Middelstum (Groningen, Netherlands)
Middelstum, a village in the Dutch province of Groningen (coordinates: 53.34708, 6.64163 [53° 20′ 49″ N, 6° 38′ 29″ E]). Close to Middelstum was the castle of the Ewsum family, to which half of the land of Groningen belonged, and which was favorable to the Anabaptists. Christoffer van Ewsum was undoubtedly one of them. The Middelstum congregation belonged to the Groningen Old Flemish branch; in 1710 it numbered about 50 members, in 1767, 20. In 1783 a merger was effected of the Middelstum, Westeremden, and Huizinge congregations. A new church was built in Huizinge in 1815. The membership was 36 at the time. In 1863 the church in Huizinge was sold and a new church with a parsonage was built in Middelstum, where the congregation had an almshouse from early times (sold in 1890). Until 1865 the congregation was usually called Huizinge and Westeremden, later always Middelstum. The baptized membership was 68 in 1861, 74 in 1900, 37 in 1957. Since the church and parsonage have been established at Middelstum it has been served by J. Hoekstra 1856-1874, J. F. Bakker 1875-1877, C. Leendertz 1878-1908. In 1911-1926 the congregation was served by Karel Vos, the noted historian, who wrote numerous articles" for the Mennonitisches Lexikon. After his death the pastorate was vacant. Services were conducted by J. M. Vis of Noordbroek 1928-1945; in 1946 an agreement was reached with Leermens-Loppersum to have its pastor also serve at Middelstum.
Old Mennonite families found in and around Middelstum are van der Molen, Gaaikema, Doornbosch, Wiersema, Noordhoff, and particularly Huizinga. Many members of the Huizinga family have served the Middelstum congregation as lay preachers. Middelstum is important in Mennonite history because of a meeting held here on 18-22 September 1628 to consider the offer of reconciliation made by the Frisians to the Flemish. The irreconcilable attitude of the Flemish Elder Jan Luies prevented the adoption of the agreement, and caused the rise of the Groningen Old Flemish branch.
Bibliography
Cate, Steven Blaupot ten. Geschiedenis der Doopsgezinden in Groningen, Overijssel en Oost-Friesland, 2 vols. Leeuwarden: W. Eekhoff en J. B. Wolters, 1842: 1 and II, passim.
Doopsgezind Jaarboekje (1840): 43, 52.
Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1864): 169; (1879): 5, 86.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 133.
Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: I, No. 558 V.
Molhuysen, P. C. and P. J. Blok. Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek. v. 1-10. Leiden, 1911-1937: III, 797 f.
Vos, Karel. "Doopsgezinde familien onder Middelstum." Groningsche Volksalmanali (1921): 95-115.
Additional Information
Congregation: Samenwerkingsverband van Doopsgezinde Gemeenten in Noord- en West Groningen: Middelstum
Address: Trekweg 27, 9991 AN Middelstum, Netherlands
Church website: Samenwerkingsverband van Doopsgezinde Gemeenten in Noord- en West Groningen: Middelstum
Denominational affiliation:
Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit
Map
Map:Middelstum, Groningen, Netherlands
| Author(s) | Nanne van der Zijpp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Middelstum (Groningen, Netherlands)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Middelstum_(Groningen,_Netherlands)&oldid=125625.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1957). Middelstum (Groningen, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Middelstum_(Groningen,_Netherlands)&oldid=125625.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 680. All rights reserved.
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