View source for Elten, Jan Godtschalks van (d. 1700)

Jan Godtschalks van Elten (Jan Godtschalcx) rendered invaluable service to the Mennonite congregation at [[Nijmegen (Gelderland, Netherlands)|Nijmegen]], in the Dutch province of [[Gelderland (Netherlands)|Gelderland]], which arose about 1635. In consequence of the decree of expulsion of 30 December 1652, he had emigrated from Gladbach in the [[Jülich (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)|Jülich]] region with his family in 1654, and on 11 April 1655, became a citizen of Nijmegen. He was a weaver. On11  July 1656, he was ordained deacon by [[Meer, Jan ter (1594-1672)|Jan ter Mehr]] of [[Krefeld (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany)|Krefeld]]. For a period of more than 40 years he served by reading sermons to the congregation, and especially by his management of the church capital, so that it contributed much to the thriving growth of the congregation. He died in 1700.
= Bibliography =
<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1874): 1 ff.; (1875): 68 ff.

Guyot, P. C. G. <em>Bijdrage tot de Gesch. der Doopsgezinden te Nijmegen</em>. Nijmegen, 1845: 61.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 563.
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