Menno Simons - Founder and Inspirer

Menno Simons (1496) was born in Witmarsum, Friesland, where he became the village pastor. He grew up at a perilous time for the unity of the Roman Catholic church. The purification of the church was widely discussed at the time and the reform-oriented parishioners, whom Menno Simons soon came into contact with, were the first to break their ties with the Roman Catholic church.

Baptized again
Menno Simons had been baptized as a child, but he was baptized again in 1535, and for him this amounted to a clear rift with the Roman Catholic church. As one of the most important leaders of the Anabaptist reform movement, Menno Simons had numerous followers, but due to persecution by the church, he had to leave Witmarsum. He then spent much of his life touring the entire German language area, with East Friesland continuing to be his main base.

Heritage
The range of Menno Simons' ideas was enormous. The core points included the notion of spiritual rebirth, i.e. intentional baptism at a later age, pacifism and integrity. Or in the words of Menno Simons, "The truly reborn do not shed blood, nor do they swear formal oaths. They are defenceless and their yes is yes." Menno Simons died in 1561, leaving ample writings behind as part of the legacy that still inspires Mennonites today.

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