North Suburban Mennonite Church| Libertyville, Illinois

The Mennonites are a group of Christian denominations with origins in Europe during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the 1520s, a small group who had been meeting together for Bible study and prayer decided to form a church based upon their belief that adults should be baptized upon their confession of faith, hence the name “Anabaptist.” Renounced by other churches and the state for their refusal to fight, thousands of early Anabaptists were persecuted and martyred for their beliefs. Michael Sattler articulated the seven articles of Anabaptist faith and practice in the Schleitheim Confession, dated February 1527.

In 1536, a Catholic priest named Menno Simons joined the group of Anabaptists and became one of their leaders. Originally a nickname, the term “Mennonite” persisted as the name for this particular group of Anabaptists. Today, Mennonites number over one million and can be found in about 60 countries around the world.

God is known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Creator who seeks to restore fallen humanity by calling a people to be faithful in fellowship, worship, service and witness. As Mennonites, we take a strong stance on living and encouraging a life of peace and the promotion of nonviolent resolutions to conflict.

To learn more about Mennonites and Anabaptists, a useful site is Third Way Café. Other Mennonite sites have links on our Resources page.