Veenwouden (Friesland, Netherlands)
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 Interior of Doopsgezinde Kerk, Veenwouden. Photo by A. J. (Ton) van der Wal. Source: Wikimedia Commons. |
Veenwouden (Feanwâlden), a village in the Dutch province of Friesland (coordinates: 53° 14' 14" N, 5° 59' 7" E), the seat of a Mennonite congregation of whose early history nothing is known, church records having been preserved only since 1790. Unlike most congregations in Friesland it did not join the Conference of Friesland when this was founded in 1695, but much later.
The congregation contributed a small amount to the needs of the Prussian Mennonites in 1738. Until 1829 it was served by lay preachers chosen from the membership, among whom were Wybe Aukes 1732-1770 and Gosse Hulsinga 1781-1829, who was the last lay preacher here. After four years of vacancy U. H. Jeeps was called from outside in 1833, but he died after only a few months. The first minister educated at the Amsterdam Mennonite Seminary to serve here was Hermannus Lambertus Bouman, pastor of Veenwouden 1834-1864.
About 1866 some members left the church because they were dissatisfied with the modernistic (liberal) preaching of Pastor van Calcar. A few of them returned to the church ca. 1880.
Blaupot ten Cate's view that the congregation was founded between 1600 and 1620 is without solid basis. Until 1860 it was usually called Veenwoudsterwal, because its old meetinghouse was found at "de Wal" somewhat east of the present village of Veenwouden. This meetinghouse was remodeled in 1806, but abandoned in 1816, when a new church, still in use, together with a parsonage, was built in town. This church was provided with an organ in 1895.
The pastor of Veenwouden is also in charge of the Kringen (groups) at Bergum, Giekerk, and Twijzel-Eestrum.
In the late 1950s church activities were a ladies' circle, a youth group 12-18 (Menniste Bouwers Federatie), youth group 18-25, and a Sunday school for children.
Bibliography
Cate, Steven Blaupot ten. Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Friesland. Leeuwarden: W. Eekhoff, 1839: 189, 248, 306.
Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1909): 61 f.
Nijdam, C. Het Nieuwe Huis. Bergum, 1916.
Additional Information
Congregation: Doopsgezinde Gemeente Veenwouden
Address: Zuiderweg 8, 9269 TZ Veenwouden, Netherlands
Telephone: +31(0)628413720
Church website: Doopsgezinde Gemeente Veenwouden
Denominational affiliation:
Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit
Doopsgezinde Gemeente Veenwouden Ministers
| Minister | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Wybe Aukes | 1732-1770 |
| Gosse Hulsinga | 1781-1829 |
| U. H. Jeeps | 1833 |
| Hermannus Lambertus Bouman | 1834-1864 |
| H. van Calcar | 1865-1880 |
| Willem Isaac Leendertz | 1881-1888 |
| K. R. Schuiling | 1889-1897 |
| S. D. A. Wartena | 1897-1902 |
| G. Heeringa | 1902-1912 |
| C. Nijdam | 1912-1926 |
| A. A. Sepp | 1926-1930 |
| B. H. Rudolphi | 1930-1935 |
| P. van der Meulen | 1935-1938 |
| A. J. van der Sluis | 1939-1946 |
| J. Krijtenburg | 1946-1951 |
| J. W. Hilverda | 1952- |
Doopsgezinde Gemeente Veenwouden Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1829 | 25 |
| 1861 | 49 |
| 1900 | 136 |
| 1926 | 160 |
| 1958 | 185 |
The baptized membership numbered 25 in 1829, 49 in 1861, 136 in 1900, 160 in 1926, 185 in 1958.
Maps
Map:Veenwouden (Friesland, Netherlands)
| Author(s) | Nanne van der Zijpp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Veenwouden (Friesland, Netherlands)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Veenwouden_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=125891.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1959). Veenwouden (Friesland, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Veenwouden_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=125891.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 802. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.