This Summer, the Lutherans, or at least the Swiss-based LutheranWorld Federation, apologized for persecuting pacifist Anabaptists400 years ago. But given the ascendancy of Anabaptists among manyU.S. evangelicals, their days as a small, persecuted minority areclearly long over.

 "We remember how Anabaptist Christiansknew suffering and persecution, and we remember how some of ourmost honored Reformation leaders defended this persecution in thename of faithfulness," solemnly intoned Bishop Mark Hanson during ajoint service of repentance in Germany with Mennonites from aroundthe world. Hanson is both president of the global Lutheran groupand chief prelate of the liberal-leaning Evangelical LutheranChurch in America.

Anabaptists are best known as Mennonites,...