The Anabaptists were a radical Protestant Christian movement that emerged in 16th century Europe. They believed that baptism should only be administered to adult believers who have experienced a personal spiritual regeneration, rather than infant baptism. As a result of these beliefs, they were heavily persecuted by both Catholic and Lutheran authorities. Some key Anabaptist beliefs included discipleship as a daily walk, love expressed through pacifism and mutual aid, congregational church governance by believers, and a separation of church and state. They sought to return to their view of apostolic and New Testament Christianity.

1. RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP
THE ANABAPTIST
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2. THE FOUNDATION
• Anabaptist- (Neo Latin word Anabaptista) means
baptism over again. Christians from the radical
reformation of the 16th century Europe.
Considered to be Protestant in their beliefs, the
Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites are direct
descendants of this movement.
• They were given the name anabaptist by their
enemies for re-baptizing people again as adults
after they had been baptized as infants
(sprinkling).
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3. THE PERSECUTION BEGINS
• The city council of Zurich had that day ordered
the leaders of the Anabaptist Conrad Grebel and
Felix Manz to stop holding Bible classes. Parents
had also been warned to have their babies
baptized eight days after birth or be banished
from the territory.
• George Blaurock, a former priest, stepped over to
Conrad Grebel and asked him for baptism in the
apostolic fashion upon confession of personal
faith in Jesus Christ. The distant relatives of the
Anabaptist movement are the Quakers,
Congregationalists, Baptist Movement.
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4. BASIC BELIEFS OF ANABAPTIST
• The Anabaptist rejected all thoughts of “rebaptism”
because they never considered the ceremonial
sprinkling they received in infancy as valid baptism. The
fundamental issue was not baptism, it was the nature
of the church and its relation to civil governments.
• Their goal was the restitution of apostolic Christianity,
a return to churches of true believers. In the early
church they said, men and women who had
experienced personal spiritual regeneration were the
only fit subjects for baptism. Three groups were born 1.
Swiss Brethren led by Conrad Grebel & Felix Manz 2.
Hutterite brethren in Moravia 3. Mennonites in the
Netherlands and North Germany.
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5. RADICALS IN THE SWISS ALPS
• Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz were at first
supporters of the fledgling reformation in Zurich
led by Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531). Ulrich began to
preach sermons from the pulpit that motivated
his congregants to want to follow the New
Testament.
• The church had lost its spiritual power because it
was simply everybodies church. The crisis came
to a head on January 17, 1525, after hearing
arguments on both sides of the issue, the council
declared Zwingli the winner. Shortly after January
21 the first free church (free from state rule) was
born.
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6. RETURN TO OLD TESTAMENT LIFE-
STYLE
• Catholic and Lutheran fears of the Anabaptist
deepened suddenly in the mid 1530’s the
Munster rebellion. Munster was an episcopal city
in Westphalia near the Netherlands. In 1532 a
man named Jan Matthijs looked for the Lord’s
earthly kingdom in Munster.
• In the summer of 1534 a former innkeeper Jan of
Leiden seized the power of government, and
introduced the Old Testament practice of
polygamy and took the title King David.
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7. PIONEERS OF MODERN CHRISTIANITY
• John H. Yoder and Alan Kreider look to this early conference
for a summary of Anabaptist beliefs:
• 1. Discipleship: The Christian relationship with Jesus Christ
must go beyond inner experience and acceptance of
doctrines. It must be a daily walk.
• 2. Love: in their dealing with non-Anabaptist they acted as
pacifist. Love was also expressed within the Anabaptist
communities, in mutual aid, and redistribution of wealth.
• 3. Congregational View: all members were to be believers
baptized voluntarily upon confession of personal faith in
Christ. Decision making rested with the entire membership.
• 4. Separation of Church and State: Christians were free and
unforced, uncompelled people. Faith is a free gift of God.
The church is distinct from society, even if society claims to
be Christian. Believers have a right to worship with other
believers without the state approval.
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