(See also "Schleitheim Confession")

A movement beginning on 21 January 1525 in the house of Felix Manz by men who believed that the Christian Church of the New Testament was not dictated by the secular government, i.e. separation of Church and State. Called Anabaptists by their opponents because they "re-baptized" believers, holding that baptism followed confession of personal faith in Christ, not something one does to infants to keep them saved. Their goal was the restitution of apostolic Christianity, a return to churches of true believers.

[tags]Anabaptists, BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Felix-Manz, history, Schleitheim-Confession[/tags]

In the early 1500's, surviving as bands of outlaws in Switzerland, Moravia and the Netherlands, the Anabaptist groups had little opportunity to coordinate their evangelistic efforts or to give united expression to their beliefs. On one important occasion, however, in 1527 they did attempt to agree upon a common basis of fellowship at Schleitheim on today's Swiss-German border, near Schaffhausen. There the Anabaptists met in the first "synod" of the Protestant Reformation. The "Brotherly Union" adopted at Schleithein proved to be a highly significant document. We call it the Schleitheim Confession. During the next decade, most Anabaptists in all parts of Europe came to agree with the beliefs it laid down.

First among these convictions was what the Anabaptists called "discipleship". The Christian's relationship with Jesus Christ must go beyond inner experience and acceptance of doctrines. It must involve a daily walk with God, in which Christ's teaching and