Before Emigration - Pella Historical Review

Pella Historical Review Section I-4

In 1834 Scholte and many other ministers and congregations seceded from the state church. They believed that everyone should had the freedom to worship as they pleased and they should have equal protection under the law. King Willem I didn't listen to their pleas to accept their new denomination as a legal one. Scholte continued to preach in spite of persecution and violence. His congregation grew and many people were jailed, including Scholte, for worshiping without permission from the king. Sometimes Scholte preached in farm fields and sometimes on a ship surrounded by small boats filled with eager listeners. In 1845 a potato blight broke out in the Netherlands causing a shortage of good food to eat. The poor and middle class families had to eat food usually reserved for the animals. In 1846-1847 this food shortage became worse and many people decided to leave their homeland. Scholte and the other leaders of the church decided that emigrating to America would help relieve many of their followers' problems. Scholte was convinced a colony in America could be a Christian community, and even though he didn't like the idea of emigrating, he decided it was the ethical thing to do. Many of Scholte's followers began to sell their possessions. Scholte was joined by seventy well-to-do families who agreed to help pay for the journey of less fortunate families.	Gold chest

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