Biography of Wilhelm Fetler

Try the literature selection service. You can always turn off the advertisement. Ex-president of the Southern Baptist Historical Society. He taught history for 26 years. The author and editor of many scientific works, including “Baptists around the world: Reference Guide” Wilhelm Fethieler was a Baptist Blagodnik, a participant in the spiritual awakening in Russia, the head of the missionary movement, the editor and writer.

He very successfully performed spiritual ministry among Russians and Latvians in the Russian Empire and in the Republic of Latvia, founded the first implementation mission to preach the gospel of the Slavic peoples. The Russians, who had heard the metler, called him a "thunderer." In the English-speaking countries, he was called Villam Fetlet. Much later, he himself changed his name to Vasily Maloy, by analogy with how the once John the Baptist was belittling himself in comparison with Jesus Christ.

Wilhelm's father, Andreis Vettlers, was Latvians, and his mother, Margarita Batz, came from the Baltic Germans. When the felt was still very young, his father, a poor Baptist minister, transferred his family to Tukums. There in the city of Fethler graduated from school. Then he moved for 50 miles to Riga, where he worked as an employee and a translator in court, first - an assistant, and then was increased in office.

In gg. The felt has changed several professions: he was an employee in a bicycle factory serving in a rubber factory, and then managing in the office of a metallurgical and engineering plant. Fetler, "MS, in Riga, he was interested in much more Christian service in Baptist communities than work in the factory. Fet-Ler taught at a Sunday school, sang in the choir, distributed spiritual literature, participated in the work of a circle of Christian youth, at the age of 16 he began to preach in small gospel communities.

C to gg. While in England, Fethieler became a witness to the spiritual awakening in Wales. A strong impression on him was made by Charles Finney's book, Lectures on Religious Awakening. At that time, the Fethler held Russian -speaking liturgical meetings in the Seilors of the Palace in the eastern part of London. At the first congress of the World Baptist Union in London in the city of Fethler, he was a translator for delegates from Russia.

Service in St. Petersburg, although Fethler initially planned to engage in missionary work in China, he went to Russia, since the decree on the religious power issued in the city of financial support of the Fet -ler took Pioneer Mission, an independent Baptist missionary society. At first, the felt to establish a missionary center in Moscow, but after two months of serving in his homeland in Kurland in September G.

seeing a great success in the preaching of the gospel of the Russian population, Fethler decided to stay in this city. In the city of Autumn, G. Fetler has already organized 13 groups of believers, seven of which were in St. Petersburg itself and in the suburbs. In addition, Fethler participated in the ministry in Novgorod, Arkhangelsk and Moscow. Fet-Ler became the pioneer in the organization of Russian Sunday schools in St.

Petersburg, and by May G. seeing the organizational abilities of Fetler, the Russian Union of Baptists expressed his support to him. The felt was elected members of the executive committee, and in the city of Fethieler also received significant support from female aristocrats belonging to the metropolitan movement of the Pashkovites. Fetler offered places for meetings and living.

One of the representatives of the High World, Maria Yasnovskaya, became a member and treasurer of the Russian community of Fetler. To receive financial support, a felt in the city of Christmas Sunday, the hall was designed for places, including balconies located on three sides of the liturgical hall, as well as another opposite the department. At the meetings of the felt, this hall was usually crowded.

Visitors heard gospel chants and zealous prayers, but their fiery sermons of Fetler aroused special interest. In addition, he was a good musician, led singing at worship, taught the singing choir, sang solo parties and even accompanied the piano and organ. Having outstanding abilities, the felt could conduct a worship in three languages, simultaneously translating it for foreign guests.

He conducted weekly biblical lessons, gave lectures for students, arranged midnight meetings for people from the street and special ministries for church members. The felt found the “Society of Spiritual and Useful Literature”, which sold the Bibles, collections of hymns, brochures, etc. The felt has also become the editor of the famous magazine of the Latvian Baptists Kristigs Wehstnesis, Christian Messenger.

Although the felt was primarily interested in evangelical services, he also opened the Aven-Hezer dining room and contained a hospital for sick members of his community. The felt of the House of the Gospel of the House of the Gospel, see his community provided material assistance to persons who fought with alcohol dependence. On Sunday, July 13, she was born in Grodno in an Orthodox family, but, being a university student, under the influence of Fetler turned to the gospel faith.The day of their marriage began with the morning worship, on which the Fethler preached, baptized five converts and made an evening to the Lord.

Saturated by such important priests, the meeting ended only at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The next ministry began at five o’clock, and at six o’clock in the evening a marriage took place. Four Baptist ministers gave the young spiritual instruction to the young, then the felt of the Fethler himself again, after which a festive feast lasted late. The next day, the newlyweds left for Riga, where another festive wedding evening took place in the Church of Calvary in the evening.

Barbara became a good assistant in her husband’s ministry, her help was especially valuable in the translation of Christian books and brochures from English into Russian. She became the mother of 13 children, without losing one of them. For the wedding of the metapers, see Christians in England, who supported the service of Fetler, were pleased with his successes and in the city of Fetler began to be called "superintendent in Russia." However, inside the Russian Empire, not all co -religionists supported the service of Fetler, especially the Latvian Baptists.

For example, those of them that lived in St. Petersburg complained that they did not receive payment from the Fetler for some construction work. Also, two Latvian Baptist pastors in Riga expressed dissatisfaction with the competition by Fetle-Ra, his emotional sermons, excessive impulsiveness and stubborn character. Wilhelm Fethler and Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov, the head of the gospel Christians in St.

Petersburg, although at first they cooperated with each other, then became rivals to some extent, and each of them had his own program of actions. The felt was an active defender of religious freedom and in the city, at the request of the co -religionists, Fethieler repeatedly petitioned the Russian Baptist communities to the tsarist government. He had the courage to protect the Baptists from false accusations.

Sometimes one, sometimes, together with the assistants, Feler turned to government authorities, expressing a protest against the discrimination of the Baptists in Russia. At times, he behaved so fearlessly with officials that some co -religionists even interpreted his behavior as impudence, or a manifestation of fanaticism. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church have repeatedly opposed the metler, his persecution began in the press.

From time to time, the authorities made various accusations against the metler, among which were quite serious and insignificant. The felt was arrested for an unresolved sermon in Moscow and then taken under police supervision for several years. This prompted the Fethler to borrow money from foreign Baptists and to go abroad in the city at the beginning of the city of Fethler was accused of slander for Orthodoxy.

When in November of the same year the felt was arrested, and he was threatened by a link to Siberia. Fearing for the health of his wife and a three -month -old son, Fethieler filed a petition for traveling abroad. According to the prayers of the community and the petition of some high-ranking friends, the request of the Fetler was satisfied. Visiting America, having lived in Sweden for five months, in May G.

Fetler arrived in the United States of America. Having received support from American Baptists, he began ministry among Russian emigrants, mainly in New York. In a short time, Fetler managed to form a Russian Baptist Union there. In addition, he helped at the base of the “Gospel Committee for Work among Russian Prisoners of War” and then became its leader. In January, Fetler also began the work of the dean at the Russian Biblical Institute in New York, shortly before this, founded by the American Baptist Society of the Internal Mission.

Upon learning of the changes in Russia in Russia, Fethler felt a great desire to return to his homeland. However, then his plans changed, and he decided to leave the post of Dean of the Institute and to establish an independent Russian biblical and educational institution in Philadelphia, as well as an implementation mission - the Russian missionary society.

During this period, Fethler accused the American Baptists of theological liberalism, which more and more bothered him, but could not achieve changes in the faithful documents of the Bible Institute in New York. In response to the Frighter’s reproaches, the superintendent of the American Baptist Society of the internal mission Charles Brooks said that the accusations of liberalism have no soil and that the true problem of the “inanimate character” of the prosecutor himself.

Apparently, Fetler’s actions were also caused by his disappointment that the US Northern Baptist Convention refused to support his plans for the evangelism of Russia, the corresponding appeal was made at a meeting of representatives of this organization in Cleveland. Having headed his own school, Fet-Ler cut off his ties with the leadership of the Northern Baptists and founded a new missionary organization instead of the Russian Gospel society, which previously supported it.Such changes meant that, as before in St.

Petersburg, he now gained the opportunity to act independently, regardless of denomination leaders, and he himself could manage his school and missionary society. At the same time, the felt was looking for support among the fundamentalists.