• Born: 1490 Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
• Died: 1535 Noord-Holland, Netherlands

---

The plight of Pieter Jansen Koster sets the stage for the emigration of his descendants about 150 years later.

Pieter originally was a sacristan of what was then the Roman Catholic Church in “Oost, Zaandam, Holland.” However, like so many in Europe during the rise of Protestantism, Pieter’s beliefs changed and he became a Mennonite preacher. 

His shift in beliefs sadly cost him his life, as is described in “A Martryology of The Churches of Christ”:

“Pieter Koster – AD 1535

In the year 1535, there was a pious brother named Pieter Koster, who had been a sacristan in the church at Saardam, in North Holland. Having come to the knowledge of the truth, he was appointed a teacher of the congregation; but because of the persecution, went to live in Amsterdam, where he was taken prisoner by the sheriff, through the information of a woman living in his neighborhood, who through foolish zeal made known the place where he had hidden himself. As it was at the time when some wicked riots and conspiracies took place in the world, it was suspected that this friend of God was implicated in them. But it is evident from his own writings, as also in his confession, that of this he was innocent; and several credible witnesses can affirm, that he had with all his heart opposed them. Nevertheless, because he had been baptized on his confession of faith, according to the command and ordinance of Christ, and had besides filled the office of minister, he was condemned to death and executed by the sword in Amsterdam, expecting with all the righteous the reward promised by Christ…”

---

Source Information:

A Martyrology of the Churches of Christ, Commonly Called Baptists, during the Era of the Reformation, by Thieleman J. van Braght et al., The Hanserd Knolley Society, 1850, pp. 140–141.