George Blaurock

Imagine a man so bold and full of energy that his friends called him Strong George! George Blaurock was a tall and booming preacher who lived in the Swiss Alps during the fifteen hundreds. George was a priest who started reading the Bible very closely with a group of friends. They realized they wanted to follow their faith in a brand new way. Instead of just doing what the city leaders told them to do, George believed that people should only be baptized when they were old enough to choose it for themselves.

One snowy evening in January, George and his friends gathered secretly in a small house in Zurich. They were very brave because what they were about to do was strictly forbidden by the law. George stood up and asked his friend Conrad Grebel to baptize him right there in the living room! As soon as he was baptized, George turned around and baptized the rest of the group. This brave moment started a movement called Anabaptism. They promised to live peacefully and share love with everyone they met.

After that night, Strong George traveled all over the countryside to share his exciting discoveries. He was not afraid of anyone and would sometimes even march right into the middle of other church services to start preaching! Even though the local rulers chased him away and put him in jail many times, George never lost his booming voice or his joyful spirit. He spent his whole life bravely teaching others to follow their hearts and stand up for their faith.