Vermaner
Vermaner, a former Dutch Mennonite name for a minister not holding the full office of an elder or bishop (oudste and leeraer tot den vollen dienst). The vermaner or admonisher was charged to preach and admonish but not to baptize. The Dutch also used the term prediker (preacher) for the same office, and in modern times the term predikant. That "vermaner" came into use would indicate that the early Dutch Mennonites emphasized strongly that duties of a minister consist not only in preaching the Word of God but also in admonishing the individual members to live a consecrated life. Not by accident did they coin this term; it was deeply anchored in their basic Christian convictions. The term is borrowed from II Peter 1:12 "I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things" which is read in the Old Dutch Bible versions "to admonish (vermanen) you always about these things." (Doopsgezinde Bijdragen 1872, 77.) The title "vermaner" also used by the Danzig Mennonites disappeared during the 17th century in the period of adjustment to the environment. (See also Ministry, Netherlands.)
Bibliography
Mannhardt, H. G. Die Danziger Mennoniten-Gemeinde. Danzig, 1919: 106.
| Author(s) | Cornelius Krahn |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Krahn, Cornelius. "Vermaner." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vermaner&oldid=85731.
APA style
Krahn, Cornelius. (1959). Vermaner. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vermaner&oldid=85731.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 815. All rights reserved.
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