1812 · tradition
Kleine Gemeinde
A reform movement in the Molotschna settlement that began in 1812 under Klaas Reimer and later developed different national histories.
Klaas Reimer and other Mennonites in Molotschna organized the Kleine Gemeinde, or Little Church, in 1812. They sought reform in church discipline and Christian life. Families migrated to Canada in 1874–1875.
The Canadian history later led to the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. Other communities retained the Kleine Gemeinde name, including congregations in Mexico. The shared beginning should therefore be read alongside the different later developments, rather than identifying all Kleine Gemeinde congregations with one present-day conference.
Sources for this history: [1] [2] [3] [4]
