Following Jesus Through the Centuries

Christianity began as a movement of people transformed by Jesus Christ. The earliest believers gathered in homes, shared life together, and practiced Jesus’ teachings—especially love, forgiveness, grace, and peace. Their faith was voluntary, rooted in discipleship, and expressed through community.

As the church grew, it spread across the Roman Empire. In the fourth century, Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine. This brought stability, but it also changed the church’s character: baptism became automatic, faith became cultural, and the church became closely tied to political power.

Across the centuries, many Christians longed for renewal—a return to the simplicity and Christ‑centered life of the early church.

The Reformation and the Birth of the Anabaptists

In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation challenged many church traditions. Amid this movement, a small group of believers in Zurich, Switzerland felt called to deeper renewal. They believed the church should reflect the New Testament more closely—voluntary faith, believer’s baptism, and a community shaped by Jesus’ teachings.

On January 21, 1525, Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock upon his confession of faith. This moment marked the beginning of the Anabaptist movement.

Anabaptists emphasized: 

• Faith as a personal decision
• Baptism for believers
• A church free from state control
• Living the way of Jesus daily
• Peace, reconciliation, and enemy‑love

Their opponents called them Anabaptists (“rebaptizers”), though they believed they were simply restoring the practices of the early church.

Early Confessions and Shared Convictions

In 1527, Swiss Anabaptist leaders gathered and adopted the Schleitheim Confession, outlining practices that shaped their communities:

• Believer’s baptism
• A disciplined, accountable church
• Separation from worldly power
• Refusal to take oaths
• Nonviolence and peace

These convictions continue to guide Anabaptist churches today.

Persecution and Faithful Witness

Because Anabaptists rejected infant baptism and refused to swear loyalty oaths, both Protestant and Catholic authorities persecuted them. Many were imprisoned or executed. Their stories are preserved in the Martyrs Mirror, a collection of Christian martyr accounts.

Despite suffering, the movement grew across Europe. Communities formed around shared discipleship, mutual aid, and simple living. Some groups—like the Hutterites—developed communal living as an expression of New Testament fellowship.

Anabaptists Today

Anabaptist descendants include:

• Mennonites
• Amish
• Hutterites
• Brethren in Christ
• Church of the Brethren
• Bruderhof

Across traditions, Anabaptists continue to emphasize three core essentials, articulated by Palmer Becker:

1. Jesus is the center of our faith.

2. Community is the center of our life.

3. Reconciliation is the center of our work.

These essentials shape our worship, service, and mission at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship.