Mennonite Church in the Netherlands
The
Mennonite Church in the Netherlands, or
Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit, is a body of
Mennonite Christians in the
Netherlands.
Anabaptism appears in the Netherlands (Holland) by
1530, when Melchior Hoffman (1495-1543) visited Emden in
East Friesland. While there, Hoffman baptized over a hundred adults who converted to Anabaptism. The Mennonites (or Mennisten) are named for
Menno Simons (1496-1561), a Dutch
Roman Catholic priest who converted to Anabaptism around
1536. He was baptized in
1537 and became part (and soon leader) of the Dutch Anabaptist movement.
The Mennonite Church in the Netherlands is a member of the Mennonite World Conference and in 2003 had 11,000 members in 123 congregations.¹
Official Web Site
Footnote
- 1. source = 2003 Europe Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches, Mennonite World Conference Web Site