Toews, John (1877-1933)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Feb 5 p. 1

Birth date: 1877

text of obituary:

Soviets Execute Four Mennonite Ministers

Brother of Mt. Lake Editor A Victim of Fiendish Religious Persecution

(From Mt. Lake View)

Mt. Lake, Minn., Jan 30. — On Saturday afternoon the editor of this paper received a letter from his cousin, Mr. D. P. Enns, member of the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization at Rosthern, Sask., informing him about the execution of his brother, Rev. John Toews, in the Soviet capital, Moscow. The report came from Mr. G. S. Derkson of Herbert, Sask., who ahs been informed of the execution of his brother, D. Derksen, in Moscow. Besides these two victims of the Soviet persecution, two other ministers of the Gospel were shot to death. One of these was Rev. Jac. Rempel.

Rev. Toews came to Moscow last November with his family, trying to obtain permission to leave the country. He was however apprehended by the officials and locked up in one of the worst prisons of that metropolis. Many other representatives of the Mennonites were captives with him, some had to suffer the most inhuman treatments, while others were released after they signed a promise not to oppose the program of the Soviet regime in any way. Since all further details regarding the date and so forth are still missing, we are unable to state the time of his execution. The family of Rev. Toews joined the five thousand immigrants in Germany after the arrest of the brother. They are at present located in the immigration camp at Prenzlau, not far from Berlin, awaiting further developments. Their many frinds [sic] in Canada trust that they will be permitted to join them there, but if plans do not materialize, they will have to go to Brazil with many others.

Rev. Toews was born in 1877 in a small village in South Russia. He received a splendid education and after serving as teacher in the ordinary village schools he became instructor and superintendent of a high school in the Jekaterinoslaw government. In the meantime he was also active as pastor and evangelist and was especially busy as leader in Bible courses which he was called to conduct to different Mennonite circles.

In all his activities he manifested a firm conviction and an unshakable stand for the principles of his faith. When during the first great immigration of the Mennonites several years ago many leaders and pastors of congregations left for Canada, he could not conscientiously join them stating that he had to remain with the flock and push the battle for his Master until all opportunity to do this would cease. Quite frequently he was forced too appear before the anti-religious officials who regarded him as one of the influential anti-revolutionists and who brought false accusations against him These trials were accompanied by hard trials and tortures of which the brother was not allowed to report in his letters. Since conditions were changing from bad to worse and it was impossible to even exist materially, the family joined the thousands of immigrants on a trip to Moscow. Former attempts to leave the country had failed because the case of Rev. Toews was still in the balance. His appeal to the officials at Moscow resulted in his final arrest and persecution. Although his passport was bought and provision was made for him to leave, all conneceions [sic] with his family and friends were cut off abruptly and the execution followed. In a private letter we are informed of an earwitness who reports that Rev. Toews had to answer his charge in the Moscow courts for three hours in succession during which time even the Reds marveled at his steadfastness, exclaiming: "This man cannot be persuaded!" In his undaunted testimony for His Lord and Master, the brother died as a true martyr.