Buitenpost, a village in the northeast of the Dutch province of Friesland (coordinates: 53° 15′ 0″ N, 6° 9′ 0″ E), where Leenaert Bouwens baptized about 14 persons 1568-1582. It is not certain that a congregation arose at that time, but soon after 1620 there was a congregation here. In 1742 a church was built here and dedicated by A. Wynada, preacher at Haarlem, in a sermon entitled David's liefde tot Gods huis, Leerrede over Ps. 26:8 (Amsterdam, 1743). In 1745 it united with the neighboring congregation at Kollum, and in 1835 it was dissolved; the remaining members (there were only six left) joined the church at Surhuisterveen. The congregation owned a church at that time, which was remodeled into a double house and rented out, as well as a capital of 2,800 guilders.

By 1953 there was a Mennonite group living in Buitenpost, consisting of about 20 members; they belonged to the Veenwouden congregation. They organized on 20 April 1957 as an independent congregation. In 1959 it had 57 baptized members; the pastor of Veenwouden was in charge. A meetinghouse, built by a group of Mennonite Voluntary Service workers, was dedicated on 1 December 1957.

Bibliography

Additional Information

Address: Julianalaan 12a, 9285 NB, Buitenpost, Netherlands

Website: Doopsgezinde Gemeente Buitenpost

Denominational Affiliation: Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, pp. 465-466; v. 4, p. 1142. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.