Jacob Amman

Jacob Amman (Jakob Ammann) was born in 1644(?) in Erlenbach im Simmental[?], Switzerland, but later moved to Alsace as part of a wave of Anabaptist emigration from out of the Canton of Berne. His exact date of birth is unknown. In 1693, Jakob Ammann took issue from out of Alsace with Swiss Mennonite leader Hans Reist[?] in regards to what he saw as a lack of overall discipline in the Mennonite congregations. This lack of discipline, he believed, was exemplified with the shying away from the implementation of the ban against those who left the church after being baptised in the church. In 1693 disagreements over the implimentation of the ban would come to a head between Has Reist and Jakob Ammann and this would result in the Jakob Ammann faction splitting from the Mennonites. Later in life, Jakob Ammann would regret his actions and would make attempts for Amish reunification with the Mennonites, even apparently offering to ban himself from his own congregation in order to show his regret for the disunity that he believed he had helped cause.