Church Letters

Church Letters to certify that a member has been baptized and is a member in good standing in a congregation are used in Mennonite churches, usually for the purpose of transferring membership from one congregation to another. It can be assumed that this practice dates back to the first centuries, particularly among the congregations of Dutch, Prussian, or Russian background. Sometimes the church letters consisted of a printed form filled out by the elder. Numerous letters have been preserved, particularly those of the immigrants of 1874. Some Mennonite groups, notably the Mennonite Church (MC), also issue "conference letters" to ministers who transfer to other conferences.

See also Church Seals

Author(s)	Cornelius Krahn
Date Published	1959

Cite This Article

MLA style

Krahn, Cornelius. "Church Letters." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Church_Letters&oldid=79613.

APA style

Krahn, Cornelius. (1959). Church Letters. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Church_Letters&oldid=79613.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1072. All rights reserved.

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