Hans Doornaert was a weaver at Ghent, Belgium, and a preacher of the Mennonite congregation there, who fled to Haarlem, in the Dutch province of North Holland, with many others of his faith. Here he also served as a preacher (Vermaner) of the Waterlander Mennonites, opening and closing each meeting by asking the congregation to pray silently. Since this was permitted only to regularly-appointed preachers of the congregation, Jakob Jansz Scheedemaker opposed him vigorously, while others considered it proper and defended Doornaert, inasmuch as he could do it in a more edifying manner than they were accustomed to hear. In 1587 a conference was held at Haarlem on this question, at which delegates from Amsterdam, Alkmaar, and several congregations in Waterland also appeared. Nothing was accomplished, and a division of the Waterlanders was averted only by the tact of Dirk Volkertsz Coornhert.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 90. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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