AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Devout Mennonite and local tulip farmer Aldert Alderliesten decided he would commemorate 500 years of Anabaptism by setting the Guinness World Record for most successive baptisms.
“The previous record was George Blaurock in 1529 at two,” said Alderliesten. “I figure I should have no trouble beating that record.”
Alderliesten quickly discovered the task was more difficult than he had anticipated.
“I tried pouring. I tried dunking. But by the time I towelled off and shook hands with all the people who wanted to congratulate me in the church lobby, it was taking too much time,” said Alderliesten. “I figured I had to find a more efficient method.”
This is when Alderliesten stumbled Oma tried and true method that only the Dutch could concoct. He reportedly strapped himself to his neighbourhood windmill, which gives him a douse with every rotation.
“If we get a good wind going, I should reach 500 baptisms by noon tomorrow,” said Alderliesten. “Good thing I have Pastor Floortje here to say a blessing every time I hit the water.”
Alderliesten asks Anabaptists around the world to join him on his rebaptism journey by doing a few extra baptisms of their own.
“You don’t have to do 500 like me,” said Alderliesten. “But I don’t think you can call yourself a self-respecting Anabaptist unless you’ve done it at least a couple times. I suspect most of you have only done it once … if that.”
At press time Alderliesten had made it to about rotation 332.
(photo credit: by journeyguy/CC)
