When Anabaptist churches arose in Europe 500 years ago, the Reformation was already well under way. But both Protestant and Catholic leaders treated Anabaptists as arch-heretics. The primary reason? The Anabaptists practiced church life in a way that seemed to threaten the political foundations of Europe. In response to Scripture, Anabaptists formed congregations of committed disciples—churches of believers. In this paper, the authors trace the key elements of the Anabaptist practice of believers’ churches, and comment on what this means for pastors and lay people today.
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