Menno Simons (1496-1561)

Menno Simons, in full Menno Simonszoon, was born in Witmarsum, Friesland (Netherlands). He was a Dutch priest and an early leader of the peaceful wing of Dutch Anabaptism. His followers formed the Mennonite church.

At an early age Menno was enrolled in a monastic school. He learned Latin and some Greek. In March 1524 , aged 28, he was ordained at Utrecht and assigned a parish at Pingjum. 7 years later he became the village priest in his home parish at Witmarsum.

In his first year he questioned the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. Up to this point he had avoid reading the Bible for fear he would be adversely influenced by it. He started to read both the Bible and writings of Martin Luther.

By 1528 he was known as an evangelical preacher, but he had continued as a parish priest.

He began to question infant baptism. He came to the conclusion that only persons of mature faith should be baptized. The experience of conversion came to be central to all of Menno’s life and theology.

On 7th April, 1535 Olde Klooster near Bolsward , fell to the onslaught of the State Militia. Munster then fell on 25th July. In January 1536 he went into hiding after a spiritual struggle of 11 years.

He spent a year in hiding, seeking to find a sense of direction for his future work. He wrote *The Spiritual Resurrection, THe New Birth, and Meditations on the 25th psalm *.

Late 1936/early 1937 he received a believer’s baptism and ordained. He was called to leadership by the peaceful Anabaptist group founded by Obbe Philips in 1534. Menno married Gertrude - they had at least 3 children

From this time in his life he was in constant danger as a heretic. 100 guilders reward for his arrest.

1543/4 he worked in East Friesland. 1544/6 spent in the Rhineland. 1546/61 he travelled from his home base in Holstein, near north east of Hamburg.

25 years after his renunciation of Catholicism Memmo died on31st January 1561. He was buried in his garden in Wustenfelde, Holstein.

Menno’s influence on Anabaptism was so great in the low countries- Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg that William Estep, a Baptist historian, said that their history was divided into 3 parts - before Menno, under Menno and after Menno. He established a viable Radical Reformation movement.

Included definition of Anabaptism and where it ‘sits’ with other Christian faiths.

Sources used
Britannica Online Encyclopedia
wikipedia
Great Leaders of the Christian Church