The Kanselboek was the liturgical manual of the Dutch Mennonites, drawn up by a committee appointed by the Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit of which S. H. N. Gorter was president. It was published in 1948: Kanselboek ten dienste van de Doopsgezinde Gemeenten in Nederland, and offered to the congregations in order to secure more unity in the order of church services. It contains liturgies (orders) of ordinary services as well as of special services (baptism, communion, induction of new preachers, funerals, etc). Many of the Dutch congregations did not appreciate the Kanselboek, considering it a contradiction of the Mennonite concept of congregational autonomy. Notwithstanding this aversion, the Kanselboek, proved to be very helpful, especially to young ministers.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 150. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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