by Daniel P. Goering
Have you ever wondered why Mennonites are not called Simonites? (After all the founder’s name was Menno Simons. What other group is known by its founder’s first name?)
This question puzzled me for many years. I asked all kinds of qualified people over the years, including theology professors, history experts, etc. But only about a month ago did I discover a satisfying answer.
While waiting for a tour of the Corrie ten Boomhuis in Haarlem, the Netherlands to come to an end, I got into a conversation with a Mennonite-looking elderly gentleman. He had a nice white beard, and hailed from the north coast. Somehow or another I got around to posing this question. He had an answer! (And it made a lot of sense.)
He said that Menno was the son of Simon, and that is all his name (Menno Simons) means. Simons was not his last name, family name. It only means that he was the son of Simon. And from what he thought, his father’s (Simon’s) name was Menno.
Bottom line is, the man was known simply as Menno. And therefore, his followers were known as Mennonites. Simple, yet elegant and very believable explanation. So, now you know … the Rest of the Story.