Influential Reformer Oecolampadius

Protestant Reformer Oecolampadius died this date in 1531. He was the first notable person to suggest that laypeople have a say in their congregations. Clergy dominated before this. Some Reformers warmed up to his suggestion and a large percentage of Protestantism later embraced it. Oecolampadius also challenged clergy to be leaders, not tyrants. "Your mission is to evangelize, not to curse," he wrote to William Farel. "Prove yourself to be an evangelist, not a tyrannical legislator. Men want to be led, not driven." You can thank Oecolampadius for having major influence in bolstering the recognition of the value of laypeople that we enjoy today.