Nes Mennonite Church (Ameland, Netherlands)
Nes, one of the three Mennonite churches on Ameland, a Dutch island in the North Sea, is smaller than the Hollum and larger than Ballum, the other congregations on the island. Leenaert Bouwens, who visited Ameland eight times, baptized only three in Nes, and those on his first journey, between 1551 and 1554. The Nes congregation belonged to a more lenient wing than the other two, and was therefore less interested in the stern Bouwens. In the division of 1557 between the stricter Flemish and Frisians on one hand and the more lenient Waterlanders on the other, the Nes congregation sided with the Waterlanders. In the 18th century this Waterlander congregation belonged to the Humsterland Societeit (see Groninger Doopsgezinde Societeit). In 1599 Jan Jacobs of Harlingen, who favored a stricter application of the ban, won some adherents at Nes, most of whom belonged to the Flemish group, but now turned to the Jan Jacobs faction.
For some unknown reason another division occurred in Nes probably about the middle of the 17th century, which led to the founding of the Foppe Onesor Laus Ooms congregation. In 1804 the Foppe Ones and Jan Jacobsz congregations united.
In 1854 a union was formed with the Waterlanders, the resulting congregation being called the Ameland Mennonite Church. It included the Mennonites of Hollum and Ballum and was served by two preachers, one of whom had to live in Nes. In 1883 the Ameland congregation was divided into two independent congregations, viz., Hollum-Ballum and Nes. From that time until 1930 Nes had its own preacher, G. E. Frerichs, serving from 1878 in the Ameland congregation, and 1883-1884 only in Nes. Then the pulpit was vacant until it was filled by J. B. du Bury 1895-1902, Menno Huizinga, Jr., 1902-1908, W. Leendertz 1909-1922, Miss M. T. Gerritsma 1923-26, and J. A. P. Bijl 1926-30. After a vacancy of three years Nes united with Hollum and Ballum for ministerial services. Nes had a membership of 84 in 1898, and 40 in 1956. The church used is still the "Blue Barn" of the Waterlander group. An organ was installed in 1896.
Bibliography
Gorter, K.S. "Oit de vroegere geschiedenis der Doopsgezinde gemeenten op Ameland." Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1889): 1-50; (1890): 1-30; (1897): 250.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 204.
Reliwiki. "Nes, Vermaningspad 1 - Doopsgezinde Kerk." 11 January 2014. Web. 19 October 2014. http://reliwiki.nl/index.php/Nes,_Vermaningspad_1_-_Doopsgezinde_Kerk.
Additional Information
Congregation: Federatie Doopsgezind Gereformeerd Ameland: Nes
Address: Vermaningspad 1, 9163 JD Nes, Netherlands
Church website: Federatie Doopsgezind Gereformeerd Ameland: Nes
Denominational affiliation:
Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit
Map
Map:Federatie Doopsgezind Gereformeerd Ameland: Nes
| Date Published | 1957 |
|---|---|
Cite This Article
MLA style
, . "Nes Mennonite Church (Ameland, Netherlands)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Nes_Mennonite_Church_(Ameland,_Netherlands)&oldid=145930.
APA style
, . (1957). Nes Mennonite Church (Ameland, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Nes_Mennonite_Church_(Ameland,_Netherlands)&oldid=145930.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 823-824. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.