VOL XXXII, NO. 1 - MARCH 2006 The Strange ‘Affair’ of the Caobo Company and its Plan to Take over the Molochna .FOOPOJUF By David Sudermann t Christmas, 2005, “Caobo Com- Apany,” a small real-estate investment enterprise recently incorporated in Delaware, mailed out 15,000 copies of a handsome color prospectus: “Caobo )JTUPSJBO (Word) Company: A Plan for the Restitution and Development of the Mennonite Lands of Ukraine.” Most of "16#-*$"5*0/0'5)&.&//0/*5&)&3*5"(&$&/53&BOE5)&$&/53&'03.#456%*&4*/$"/"%" this mailing landed on the doorsteps of Canadians of Russian Mennonite background. In Russian the word for “affair,” aphera, means “swindle, trickery.” Whether trickery or not, the Caobo plan is wonderfully ambitious and speculative. The company hopes to sell one-million dollars worth of its unregistered stock in $1000 increments solely to Mennonites. This modest kitty would provide the “seed” capital for the company to repossess 500,000 acres of Molochna farmland and develop it for profit. In a review of the stock offering’s legality is now underway. Since the scheme involves reclaiming former Mennonite lands as a unique kind of “restitution,” or restorative justice, it is of special interest to Mennonite historians and ethicists. Workers of Burnaby Pacific Grace Chinese Church: Louise Lau (secretary), Sabrina Bach, Enoch Yim, James Ip, Soo Jin Ahn (interim pastor). When the Pacific Grace MB Church A few facts regarding Molochna became overcrowded, a second congregation was begun in Burnaby in 1990. Today it has Located southeast of Zaporozh’e over 160 members. (Chortitza-Alexandrovsk), the Molochna Mennonite settlement was the largest in The Growth of Chinese Mennonite Brethren Russia. Settlers began arriving in 1804, and by 1860 it consisted of fifty-seven Churches in Canada villages and three khutors (estates). Not by Joseph Kwan and edited by Ken Reddig counting the estates, total acreage came to about 324,000 acres (120, 000 he Chinese community in western The railway was completed in 1885 dessiatinii). The total acreage owned by TCanada traces its beginnings to less and once the railway was constructed the Mennonites in the region, if all of the than a decade after the coming of the first federal government moved swiftly to limit estates are counted, would easily have Mennonites from Russia. Chinese were Chinese immigration by imposing a $50 exceeded 500,000 acres. By the early brought to Canada in 1883 as immigrant ‘head tax’ on subsequent immigrants. The 1900s the Molochna and surrounding labourers to help build the first trans- subsequent loss of jobs once the railway Mennonite estates had become a region of continental railroad—the Canadian was completed led to a Chinese migration flourishing farms, flour mills, and other Pacific Railway. Some 6,500 Chinese into the cities and also the countryside. small to medium-size businesses. Schools were brought to Canada for this task. Results of this can be seen even today as and health care were among the best in Even though numerous Chinese lost their it is hard to travel anywhere on the Russia. A new rail line began to move lives during the construction of the western prairies where a small town does freight and passengers through the area in railway, the community endured and not have one or two Chinese restaurants 1912. If social democracy had taken root remained highly resilient in the face of and a small group of Chinese business in Russia and WW I had been avoided, general hostility to their very presence. In people. Adaptation into the business the Molochna was poised for rapid fact it was argued at the time that community of western Canada happened economic growth. That prospect vanished “Chinese would not assimilate and if they relatively quickly, though socially and in February 1918 as the Bolshevik did they would represent a lower standard culturally the pace was much slower. revolution finally arrived in Halbstadt, of civilization.” (Bumsted p. 162-163) (cont’d on p.2) (cont’d on p. 10) Page 2 Chinese MB Churches increased numbers. In 1974, a Chinese Membership jumped from 155 in 1987 to (cont’d from p. 1) department within the mission was 240 in 1989. The deacons tried frantically While the story of Chinese Mennonite established, with meetings conducted in to find a bigger meeting place, but no Brethren has its roots within some of Cantonese. In 1977, the English services appropriate site was found. To these early Chinese immigrants, the were discontinued, and the church temporarily alleviate the overcrowding congregations are composed formally changed its name to Pacific problem, the church moved to two Sunday predominantly of a more recent Grace Chinese Church. Some English- worship services. Keynes Kan joined the immigration. The story of this rapidly speaking Christians stayed behind until staff in 1988, and Valerie Yiu in 1989, expanding community of churches begins 1983 to help the church develop and to and Yiu began an English worship service with a mission venture that did not even teach in the children’s Sunday school. It is for English-speaking Chinese youth. Not have the Chinese community in mind interesting to note that just as the content to just focus their efforts in when it first began. It was a “skid-row” Mennonites from Russia experienced Canada, the church also had a vision mission, as it was then called, among the difficulties with language transition, so beyond the shores of North America. poor and minorities living within the inner too there was not unanimity within the Associate pastor Miller Zhuang was sent city of Vancouver. Begun by Henry G. Chinese community in their struggle with to Venezuela, and two Chinese churches Klassen, from Aberdeen, Saskatchewan, the transition from Chinese to English. were established there. This became their he engaged in street meetings in (Penner, p. 136) first international outreach as a Vancouver in about 1952. This ministry The first few years were full of trials community of believers. eventually developed into the Pacific for the church. Henry Klassen had invited As the membership continued to grow Grace Mission, featuring a growing Li Him-Wor (Paul Li) from Hong Kong to and space became more of a pressing Sunday School attended by many lead the Chinese department, but Li concern, the leaders had a vision for children. By 1957 some 200 children were passed away suddenly in 1975. The developing new congregations. In 1990, a attending and the mission was conducting second Chinese pastor, Chu Yu-Man branch congregation, Burnaby Pacific worship services, street meetings and (Eddie Chu), soon left for further studies, Grace Chinese Church, was established. weekly home visitations. Eventually the and the church was without a pastor for South Pacific Grace MB Church was group became so large that they had to two years. For a time, Chan Chung-Ton established in southern Vancouver in build their own chapel to accommodate (Stephen Chan) helped lead Bible study March 1995. the people. Over the years more and more classes and preached during the Sunday As the number of new immigrants from of the regular attendees were Chinese. worship services. Hong Kong declined after 1997, Pacific By the fall of 1972, there were 22 In 1980, Wong Cheung-Ho (Enoch Grace changed direction. In 1999 Chinese attendees, and by 1973 they Wong) arrived to pastor the church, and simultaneous translation for Mandarin- asked to meet separately due to their the church once again thrived. Because speaking Chinese was added to the the Chinese predominated in the worship services. Mennonite Historian is published by the community, the congregation was able to Although Pacific Grace MB Church Mennonite Heritage Centre of Mennonite emerge and assume responsibility for was the first Chinese MB Church to be Church Canada and the Centre for Mennonite evangelizing within its own community. It established, the first Chinese MB church Brethren Studies of the Canadian Conference was also during this time that a large that was registered with the government of Mennonite Brethren Churches. number of refugees fled Indo-China, was Bethel Chinese Christian MB particularly Vietnam. Mennonite Central Church, established in 1978 by the B.C. Editor: Alf Redekopp (MHC) Committee had developed an agreement MB Conference Board of Church Ken Reddig (CMBS) with the Federal government, and through Extension under the leadership of David the assistance of many church groups Poon. Sixty-two people attended the first Associate Editor: Conrad Stoesz (CMBS/MHC) across Canada, these refugees were worship service in the former location of assisted in beginning new lives in Canada. Fraserview MB Church in Vancouver. In All correspondence and manuscripts should be Some found their way into this emerging January 1979, the church moved to the sent to the editorial offices at: church. The church was officially new Fraserview MB Church location in 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. registered in 1981, and the membership nearby Richmond, B.C. and in February Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4 grew from 20–30 members to 105 in to the facilities of Richmond Bethel (MB) P: 204-888-6781 1983. Three members of the church Church. The church was formally E: [email protected] entered Bible College, including Zhuang registered on July 29, with 31 charter W: www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives Jian (Miller Zhuang), who later joined the members, including four who were newly or 1310 Taylor Avenue, pastoral staff in 1987. baptized. It officially joined the B.C. MB Winnipeg, MB R3M 3Z6 Enoch Wong retired in 1987 due to Conference in 1980, becoming the first P: 204-669-6575 health reasons and was succeeded by registered Chinese MB church in North E: [email protected] David Chan. Due to worries over the America.
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