View source for Heyningen, Gerardus van (1716-1801)

Gerardus van Heyningen, born 11 January 1716 at [[Amsterdam (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Amsterdam]], died 3 January 1801 at Amsterdam, studied at the University at [[Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)|Utrecht]], where he obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1736, then studied at the [[Amsterdam Mennonite Theological Seminary (Kweekschool)|Amsterdam Mennonite Seminary]], was preacher of the [[Mennonite (The Name)|Mennonite]] congregations of Utrecht 1739-1758 and Amsterdam "[[Lamist Mennonite Church (Amsterdam, Netherlands)|bij 't Lam]]" 1758-1801. His colleague, H. Tichelaar, on 15 February 1801 delivered his funeral sermon on Revelation 14:13 b, <em>Lijkrede op G. v. Heyningen </em>(Amsterdam, 1801, with portrait). Van Heyningen was a very active and influential man in the Amsterdam congregation. He tried to promote the establishment of more [[Homes, Retirement and Nursing|old people's homes]]. He had some typical ideas: when the church board discussed projects such as the establishment of a school for the [[Poor, Care of|poor children]] of the Amsterdam congregation, such as was founded in Haarlem, van Heyningen opposed it and the school never came into being. On 19 May 1796 he wrote a letter to the church board announcing that henceforth no more [[Marriage|marriages]] should be performed in the [[Meetinghouses|meetinghouse]].

Van Heyningen was married to Maria de Heger of Utrecht. He stemmed from a prominent and well-to-do Dutch Mennonite family of Amsterdam, where they have been living since the early 17th century, while other members lived at Utrecht. Gerardus van Heyningen was the son of Gerrit van Heyningen (1688-1749) and Elisabeth de Clercq. Besides his doctor's thesis <em>De Mente Humana, </em>he published a funeral sermon on the death of his colleague and uncle, [[Leuvenig, Bartholemeus van (1691-1759)|Bartholomeus van Leuvenigh]]<em>: Lykrede </em>(Amsterdam, 1760).
= Bibliography =
<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen </em>(1868): 97; (1898): 20, 30 f.

Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. <em>Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: II, Nos. 754, 848, 963 f.

<em>Naamlijst der tegenwoordig in dienst zijnde predikanten der Mennoniten in de vereenigde Nederlanden.</em> (Amsterdam, 1802): 59.

Visscher, H. and L. A. van Langeraad. <em>Het protestantsche vaderland: biographisch woordenboek van protestantsche godgeleerden in Nederland, </em>8 vols.<em> </em>Utrecht, 1903-1918:<em> </em>IV, 12 f.
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