Theological Discussions between Mennonites and Baptists Past and Present

Abstract

The first Baptist congregation (John Smyth’s congregation in 1609) did not emerge from the Mennonite community in the Netherlands, but sought out the Mennonites living there as its first dialogue partners outside its own Puritan-Separatist tradition. After describing the Baptist origins in Puritan Separatism, the article presents the documents exchanged between Dutch Mennonites and English Baptists. It also shows the parting of the ways between John Smyth and Thomas Helwys. The article then moves on to the nineteenth century, when new contacts between Baptists and Mennonites were established in Russia and Germany, and finally looks at the theological dialogue in the twentieth century between the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) and the Mennonite World Conference (MWC). It concludes with a plea for continued theological dialogue, identifying two themes (historical and theological) that need to be explored in greater depth.