Brethren in Christ Church

1953 Article[[|]]

In the latter part of 1750, about 30 Mennonite families in the canton of Basel, Switzerland, after a long period of persecution, during which they suffered both imprisonment and loss of property, decided to emigrate westward. They went first to England, and in the fall of 1751 set sail for America. The voyage across the Atlantic was disastrous; one of the ships with all their goods was lost, and they landed destitute. One company, including John and Jacob Engel and others whose names are uncertain, settled near the Susquehanna, in western Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in early 1752.

In 1770, as a result of the labors of some members of the Lutheran, Mennonite, and Baptist churches, who were grieved at what they considered the formalism which then characterized the churches, there was, in that region, a notable revival, which was attended by many conversions. It was conducted principally by Otterbein, Boehm, Bochran, and the Engels, representing the different bodies. Subsequently difference of views arose in regard to the form of baptism, some holding that the applicant should make choice of the method, while others claimed that trine immersion was the only proper form. The result was that they mutually agreed to work independently, in accordance with their various interpretations of the Scriptures.

The believers in trine immersion associated with the Engels, many of them former Mennonites, had no regular organization, but were in the habit of designating the various communities as brotherhoods. There was thus the Brotherhood down by the River, meaning in the southern part of Lancaster County; also the Brotherhood in the North, the Brotherhood in Dauphin, the Brotherhood in Lebanon, the Brotherhood in Bucks and Montgomery, etc. The outlying brotherhoods looked to the brotherhood in the southern part of Lancaster County as the home of the organization, and it was probably due to this fact that the general term "River Brethren" was given to the entire body. Another explanation has been given by some, namely, that they were in the habit of baptizing in the river. With the development of these brotherhoods, it seemed advisable to select someone to perform the duties of the ministerial office, and the choice fell upon Jacob Engel, who thus became their first minister.

A small faction of the Brethren in Christ broke off in 1838 in Ohio under the leadership of John Wenger, who were joined shortly thereafter by John Swank, formerly of the United Brethren Church. In 1860 Swank broke off with a small faction from this Wenger group, which in 1883 united with the Evangelical United Mennonites led by Daniel Brenneman, to become the Mennonite Brethren in Christ. Later, portions of the Wenger group joined the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, one congregation doing so as late as 1920. The small remnant of the Wenger group later adopted the name Pentecostal Brethren in Christ (in 1924 this group became part of The Pilgrim Holiness Church).

In course of time dissensions arose concerning what would now be called minor points, which ultimately caused divisions. In 1843 the body known as "Yorkers" or, as some call them, "Old Order" Brethren, withdrew, and in 1853 the body known as "Brinser," but later as "United Zion's Children," also withdrew, both in eastern Pennsylvania.

At first the organization of the River Brethren was simple, but as their numbers increased a more permanent form became necessary, and about 1820 an ecclesiastical organization was adopted. During the Civil War some of the members, although proclaiming the doctrine of nonresistance, were drafted for military service, and it became evident that the denomination must secure legal recognition as a religious organization holding that doctrine. Steps to secure such recognition were taken at a private council held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as early as 1862, at which time those who remained after the separation of the other two branches, and who constituted the great majority of the Brethren, decided to adopt the name "Brethren in Christ" instead of "River Brethren," which was done the following year. In 1904 the organization was incorporated according to the laws of the State of Pennsylvania as "a religious body for the worship of Almighty God," with headquarters at Harrisburg.

The Brethren in Christ did not accept any historical creed or confession, but generally regarded the authority of the Holy Scriptures and recognized the importance of the teachings of Christ and doctrines of the New Testament. They believed that the church was "built on faith in an almighty, triune, eternal, self-existent God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." They accepted the doctrines of the immortality of the soul; redemption through Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who makes atonement for the sins of the world; and regeneration through the influence of the Holy Spirit, developing into holy living. They held that trine immersion was the only proper form of baptism, practiced confession of sins to God and man, and observed the Lord's Supper and communion, accompanying it by the ceremony of feetwashing. The recognition of Christ, not only as Saviour, but as Lord and Master and King, involved in their view the acceptance of the tenets and principles of His government. Accordingly, they believed that, inasmuch as He is Prince of Peace, His kingdom is of peace, and as His subjects, they should abstain from the employment of carnal forces which involved the taking of human life. For this reason the doctrine of nonresistance, in a qualified sense, was a feature of their belief. They considered Freemasonry and all other secret societies to be anti-Christian; they believed in prayer veiling for women, and they advocated the wearing of modest apparel, with nonconformity to the fashions of the world.

The ecclesiastical organization of the denomination included the local church, a system of district councils, state councils, and a general conference. The officers of the church in the early 1950s were bishops, ministers, and deacons. The bishops presided at all council meetings, officiated at marriages and in the observance of the ordinances, and exercised all functions of the ministry. The ministers were specifically the teaching body, but also did parish visiting, and by request of the bishop, in his absence administered the ordinances. The denomination in a slow transition was changing from a self-supported ministry to support by contributions, and salary for full-time pastors. The deacons had charge of the business affairs of the churches, served at the communion table, look after the poor, and also did some visiting in the parish. The membership of the general conference, which met annually, included laymen as delegates as well as ministers.

The general activities of the church in education, publication, charitable and missionary interests in mid-20th century were directed by general church boards, responsible to the general conference. Eight boards functioned in their respective areas of endeavor—General, Executive, Benevolence, Foreign Mission, Home Mission, Christian Education, Publication, and Board for Schools and Colleges.

In 1951 the Brethren in Christ Church had in the United States and Canada 138 churches, with a membership of 6,807 residing in 13 different states and 2 provinces. Of these congregations, 54 were in Pennsylvania, 14 in Ontario, 10 in Ohio, 8 in Michigan, 7 in Kentucky, and 5 each in California and Kansas. The church contributed $613,223.05 during 1950 to all phases of the church program, an average of $90.08 per member. The Sunday-school enrollment stood at 14,760.

The church was aggressively missionary in interest and program in mid-20th century. Sixty-eight workers were active in the foreign mission fields of India and Rhodesia (later Zambia and Zimbabwe), South Africa. In southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) there were 72 out-schools and in northern Rhodesia (Zambia) there were 38. There were 3,372 baptized members on these foreign mission fields, with 3,694 additional persons enrolled in membership inquirers' classes. 11,893 students were enrolled in mission elementary, boarding and teacher-training schools.

The educational interests of the denomination were served by two colleges and two academies—Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania, and Upland College, Upland, California, a high school in Ontario, and another in Oklahoma. In 1950 the number of students enrolled in these institutions was 512. Contributions to the support of these schools during 1950 were listed at $33,823.98.

For a number of years the Brethren in Christ have worked with the Mennonites in the area of peace witnessing. When the first conference for administrators of Mennonite colleges was held at Winona Lake, 7-8 August 1942, Messiah College was represented and participated in the discussion of immediate problems confronting the Mennonite colleges as a result of the war. Meeting regularly two or three times annually since that year, the organization came to be known as the Council of Mennonite and Affiliated Colleges, including Upland (formerly Beulah) College as well as Messiah College.

In 1940 the Brethren in Christ Church appointed a member on the Mennonite Central Committee and co-operated wholeheartedly in the program of Civilian Public Service and Relief. During the years 1940-1950 the Brethren in Christ Church contributed to the Mennonite Central Committee $142,183.22 in support of Civilian Public Service and $109,462.12 to War Sufferers' Relief and other phases of work supported by the Mennonite Central Committee. Of the more than 600 Mennonite Central Committee relief workers in the period beginning with World War II, 19 were members of the Brethren in Christ Church.

(Five paragraphs of this article were quoted from the report of Department of Commerce, Census of the Religious Bodies of 1916. More recent research indicated the article is not correct in all historical details. See the article below. Statistical information in the article was supplied from the records of the General Conference.) -- C. Nelson Hostetter

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1990 Update

The Brethren in Christ movement began around 1780 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The founders, largely of Anabaptist background (probably mainly Mennonite), were deeply influenced by the pietistic revival movements of the period which emphasized a crisis conversion experience, with an attendant belief in a personal, "heartfelt" relationship to God. Some of the founders received a conversion experience in the revivals, while others came to believe in what the revivals emphasized. They began to meet in their homes to discuss their experiences and to study the Bible for new insights it might give them.

Their discussion led eventually to their formal organization as a separate group. As Anabaptists they were firm in their views of discipleship and of the church as the visible, called-out body of believers. But they were also convinced of the need for the crisis conversion experience. Thus they did not feel comfortable with the Anabaptist groups from which they came or with various other pietistic groups in the area. As a result, they organized themselves into a new group where the principles of baptism and pietism were combined.

The catalyst for their decision to organize appears to have been the issue of the correct mode of baptism. The founders became convinced from their reading of the Bible that baptism should be by trine immersion. Their Mennonite ministers, however, would not baptize in this mode. The German Baptists Brethren (later known as Church of the Brethren), from whom some of the founders probably came, did practice trine immersion, but would baptize the group in the manner requested only if they became German Baptists Brethren. In their impasse, the group, led by Jacob Engel, decided to baptize each other. The site of their baptism was near Marietta in the Convoy Creek that ran past the Engel farm, located near the Susquehanna River. This action served to reinforce the stance of the founders as a separate group.

The new body called itself the Brethren. They soon became known, however, as River Brethren. Probably the name was given to them by others to distinguish them from other Brethren groups in the area. At the time of the Civil War, when it became necessary to register with the U.S. federal government as a nonresistant group, they named themselves Brethren in Christ. In Canada, members were first called Tunkers (from the German verb tunken, meaning to dip); according to tradition it was a name given to them by their neighbors who observed them immersing converts in baptism. This name was officially retained until 1933, although the term Brethren in Christ had already been used for some years in conjunction with Tunker.

Shortly after their organization, members began to spread out from their base in Lancaster County. A few went to Canada (primarily Ontario) as early as 1788, and during the course of the 19th century they also settled in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and California. For the most part, these areas remained the main centers of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America in the 1980s.

Two schisms occurred in the mid-19th century. A small progressive group in Pennsylvania was expelled for constructing a church building rather than continuing to worship in homes and barns. The new group became known as the United Zion's Children (later United Zion Church). At about the same time, a more conservative group broke from the main body, in part because the latter did not appear aggressive enough in disciplining those who had built a meetinghouse. This more conservative group called themselves the Old Order River Brethren (sometimes referred to as Yorkers, but now preferably Old Order Brethren).

During their first century the Brethren in Christ worked out a synthesis of their Anabaptist-pietistic beliefs. Their emphasis on a two-kingdom theology (nonconformity) made them one with other Anabaptist groups in such matters as nonresistance and nonparticipation in politics. They wore simple, or plain, clothing, and they practiced brotherhood in such matters as church discipline and caring for one another. Their love feasts, adopted from the Church of the Brethren, were an expression of their brotherhood concerns. Their pietism was expressed, among other ways, in testimony meetings (or experience meetings), and in the continued insistence on the crisis conversion experience.

Beginning in the latter part of the 19th century, the Brethren in Christ came into contact with new movements and ideas, and during a 30-year period grafted them onto their traditional life and thought. This period may be seen as the first transitional period. It was similar in some ways to the awakening or renaissance occurring among Mennonites at the same time.

During this transitional period the Brethren in Christ adopted a more aggressive approach to evangelism. They established missions in Canada, the United States, and in Africa, in what eventually became Zimbabwe and Zambia. They also adopted some of the revivalist methods then current. Revival meetings at least once a year became an important part of each congregation's yearly activities. Sunday schools, with their emphasis on the salvation and instruction of youth and children, also became an aggressive means of evangelism.

In the same period, the Brethren in Christ established a number of institutions. In 1887 they began a church paper, the Evangelical Visitor, which became a useful medium for evangelism and the spread of new ideas. They began orphanages in Oklahoma, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, and a home for the elderly in Pennsylvania. Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home (later Messiah College) was chartered in Pennsylvania in 1909; Beulah (later Upland) College in California in 1920; and Ontario Bible School (later Niagara Christian College) in 1931.

A formal merger of the church in Canada with the church in the United States occurred in 1879. The governing body (General Conference) created by this merger, met annually until 1972, when it began to meet biennially. These institutions, together with the structures needed to conduct missions, gave the Brethren in Christ a more organized structure, in contrast to an earlier informal approach to church life.

At the same time, Wesleyan holiness theology, with its emphasis on the sanctified life, gradually worked its way into the church to become an official doctrine in 1910. Although in some ways pietistic in nature, the doctrine was essentially a new teaching. The emphasis was now less on the work of the Holy Spirit as leading the Christian to a more perfect spiritual state and more on a second work of grace in which the Holy Spirit filled the heart, cleansed it from its carnal nature, and enabled the Christian to live the life of obedience more successfully. By the 1930s holiness camps began to appear in Roxbury, Pennsylvania (1936), followed by others in Ohio, Ontario, Kansas, California, and Florida.

Beginning in the early 1950s, a second period of transition brought more significant changes to the Brethren in Christ. In part, this was owing to the increasing urbanization and professionalism of members of the church, which brought them into contact with new people and ideas; in part, it grew out of a growing concern to be more effective in the changing conditions in which the church was finding itself. Standards for plain dress were relaxed and eventually disappeared, although an emphasis on modesty remained. Musical instruments, once forbidden in both homes and churches, became widely used, even for worship services. A strong youth program was developed which included youth camps, Bible quizzing competitions, and athletic events. Absolute restrictions against membership for divorced and remarried people were officially relaxed by the General Conference and in a growing number of congregations.

At the same time, the Brethren in Christ became more ecumenical. In 1949 they became official members of the National Association of Evangelicals, and in 1950 joined the National Holiness Association (later Christian Holiness Association). Brethren in Christ have held leadership positions in both organizations. Beginning in World War II, the Brethren in Christ Church has been a member of Mennonite Central Committee, and has cooperated closely with Mennonites in peace witness and relief service.

A structural reorganization accompanied this second transitional period. Many small districts (some with only one congregation), each with its own bishop, were replaced with six regional conferences with a bishop for each conference. Greater freedom was given to local congregations to interpret the decisions of the General Conference and its doctrinal statements. A further structural reorganization in the early 1980s (known as Renewal 2000) consolidated many boards, committees, and commissions into several boards. It also instituted Cooperative Ministries, a brotherhood concept of financing the services of the church in which money given in congregational offerings goes in proportional amounts to congregational, regional, and General Conference ministries.

The strong missions orientation of the Brethren in Christ Church was illustrated by the distribution of the Cooperative Ministries budget in 1986; the Board for World Missions received nearly 50 percent of the budget. Since 1945 the mission areas of the church have been expanded beyond Africa and India to include Japan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, England, and Malawi. In recent years representatives from each area have come together periodically for a conference; in 1984, for example, the conference was held in Hagenau, France. In its mission program, the church has endeavored to provide holistic ministry. Along with preaching and building churches, it has established orphanages and homes for children, medical clinics, and hospitals.

Other ministries of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America have spoken to similar concerns. Messiah Village in Pennsylvania and Upland Manor in California were established as retirement homes. Timber Bay Children's Home in Saskatchewan has cared for North American Indian children during the school year. Paxton Street Home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, provides food and housing for disadvantaged people. Camping programs at Kenbrook and the Christian Retreat Center (both in Pennsylvania), Camp Kahquah in Ontario, Camp Lakeview in Michigan, and Mile High Pines in California focus on children, youth, and families. -- E. Morris Sider

2013 Update

The membership of the Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church in 1996 was approximately 3,219, and in 2003 it was 3,287. 

In 2013 the Brethren in Christ Church in the United States had 254 congregations:

Congregation	Location
Abilene Brethren in Christ	Abilene, KS
Acts Fellowship Network	Chambersburg, PA
Agua Viva Brethren in Christ	Riverside, CA
Air Hill Brethren in Christ	Chambersburg, PA
Amherst Community Brethren in Christ	Massillon, OH
Antrim Brethren in Christ	Chambersburg, PA
Ashland Brethren in Christ	Ashland, OH
Bethany Brethren in Christ	Thomas, OK
Bethel (Merrill) Brethren in Christ Church	Merrill, MI
Bethel Brethren in Christ Church of Hillsville	Hillsville, VA
Bethel Brethren in Christ (Miramar)	Miramar, FL
Bethel Community Brethren in Christ	Cassopolis, MI
Beulah Chapel Brethren in Christ of Fairplay	Columbia, KY
Big Valley Brethren in Christ	Belleville, PA
Blairs Mills Brethren in Christ	Blairs Mills, PA
Blandburg Brethren in Christ Church	Blandburg, PA
Blessed Hope Brethren in Christ	Franksville, WI
Bloomington Chapel Brethren in Christ	Columbia, KY
Blue Mountain Memorial Brethren in Christ	Newburg, PA
The Bridge	Hummelstown, PA
The Bridge @ Beans	Sterling, IL
Bright Hope Fellowship Brethren in Christ	Middletown, PA
Buenas Nuevas	Opa Locka, FL
Bunker Hill Brethren in Christ	Bunker Hill, WV
Buscadores de Fuego Brethren in Christ	Miramar, FL
Calvary Bible Brethren in Christ	Accomac, VA
Canoe Creek Brethren in Christ	Hollidaysburg, PA
Carland-Zion Brethren in Christ	Elsie, MI
Carlisle Brethren in Christ	Carlisle, PA
Casa de Benedicion Brethren in Christ	West Palm Beach, FL
Casa del Dios Vivente Brethren in Christ	Pompano Beach, FL
Cedar Grove Brethren in Christ	Mifflintown, PA
Cedar Heights Brethren in Christ	Mill Hall, PA
Center Grove Brethren in Christ	Three Springs, PA
Center Hill Brethren in Christ	Smithville, TN
Centro Internacional Cristiano	Miami, FL
Chambersburg Brethren in Christ	Chambersburg, PA
Christian Union Brethren in Christ	Garrett, IN
Church of Second Chances	Ontario, CA
Circle of Hope - Broad and Dauphin	Philadelphia, PA
Circle of Hope - Broad and Washington	Philadelphia, PA
Circle of Hope - Frankford and Norris	Philadelphia, PA
Circle of Hope - Marlton and Crescent	Pennsauken, NJ
City of Refuge Brethren in Christ	Lancaster, PA
Clear Creek Brethren in Christ	Everett, PA
Colyer Brethren in Christ	Centre Hall, PA
Community Bible Chapel	Sarasota, FL
Community of Faith Brethren in Christ	Roanoke, VA
Conoy Brethren in Christ	Elizabethtown, PA
Crest Community Church	Riverside, CA
Cristo es la Respuesta Brethren in Christ	Homestead, FL
Cristo Fiel y Verdadero Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Cristo La Roca of Algoa	Santa Fe, TX
Cristo Rey Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Cristo Vive Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
Cross Roads Brethren in Christ of Mount Joy	Mount Joy, PA
The Crossings	Lititz, PA
Crossroads Brethren in Christ Church of Hagerstown	State Line, PA
CrossRoads Church of Salina	Salina, KS
Crossroads Community Brethren in Christ	Hatfield, PA
Cumberland Valley Brethren in Christ	Dillsburg, PA
Daybreak Community	Royersford, PA
Dayton Brethren in Christ	Dayton, OH
Dayton Mission Brethren in Christ	Dayton, OH
DeRossett Brethren in Christ	Sparta, TN
Desert Light Christian Church	Albuquerque, NM
The Difference Brethren in Christ	Massillon, OH
Dillsburg Brethren in Christ	Dillsburg, PA
Discipulos de Cristo	Miami, FL
Discover Joy	Manheim, PA
Ebenezer Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
El Aposento de la Gracia Brethren in Christ	Hollywood, FL
El Monte Calvario Brethren in Christ	Salem, OR
Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ	Elizabethtown, PA
Engage Brethren in Christ	Carlisle, PA
Eshcol Brethren in Christ	Ickesburg, PA
Esmirna Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Etiwanda Brethren in Christ	Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Fairland Brethren in Christ	Cleona, PA
Fairview Avenue Brethren in Christ	Waynesboro, PA
Fairview Brethren in Christ	Englewood, OH
Fairview Brethren in Christ	New Cumberland, PA
Faith Brethren in Christ	Essex, MD
Fellowship Chapel	Bronx, NY
Ferguson Valley Brethren in Christ	McVeytown, PA
First Nations Gathering	Bloomfield, NM
Five Forks Brethren in Christ	Waynesboro, PA
Free Grace Brethren in Christ	Millersburg, PA
Fuente de Salvacion Brethren in Christ	Spring Hill, FL
Gateway Community	Chino, CA
Gethsemane Fellowship Brethren in Christ	New Carlisle, OH
Getsemany Brethren in Christ	Los Angeles, CA
Gospel Life Brethren in Christ	Des Plaines, IL
GracePoint	Ontario, CA
Grace Community Brethren in Christ	Lawrenceville, GA
Grace Community Brethren in Christ of Vineland	Vineland, NJ
Grantham Brethren in Christ	Grantham, PA
Granville Brethren in Christ	Lewistown, PA
Green Grove Brethren in Christ	Spring Mills, PA
Green Spring Brethren in Christ	Newville, PA
Hanover Brethren in Christ	Hanover, PA
The Harbour Church	Orlando, FL
Harrisburg Brethren in Christ	Harrisburg, PA
Harvest Community Brethren in Christ	Mount Joy, PA
Hempfield Brethren in Christ	Lancaster, PA
Hermanos en Cristo Brethren in Christ	Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Hialeah East Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
Highland Brethren in Christ	West Milton, OH
Highland Park Community Brethren in Christ	Dublin, VA
Hollowell Brethren in Christ	Waynesboro, PA
Holy City Church	Hollywood, FL
Hunlock Creek Brethren in Christ	Hunlock Creek, PA
Iglesia Cristiana Bethel - Hermanos en Cristo	Miami, FL
Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer	Tampa, FL
Iglesia Hispana Vida y Esperanza	Mifflintown, PA
Iglesia Vida Brethren in Christ	Doral, FL
Iron Springs Brethren in Christ	Fairfield, PA
Jehovah Yireh Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Jemison Valley Brethren in Christ	Westfield, PA
Jesucristo La Solucion	Miami, FL
Jesucristo Rey de Reyes Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Jubileo Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Kimbeto Valley Brethren in Christ	Nageezi, NM
King of Glory	Streetsboro, OH
Knifley Chapel Brethren in Christ	Knifley, KY
Koinos Community	Reading, PA
La Hermosa Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
La Paz del Senor	Winston Salem, NC
La Puerta de Salvacion Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
La Roca Brethren in Christ (Hialeah)	Medley, FL
La Roca Brethren in Christ (Roanoke)	Roanoke, VA
La Roca Firme Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
La Vida Verdadera	West Palm Beach, FL
Lakeview Community Brethren in Christ	Goodrich, MI
Lancaster Brethren in Christ	Lancaster, PA
Leonard Community Brethren in Christ	Leonard, MI
LifeHouse Church	Abilene, KS
LifePath Church	Newark, DE
LifePoint Church	Harrisburg, PA
Light of Christ Fellowship	Johnston, IA
Luz, Alegria y Esperanza Brethren in Christ	York Springs, PA
Madison Street Church	Riverside, CA
Manheim Brethren in Christ	Manheim, PA
Manor Church	Lancaster, PA
Maranatha Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
Marsh Creek Brethren in Christ of Exton	Exton, PA
Marsh Creek Brethren in Christ of Howard	Howard, PA
Martinsburg Brethren in Christ	Martinsburg, PA
Mechanicsburg Brethren in Christ	Mechanicsburg, PA
Messiah Village Brethren in Christ	Mechanicsburg, PA
Millerfield Brethren in Christ	Columbia, KY
Millersville Brethren in Christ	Lancaster, PA
Ministerio Internacional Monte Sion	Miami, FL
Ministerios El Shaddai - Bloomington	Rialto, CA
Ministerios El Shaddai - Indio	Indio, CA
Ministerios El Shaddai - Riverside	Riverside, CA
Monte Calvario Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Monte de Carmelo	Philadlephia, PA
Monte Sion Brethren in Christ	West Miami, FL
Montgomery Brethren in Christ	Mercersburg, PA
Montoursville Brethren in Christ	Montoursville, PA
Mooretown Brethren in Christ	Sandusky, MI
Morning Hour Chapel Brethren in Christ	East Berlin, PA
Morrison Brethren in Christ	Morrison, IL
Mount Pleasant Brethren in Christ	Mount Joy, PA
Mountain Chapel Brethren in Christ	Breezewood, PA
Mountain Ridge Regional Church	Dillsburg, PA
Mowersville Brethren in Christ	Newburg, PA
Mt. Rock Brethren in Christ	Shippensburg, PA
Mt. Tabor Brethren in Christ	Mercersburg, PA
Mt. Zion Brethren in Christ	Milltown, IN
Nappanee Brethren in Christ	Nappanee, IN
NewCreation Brethren in Christ	Dillsburg, PA
New Beginnings Brethren in Christ	Ephrata, PA
New Community Brethren in Christ	Chino, CA
New Guilford Brethren in Christ	Chambersburg, PA
New Harvest Community Brethren in Christ	Millerstown, PA
New Hope Church	Harrisburg, PA
New Joy Brethren in Christ Church	Ephrata, PA
New Life Church of Hershey	Hummelstown, PA
New Life Community	Carlisle, PA
New Trail Fellowship	Abilene, KS
New Vision Brethren in Christ	Pewaukee, WI
Nueva Jerusalem (West Palm Beach)	West Palm Beach, FL
Nueva Jerusalem (Hialeah)	Hialeah, FL
Nueva Jerusalem (Lake City)	Lake City, FL
Nueva Jerusalem (Vero Beach)	Vero Beach, FL
Nuevo Comienzo en Cristo	Pembrooke Pines, FL
Oasis Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Palabra de Vida	La Puente, CA
Palabra Eterna Brethren in Christ	Doral, FL
Palmyra Brethren in Christ	Palmyra, PA
Paramount Brethren in Christ	Hagerstown, MD
Pathway Community Brethren in Christ of York	York, PA
Peace Light Brethren in Christ	McKnightstown, PA
Pequea Brethren in Christ	Lancaster, PA
Pleasant Hill Brethren in Christ	Pleasant Hill, OH
Pleasant Valley Brethren in Christ	Elliottsburg, PA
Pleasant View Brethren in Christ	Red Lion, PA
Poder de Dios Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
Pomeroy Chapel Brethren in Christ	Smithville, TN
Principe de Paz Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
Red Star Brethren in Christ	Leedey, OK
Redimidos por Jesus Brethren in Christ	Indiantown, FL
Redland Valley Brethren in Christ	York Haven, PA
Redwood Country Brethren in Christ	Grants Pass, OR
Refton Brethren in Christ	Refton, PA
Refugio de Amor Brethren in Christ	Miami, FL
Refugio Eterno Brethren in Christ	Lake Worth, FL
Revolution Church	Salina, KS
Ridge View Brethren in Christ	Roanoke, VA
River of Faith Church	Alta Loma, CA
Rock Island Brethren in Christ	Herington, KS
Rolling Acres Brethren in Christ	McMinnville, TN
Saville Brethren in Christ	Ickesburg, PA
Saxton Brethren in Christ	Saxton, PA
Senda de Luz Brethren in Christ	Ocala, FL
Shermans Valley Brethren in Christ	Hopewell, PA
Silverdale Brethren in Christ	Silverdale, PA
Siquen Brethren in Christ	Orlando, FL
Solid Ground Brethren in Christ	Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Souderton Brethren in Christ	Souderton, PA
South Mountain Chapel	Shippensburg, PA
Speedwell Heights Brethren in Christ	Lititz, PA
Spring of Hope Brethren in Christ	Altoona, PA
Springhope Brethren in Christ	Schellsburg, PA
Stowe Brethren in Christ	Pottstown, PA
Summit View Brethren in Christ	New Holland, PA
Tabernaculo de Fuego Brethren in Christ	Hialeah, FL
The Table Community Church	Lancaster, PA
Torre Fuerte	Miami, FL
Tremont Brethren in Christ	Tremont, PA
Union Grove Brethren in Christ	Nappanee, IN
Upland Brethren in Christ	Upland, CA
The Upper Room (Belleville)	Belleville, PA
The Upper Room (Harleysville)	Harleysville, PA
Valley Chapel Brethren in Christ	East Canton, OH
Valley Christian Church	Moreno Valley, CA
Van Lear Brethren in Christ	Williamsport, MD
Vida Abundante (Miami Lakes)	Hialeah, FL
Vida Abundante (Hollywood)	Hollywood, FL
Vida Nueva	Cary, NC
The Vine	Smithsburg, MD
Voz en el Desierto	Miami, FL
Walkersville Community Church	Walkersville, MD
Waukena Community Brethren in Christ	Waukena, CA
The Well Brethren in Christ	Waynesboro, PA
Wesley Brethren in Christ	Mount Holly Springs, PA
West Shore Brethren in Christ	Mechanicsburg, PA
West Side Brethren in Christ	Chambersburg, PA
Western Hills Brethren in Christ	Cincinnati, OH
Westside Christian Community	Springfield, OH
Woodbury Brethren in Christ	Woodbury, PA
Zion Brethren in Christ	Abilene, KS

Bibliography

Alderfer, Owen H. Called to Obedience. Nappanee, IN, 1975.

Bert,  Norman A. Adventure in Discipleship. Nappanee, IN, 1968.

Brief History of United Zion's Children Church. 1917.

Climenhaga, Asa W. History of the Brethren in Christ Church. Nappanee, IN, 1942.

Huffman, J. A. History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church. New Carlisle, Ohio, 1920: 81-95.

Minutes of the 113th General Conference, Brethren in Christ Church. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1994.

Minutes of the 106th Annual Conference. Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church, 1997.

Origin and History of the Tunker Church in Canada. Ridgeway, ON, 1918.

Sider, E. Morris. Nine Portraits. Nappanee, IN, 1978.

Sider, E. Morris. The Brethren in Christ in Canada: Two Hundred Years of Tradition and Change. Nappanee, IN, 1988.

Wittlinger, Carlton O. Quest for Piety and Obedience: The Story of the Brethren in Christ. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1978.

Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 2012, edited by Eileen W. Lindner. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2012: 362, 369.

Additional Information

Websites

Brethren in Christ Church (U.S.A.)

Brethren in Christ Church (Canada)

Author(s)	C. Nelson Hostetter
	E. Morris Sider
Date Published	April 2013

Cite This Article

MLA style

Hostetter, C. Nelson and E. Morris Sider. "Brethren in Christ Church." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2013. Web. 18 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brethren_in_Christ_Church&oldid=113241.

APA style

Hostetter, C. Nelson and E. Morris Sider. (April 2013). Brethren in Christ Church. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brethren_in_Christ_Church&oldid=113241.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, pp. 424-425; vol. 5, pp. 97-98. All rights reserved.

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