Swiss churches reconcile

A reconciliation event that brought together the State Reformed church, the Free church, and Anabaptist churches was held at the infamous Trachselwald castle in Switzerland in September.

Site of martyrdom 450 years ago, Trachselwald welcomed 10,000 worshippers in open air as part of the Swiss government’s Year of the Anabaptists.

“The Anabaptists had a commitment they had to sign in front of the government that they would be the quiet in the land. Today we renounced this old curse and we said we break this old pattern,” said Paul Veraguth, a State Reformed church pastor. “It sounds very pious, very religious, but in its core and in its heart it is a limitation of faith and church growth.”

Trachselwald castle: Anabaptist church leaders celebrated forgiveness outside this symbol of state oppression.

“The bread of the kingdom of heaven couldn’t rise in Switzerland. Now we seek to be in touch with our villages,” he said.

Geri Keller, who has been instrumental in reconciliation between the State Reformed church and Anabaptists over the past five years, spoke of an anointing towards peacemaking.

“As he was sharing from the heart of Christ, walls were coming down between nations, races, denominations,” said one bishop from Lancaster, Pa.

Well-known Canadian worship leader Brian Doerksen was there to celebrate on account of his MB heritage.

“There is new life in the church in Switzerland and it’s exciting to be in the middle of it,” he said. “It was wonderful to interact with people from various Anabaptist roots, including current Amish believers from the U.S., who were totally open to what the Spirit of God is doing on the earth now.”

Doerksen said he chose to recognize his roots, even though he’s the first generation in his family not attending an MB church. “I still believe in those values and beliefs!” he said.

“My ancestors paid dearly for their biblical belief that baptism signifies a new birth and forgiveness of sins that has been sought out and is for those who are in relationship with God, not just part of a culture.”

Emotions ran high during the Open Air celebration. It was only in the last four years that Anabaptists forgave the church and state torture that took place in Trachselwald castle.

“While these people were crying, they were also very happy because something like this has never happened before . . . What once was a place of darkness has become a light.”

“I met people in the mountains of Jura who really were the quiet in the land, until today,” said Veraguth. “They came into this new thinking, this new period. They left the old patterns behind them and are now on this journey to reach other people. They bought a train station and changed it into a restaurant and are now building a church together with black people. This is real Mennonite thinking . . . this is what we expect to happen more and more here in Switzerland.”

—Dale D. Gehman with files from Brian Doerksen