View source for Geesteranus, Johannes (1586-1622)

Johannes Geesteranus, born 1586 at [[Alkmaar (Noord Holland, Netherlands)|Alkmaar]], a member of a Dutch family of which many members served the Reformed Church as pastors, was a Reformed pastor himself, serving at Vreeland 1609-1617?, and Alkmaar 1617?-1619. In this year he was dismissed on the charge of [[Socinianism|Socinianism]]. He soon joined the Rijnsburg Collegiant movement and was the first to receive [[Baptism|baptism]] by [[Immersion|immersion]] at Rijnsburg. He declined an appointment as rector (president) of the Socinian College at Rakow, [[Poland|Poland]]. After his dismissal he had made his living by weaving. When action was taken against the Socinians in the [[Netherlands|Netherlands]] Geesteranus settled at [[Norden (Ostfriesland, Germany)|Norden]], [[East Friesland (Niedersachsen, Germany)|East Friesland]], [[Germany|Germany]]. Here he met with two other ex-Reformed ministers, both also dismissed—his brother Petrus Geesteranus, and [[Camphuysen, Dirk Rafaelsz (ca. 1586-1626)|Dirk Rafaelsz Camphuysen]], to whom he was bound by a warm friendship. In 1622 Geesteranus, his wife, and his only son died of the plague at Norden. Geesteranus is said to have shared the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]] view that a Christian should not assume a government office.
= Bibliography =
<em class="gameo_bibliography">Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1883): 70.

Molhuysen, P. C. and  P. J. Blok. <em class="gameo_bibliography">Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek.</em> Leiden, 1911-1937: III, 190-192<em class="gameo_bibliography">.</em>
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 2, p. 444|date=1956|a1_last=Zijpp|a1_first=Nanne van der|a2_last= |a2_first= }}