Friesen, Peter M. Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga", 1911: 706.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 383.
Cite This Article
Krahn, Cornelius. "Pordenau Mennonite Church (Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 5 May 2015. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pordenau_Mennonite_Church_(Molotschna_Mennonite_Settlement,_Zaporizhia_Oblast,_Ukraine)&oldid=96098.
Krahn, Cornelius. (1959). Pordenau Mennonite Church (Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pordenau_Mennonite_Church_(Molotschna_Mennonite_Settlement,_Zaporizhia_Oblast,_Ukraine)&oldid=96098.
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