Video from Daine
Who was Menno Simons? (1496-1561) Founder of the Mennonite and Amish Brethren
"Menno Simons (1496-1561) was the founder of the Mennonite and Amish Brethren. But how did he become leader of this group? What were his beliefs? In this video, we will be covering Menno Simons conversion from the Catholic Priesthood to the Dutch Anabaptist brethren and his eventual leadership of the movement." from video introduction
Menno Simons 1496–1561
"The Fearless Pacifist
by Ryan Griffth
If you are familiar with the contemporary Mennonites, you may be surprised to learn that the group’s founder started as a Catholic priest who had never read the Bible.
A Priest Without the Bible
In 1524, at the age of 28, Menno Simons was ordained a priest of the Catholic Church in Utrecht, Netherlands. Although familiar with Greek and Latin and studied in Catholic doctrine, Simons had never read the Scriptures themselves. “I had not touched them during my life,” he later wrote, “for I feared if I should read them they would mislead me.”
In 1526, he began to question the truthfulness of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (the idea that the bread and wine transform into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist). Simons thought this doubt might be the devil deluding him, so he reluctantly began to study the Bible. While he could nowhere find the doctrine of transubstantiation, he discovered the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ! He began sharing his discoveries with others from the pulpit, propelling him to a place of regional prominence as an evangelical preacher..." from the article: Menno Simons 1496–1561