Proefdienaar
This former Dutch Mennonite term proefdienaar was used in two different senses: (a) When a member of a congregation was chosen as preacher or deacon he was frequently "beproeft" (examined) by the elder(s) who were present concerning his views on the basic principles and doctrines of the church, and asked whether he was willing to accept the call. If the examination was satisfactory, he was called a "proefdienaar" and after a longer or shorter interval he preached his installation sermon. This practice existed, for example, on the island of Ameland until the middle of the 19th century. (b) In a somewhat different sense the word is found in the congregation of Leiden and other Dutch congregations, where a chosen candidate had to "in de proeve staan," that is, he was obliged to deliver two or three or even more sermons to show his capacities in speaking and expounding the Scriptures, and was during this period called a "proefdienaar."
Bibliography
Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1889): 28-30.
| Author(s) | Nanne van der Zijpp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Proefdienaar." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Proefdienaar&oldid=109301.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1959). Proefdienaar. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Proefdienaar&oldid=109301.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 221. All rights reserved.
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