View source for Frerichs, Geert Elias (1836-1906)

[[File:FrerichsGE.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''G. E. Frerichs. Source:

Doopsgezind Jaarboekje (1908)'']]     Geert Elias Frerichs, a Dutch Mennonite pastor, born 24 November 1836 at Rake, [[East Friesland (Niedersachsen, Germany)|East Friesland]], [[Germany|Germany]], deceased 22 December 1906 at Helpman, near [[Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands)|Groningen]] in the [[Netherlands|Netherlands]], was at first a sailor. At the age of 14 he intended to go into mission work, but afterwards decided on the ministry. He was trained by Jan Pol, Mennonite minister of [[Norden (Ostfriesland, Germany)|Norden]], East Friesland, and at the [[Amsterdam Mennonite Theological Seminary (Kweekschool)|Amsterdam Mennonite Theological Seminary]]. Becoming a ministerial candidate in 1861, he served the following Dutch congregations: [[Hoorn (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Hoorn]] on the island of [[Texel (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Texel]] 1861-1863, [[Warns (Friesland, Netherlands)|Warns]] 1863-1878, [[Nes Mennonite Church (Ameland, Netherlands)|Nes]] on the island of [[Ameland (Friesland, Netherlands)|Ameland]] 1878-1884, [[Oudebildtzijl (Friesland, Netherlands)|Oudebildtzijl]] 1884-1890, and [[Borne  (Overijssel, Netherlands)|Borne]] 1890-1901, in which year he resigned. He was well versed in Mennonite history and published a number of papers; in [[Doopsgezinde Bijdragen|<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em>]] 1874 the history of the congregation of Warns, in <em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> 1905 a paper on "Menno's taal" (the language [[Menno Simons (1496-1561)|Menno Simons]] used), and in <em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> 1906 on Menno Simons' residence in the first years after he had left the Roman Catholic Church. Frerichs' manual for catechetical instruction, entitled <em>De godsdienst in het menschenhart en in de menschenwereld</em>, was formerly much used (1st edition, St-Anna-Parochie, 1890; 2d edition, 1899). The 3d edition of this manual was published 1905 in four separate booklets: (1)  <em>Waarom zijn wij godsdienstig?</em> (2) <em>Waarom zijn wij Christen?</em> (3) <em>Waarom zijn wij Protestant?</em> (4) <em>Waarom zijn wij Doopsgezind?</em>

Other publications apart from a large number of articles in the Dutch Mennonite weekly [[Zondagsbode, De|<em>De Zondagsbode</em>]], were: <em>Leer van den Christelijken Godsdienst</em> (St-Anna-Parochie, 1885); <em>Vragen ter voorbereiding van het Lidmaatschap in de Doopsgezinde gemeente</em> (St-Anna-Parochie, 1886, reprinted 1888, 1891, 1901; <em>Vroege Vroomheid</em> (St-Anna-Parochie, 1886, reprinted 1888, 1893); <em>De beteekenis van Menno Simons voor onze Broederschap</em> (Amsterdam, 1893).

Pastor Frerichs introduced the use of private communion cups instead of the general cup in Borne in 1896.

His son J. G. Frerichs, born 1880 at Nes, Ameland, was the Mennonite minister at [[Ternaard (Friesland, Netherlands)|Ternaard]] 1906-1914, [[Staveren (Friesland, Netherlands)|Staveren]]-[[Molkwerum (Friesland, Netherlands)|Molkwerum]] 1914-1921, [[Aardenburg (Zeeland, Netherlands)|Aardenburg]] 1921-1927, [[Zaandam (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)|Zaandam-Oost]] 1927-1932, and Haarlem 1932-1946. In 1946 he retired.
= Bibliography =
<em>Doopsgezinde Bijdragen</em> (1907): 186-188.

<em>Doopsgezind Jaarboekje</em> (1908): 21-30 with portrait of Geert Elias Frerichs.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em>Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>, 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 701.

Visscher, H. and L. A. van Langeraad. <em>Het protestantsche vaderland: biographisch woordenboek van protestantsche godgeleerden in Nederland, </em>8 vols.<em> </em>Utrecht, 1903-1918: III, 129-130.
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