View source for Derks, Alle (1670-1733)

Alle Derks, born 16 June 1670 in [[Meeden (Groningen, Netherlands)|Meeden]], and died 24 April 1733, was the son of the Mennonite elder [[Alles, Derk (1639-1711)|Derk Alles]]. In 1699 he was ordained a preacher of the [[Groningen Old Flemish Mennonites|Groningen Old Flemish]] by his father, and after his father's death he was ordained to the eldership by Jan Kriens. He took an active interest in aiding the Mennonite refugees from Switzerland. From [[Amsterdam (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Amsterdam]], where the boats from Switzerland landed on 3 August 1711, he conducted 126 persons to Groningen, and found homes for them in the city and vicinity. As a member of the [[Fonds voor Buitenlandsche Nooden (Dutch Relief Fund for Foreign Needs) |Dutch Committee for Foreign Needs]], he did much for the Mennonites expelled from [[Lithuania|Lithuania]] in 1724-1726. Several times he was able to send them large amounts of money collected by the Groningen Old Flemish Mennonites in the [[Netherlands|Netherlands]]. In 1726 he forwarded to the preachers of the [[Culm (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)|Culm]] district, whither a number of the Lithuanians had moved, 200 copies of the New Testament and many hymn books. Many letters and records written by or sent to Alle Derks, dealing with the needs of the Swiss and the Lithuanian-Prussian Mennonites, are found in the [[Amsterdam Mennonite Library (Bibliotheek en Archief van de Vereenigde
Doopsgezinde Gemeente te Amsterdam)|Archives of the Mennonite congregation at Amsterdam]]. In 1733 he visited the Groningen Old Flemish congregations in Prussia and [[Poland|Poland]] to administer baptism and communion, and to ordain elders. In 1713 he came in conflict with the government because he baptized a Reformed youth. All the police magistrates received the order to seize him and to close all meeting places of the Mennonites; but he remained fearlessly at his post. He published the new edition of the [[Biestkens Bible|Biestkens Bible]] and wrote hymns. He edited the songbook, <em>Lusthof des gemoets </em>(Groningen, 1732), which was followed by an <em>Agterhofje. </em>This book was reprinted in 1736 with an appendix
= Bibliography =
Cate, Steven Blaupot ten. <em>Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Groningen, Overijssel en Oost-Friesland</em>, 2 vols. Leeuwarden: W. Eekhoff en J. B. Wolters, 1842: I, 130, 137, 143, 158, 183; II, 54; 

<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen </em>(1900): 5, 96.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em> Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 415.            

Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. <em>Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: I, No. 1094, 1368, 1575.       

Hulshoff, Hendrik Christian. <em>Bijdragen en mededeelingen van het Historisch Genootschap</em>. Utrecht : Broekhoff N.V. v h Kemink en Zoon, 1938: 33, 37, 41, 74.
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 2, p. 39|date=1956|a1_last=Vos|a1_first=Karel|a2_last=van der Zijpp|a2_first=Nanne}}