1. Menno Simons' Conversion and Baptism The native land of Menno Simons is the province of Friesland in the Netherlands (sometimes spoken of as West Friesland to distinguish it from East Friesland which is a part of Germany). His family name was in his mother tongue written Simonsz which stands for Simonszoon, i.e. son of Simon. Concerning his parents, youth,

2. Menno Simons' Call to the Ministry and Ordination Menno Simons renounced the national church on January 30, 1536 . He seems to have left Witmarsum about the same time. At the place where he was so well known and where his conversion caused not a little stir, he felt doubtless the least secure. In the autumn of the same

3. The Anabaptists In the period of the Reformation a few Christian denominations defended and practiced the baptism of believers on the confession of faith: They were by their opponents called Anabaptists (re-baptizers) because they did not recognize infant baptism as valid and re-baptized those who had been "christened" in their infancy. Other denominations maintained the practice of infant baptism

4. Menno Simons' Motives, Aims, and Endeavours His Own Testimony: "I seek and desire from my heart nothing (this He knows who knows all things) but that the glorious name, the divine will and the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ may be made known throughout the world." "And although our persecutors say that we withdraw from them out of

5. Menno's Labours in the Netherlands Before the end of the year 1536 we find Menno in East Friesland , Germany: Peter Jans of Blanckenham, who was beheaded in June 1540 at Kampen, testified that he was baptized by Menno Simons in 1536 at Oldersum in East Friesland. Presumably Menno returned soon to Groningen or West Friesland: On January 8,

6. The Difficulties In Which Menno Simons Worked HIS OWN TESTIMONY "Yes, dear reader, the true Christian faith, as the Scripture requires, is so living, active and powerful with all those who through the grace of the Lord have rightly received it, that they, for the word and testimony of the Lord, do not hesitate to forsake father and mother,

7. Menno's Flight to Germany and Works in the Electorate of Cologne In the year 1543 Menno Simons left his fatherland - the Netherlands - to go to Northwest Germany : The empire of Germany was divided into many states, each of which had its own ruler whose relation to the emperor was somewhat similar to that of a governor

8. From the Flight from Cologne to the Discussions at Wismar From the Electorate of Cologne Menno went in 1546 to Holstein (contemporary Schleswig-Holstein) in Northwest Germany. In this province his family seems to have lived until the end of his life. The place of their sojourn in the first years after their flight from Cologne is not known; later

9. Menno Simons' Relation to the State-Church Reformation Menno Simons believed the Reformation in so far as it was identified with the state-churchism to be superficial and inadequate and its principles partly unscriptural. Both Luther (in Germany) and Zwingli (in Switzerland), the leading reformers, in the first period of their reformatory endeavours advocated the voluntary principle and liberty of conscience.