Theodor Fliedner Source: Wikipedia Commons

Theodor Fliedner, born 21 January 1800 at Eppstein in Taunus, Germany, died 4 October 1864 in Kaiserswerth, was the founder of deaconess work in the Protestant Church. He received the idea on a money-raising visit to Amsterdam, where the Mennonites had deaconesses in their church work. In his book Collektenreise in Holland und England 1831 he devotes a chapter to the Mennonites under the title, "Mennoniten oder Taufgesinnte, grobe und feine Taufgesinnte." His detailed description, given with thorough knowledge and acute judgment, is still of value. In it he describes the character of the Dutch Mennonites, their customs, and their life, their church organizations, and their benevolent institutions, even though his verdict is somewhat colored by his orthodoxy.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 340. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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