Michael & Margarita Sattler (1527)

April 7th, 2025
by Jon Holaday

Michael became a monk, a vow of celibacy, and fully wanted to live for God. Sounds great, but very few has God called to that rare path! He wrestled with this for a long while until he gave in and married the one of Gods daughters, Margarita. She was a nun who also made the same oath. Michael would soon lead his family back into the Anabaptist movement. He was forced to renounce it earlier in which he did. Michael was more on fire for Christ & a back to the Bible pastorial calling as he took up preaching to a church in Horb Austria, a very entrenched Catholic region. The Anabaptists were meeting in Germany to finalize what was known as the "Seven Articles of the Faith" also called the "Brotherly Union." Michael helped draft this actually. While traveling home, Michael & Margarita as well as eight other brothers were captured & their articles taken as evidence. They were charged with various violations of doctrine & practice such as Communion, adult baptism, as well as others. I guess a changed life and a heart who actually loves Christ and shows it wasn't good enough. Their sentence, death. But first, they took Michael to the town square, cut out his tongue, chained him as they burnt his body seven times, then burn his body to powder as a arch heretic. This was taken on May 21st 1527. Eight days later, they did the same to Margarita. Their deaths only exploded the Anabaptist movement. Something deeper than the fear of fire & mutilation burned in their souls. This was said about this couple, "for love they lived, and for Love (Jesus) they died." Such a beautiful example.