Sommelsdijk, a town on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the Dutch province of South Holland (coordinates: 51° 45′ 20″ N, 4° 9′ 0″ E), a center of Anabaptist-Mennonite activity in the 16th century. Paulus Harrouts of Sommelsdijk was executed in 1540 at Zierikzee, and Joos Jansz of Sommelsdijk died in 1561 as a martyr also at Zierikzee. In 1565 Jan Barentsz and his wife, living at Sommelsdijk, were sought by the police because of their Anabaptist activity, but they had already fled with all their possessions. Sommelsdijk was the birthplace of the noted Dutch elder Leenaert Bouwens.

Elder François de Knuyt debated with the Reformed pastor Abraham Stamperius on infant baptism at Sommelsdijk in 1617. About this time there was a Mennonite congregation at Sommelsdijk, which had a meetinghouse. Concerning this congregation there is not much, information. In the early 18th century it merged, with that of the adjacent town of Middelharnis, but apparently long before, probably by 1664, Sommelsdijk and Middelharnis were, more or less one congregation.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 575. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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