The Church of the Brethren was organized by Alexander Mack, a miller, in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. The Church of the Brethren began as a melding of Pietist and Anabaptist ideas. The first church was established in America in 1723. These churches became commonly known as German Baptist Brethren. The denomination holds the New Testament as its only creed. Historically the church has taken a strong stance for non-resistance or pacifism. Distinctive practices include believers baptism by trine immersion, a three-fold Love Feast consisting of feet washing, a fellowship meal, and communion, anointing for healing, and the holy kiss.

The Church of the Brethren represents the largest body descending from Mack's Schwarzenau Brethren church. The German Baptist Brethren suffered major division in the early 1880s, creating the Old German Baptist Brethren, the Brethren Church, and the majority adopting the name Church of the Brethren in 1908. It had 131,200 members in about 1100 congregations and fellowships in 2004. There are six liberal arts colleges and one seminary (Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana) related to the Church of the Brethren. General offices and the Brethren Press are located in Elgin, Illinois.

In 1948 the Church of the Brethren joined the World Council of Churches as a charter member and was a forming member of the National Council of Churches in 1950.

Beliefs

Non-creedalism

The Brethren state that they have "no creed but the New Testament." The early Brethren were very meticulous in applying the New Testament to every situation. For example, they baptize in a forward direction because "we are baptized into his death", and at the moment of his death, Jesus' head fell forward.

When disagreements arise as to the correct interpretation of New Testament passages, the final authority for settling such disputes is the Annual Conference. The minutes of Annual Conference give a clear picture of what matters have been in dispute and how Brethren interpret the New Testament.

Brethren espouse the basic beliefs of Christianity, such as the deity of Christ. They emphasize peace, simplicity, the equality of believers, and consistent obedience to Christ.

They also believe that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20), and have been heavily involved in disaster relief and other charitable work. Brethren often describe themselves in terms of what they do rather than what they believe.

Peace

The Church of the Brethren is one of the historic peace churches. Its position is summarized in the phrase, "all war is sin" (Annual Conference, 1935). Many Brethren have declined to engage in military service. Some have been imprisoned for that stance.

During the Second World War, Brethren worked with the government to create a system of alternative service, which would allow conscientious objectors to serve their nation and humanity through non-violent service. Alternative service has evolved into "Brethren Volunteer Service," a church agency that places many young people and some older persons in volunteer human service jobs, usually for a one-year term.

Priesthood of all Believers (1 Pet. 5:14)

Brethren follow a non-hierarchical pattern of church life. In the past, most congregations were served by multiple "free" ministers, who supported themselves through other occupations. Today, most congregations have paid pastors, but their function is still somewhat limited, with the laity still taking a very active role in ministerial work.

Simplicity

Brethren have been urged (and in earlier times compelled) to live a relatively simple life-style. At various points in their history, Brethren have been discouraged from attending carnivals, swearing oaths(Matthew 5:34), driving motorized vehicles, attending college, joining secret societies, filing lawsuits (1 Corinthians 6:1-10), gambling, and using tobacco or alcoholic beverages.

Some Brethren choose to live in communes where most worldly possessions are held in common. Most Brethren were well acculturated by the second half of the twentieth century.

Simplicity was once very noticeable in Brethren dress and grooming. Men would wear black coats with no collar, and hooks instead of buttons (often referred to as a 'Brethren Suit'). They would wear beards, but no mustaches. In addition, they wore broad-brimmed black hats. Women would wear long dresses in dull colors, and a "prayer covering" (1 Corinthians 11:2-16).

In more conservative congregrations, men and women still wear more simple clothing, although the "Brethren Suit" has been largely abandoned for just a collared shirt in a single color without a tie. The use of the prayer covering for women is also still practiced in these congregations, although some women chose only to wear the covering during the Love Feast.

Today, many members of the church take simplicity to include living a more ecologically friendly lifestyle by consuming less and being aware of the effect of their choices on the earth and other people (see simple living)

Ordinances

The Brethren avoid the use of the term "sacraments", preferring the term "ordinances". This refers to the symbolic actions ordered by Jesus Christ and practiced by the early church. The Brethren ordinances are:

Anointing for healing (James 5:14-18)

A supplicant is administered a small amount of oil on his forehead. This is followed by the laying on of hands and a prayer for wholeness. This is not to be confused with extreme unction (last rites), since healing is prayed for and expected. Healing is explicitly stated to include emotional and spiritual, as well as physical healing.

Anointing and laying on of hands have also been used for other purposes, such as consecrating someone for missions or other special service.

Believer's Baptism (Acts 8:35-36)

The Brethren believe that baptism is an outward sign of an inward experience of salvation. Hence, baptism is not performed until one is able to understand and accept the message of the gospel. As of 2005, baptisms typically take place at about age thirteen. In the early years of the denomination, the age at baptism was generally older. The mode of baptism is trine immersion in a forward direction, followed by laying on of hands for the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

In the early years of the church, people coming into the Church of the Brethren from other denominations were expected to be re-baptized. Today, most congregations will receive members by reaffirmation of faith or by letter of transfer from another congregation or denomination.

Love Feast (John 13)

The Brethren love feast is a conscious imitation of Jesus' last supper with his disciples. It begins with foot washing symbolizing humility and service. They then share a meal, symbolizing fellowship. Finally, they share the bread and cup communion, symbolizing participation in Christ's suffering and death. There may also be hymns and a sermon, as well as a preliminary time of self-examination.

Congregations typically hold love feast on Maundy Thursday and again about six months later. Some congregations also have bread-and-cup communion periodically during regular worship services.

Changes Over Time

Early

The group of Christians who organized themselves into a church at Schwartzenau, Germany in 1708 originally referred to themselves as the Neue Taufer (New Baptists). The name aluded to the use of the name Taufer (Baptists) by the Mennonites.

After the reorganization of the church in 1723, they were known as German Baptists (although this name was not officially adopted until 1871, and more colloquially as Dunkers or Tunkers (from the German for immersionists).

In 1728, Conrad Beissel, a Brethren minister at Conestoga(Lancaster County, PA) renounced his association with the Brethren and formed his own group at Ephrata, PA. They came to be known as the Ephrata Cloister. Beissel practiced a mystical form of Christianity. He encouraged celibacy and a vegetarian diet.

The Great Schism

After the Beissel split, all later splits in the church were based on doctrinal conflicts. The more conservative members emphasized consistency and obedience. They opposed the use of musical instruments, Sunday Schools, and worldly amusements. They promoted plain dress, simple lifestyle, and church discipline. The progressives in the church focused on grace and acceptance. They promoted higher education, full time ministers, and a more active peace stance. The majority of Brethren held a moderate position between the two extremes.

In 1869 and again in 1880, a group of Brethren in the Miami Valley of Ohio submitted a petition to annual conference pleading for a halt to liberalization and a return to traditional Brethren values. On each occasion, a more moderately worded substitute petition was submitted to the delegates. The rewording was totally unacceptable to the Miami Valley group.

In 1881, they resubmitted their petition to annual conference. This time it was rejected on a technicality that it had not come through a district meeting. In November of 1881, the conservatives met and formally split from the Church of the Brethren to form the Old German Baptist Brethren. They held their first annual meeting in 1882. Meanwhile, Holsinger, a leader of the progressives in the church, had published some writings that were called slanderous and schismatic. As a result, he was disfellowshipped from the 1882 annual meeting of the Brethren. He met with other progressives on June 6 and 7, 1883, and formed the [http://www.brethrenchurch.org Brethren Church. At the Annual Conference of 1908 at Des Moines, Iowa, the name of the denomination was officially changed from the German Baptist Brethren to the Church of the Brethren. According to William Eberly, the name change was precipitated by the predominant use of English in the church and to further distance themselves from the Old German Baptist Brethren.

Recent Developments

Since the end of the second world war, church and member positions on social issues have caused further divisions between congregations, districts, and individuals within the church. Particularly difficult issues which have been the source of much debate and division include the ordination of women, tolerance of homosexuality, and the promotion of ecumenicalism.

At the 1958 annual conference, after women were given an ordination status equal to men, love feast was opened to members of any church, and a bread and cup communion was permitted without having love feast; a group of conservative Brethren joined to form the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF), which describes itself as a loyal concern movement within the Church of the Brethren. The BRF promotes simple dress, biblical inerrancy, church discipline, and a much more evangelical worldview than the denomination as a whole. They have been critical of the church's involvement in political and social causes and its involvement with the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches.

Promoting the more liberal ideas, including changing the name of the church because it is seen to be sexist and exclusionary of women, tolerance of homosexuals (as members and as ministers), and increased social and political activity are groups such as Womaen's Caucus, Voices for an Open Sprit, and the Brethren Mennonite Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Interests (BMC).

Although a great divide exists within the church on these issues, the official position of the Church is that of "unity in diversity", which allows for decisions at the district and congregational level to determine church positions and practice.

Membership Today

Although no formal splits have occurred recently, the Church of the Brethren, like many other mainline churches, has suffered a steep, steady decline in membership from about 203,000 members in 1963 to 132,481 in 2003. Studies were underway in 2006 to determine the reasons for this decline. Despite the overall decline, there has been a noteworthy growth in the church in Puerto Rico (where it is called "Iglesia de los Hermanos"), since the late 1970s. It has also spread into the Dominican Republic.

Structure

The Brethren practice the "priesthood of all believers", and their structure is egalitarian. Members are addressed as "Brother Smith" or "Sister Jones", for example. Even the moderator of annual conference, the highest elected office in the church, is address as "Brother (or sister) Moderator".

Ministry

The term "minister" is understood as a functional role rather than an hierarchical position of authority. In the early days, most congregations had several ministers chosen ("called") by the members of the congregation. The concept of a professional pastor (first explicitly permitted in 1911) has slowly become the predominant model, although many congregatoins still have "free" (unpaid) ministers and plural ministry.

There are three degrees of ministry in the Church of the Brethren.

The first degree (now known as licensed minister) is bestowed on those who are considering serving as ministers. The first degree is a time for education and self-examination, after which the individual either advances to the second degree or returns to lay status.

The second degree minister or ordained minister is one who intends to continue serving in a ministerial role, usually, but not always as a professional pastor, teacher, counselor, or administrator.

The third degree of minister, also known as an elder, serves as a head minister and supervises other ministers in a congregation. Some elders were perceived as being arrogant regarding their position, and the annual conference of 1967 decided that no elders would be elected after that time.

The Brethren also select deacons for each congregation. They assist in ministerial functions, particularly by tending to the physical and spiritual needs of individual members. Often, a husband and wife will serve together as deacons.

Officers

The leading officers in the Church of the Brethren for business purposes are called moderators. Their principal function is to chair business meetings. There are congregational moderators, district moderators, and an annual conference (denominational) moderator. In recent years, the annual conference moderator has been elected a year in advance, and in the interim serves as "moderator elect".

Geographical structure

Geographically, the church is divided into congregations, which have indistinct and often overlapping geographic boundaries. Since 1856, congregations are collected into districts (23 as of 2006), whose boundaries are clear and usually correspond with state borders or county lines.

Each congregation also selects delegates to serve at an annual conference (sometimes called annual meeting), which is the final authority in questions of faith and practice. Issues that cannot be resolved on a local level, or which have implications for the church as a whole are framed as "queries", which are submitted by a congregation to the district (since 1866), and then, if necessary, are passed on to annual conference. Typically, a committee is formed to study the matter, and an answer is reported and adopted by a vote of the delegates at a subsequent annual conference.

Boards and Committees

The Brethren have numerous boards and committees (sometimes called "teams") that can be either temporary or permanent and either highly focused on one issue (e.g. evangelism) or general in scope. The most important of these are the general board (General Brotherhood Board until 1968), which carries out the policies established by annual conference, and the standing committee, which interprets annual conference decisions.

External links

• The Official Homepage of the Church of the Brethren

Brethren-related websites

• Unofficial Web Site of the Church of the Brethren
• Voices for and Open Spirit
• Brethren Revival Fellowship
• Brethren Mennonite Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Interests
• On Earth Peace
• Brethren Volunteer Service
• Association of Brethren Caregivers
• Brethren Colleges Abroad
• Brethren Disaster Response

Liberal Arts Colleges affiliated with the Church of the Brethren

• Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana
• Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
• Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
• Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia
• McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas
• University of La Verne in La Verne, California

Related groups that trace their beginnings to the Schwarzenau Brethren

• The Brethren Church
• The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
• Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
• The Dunkard Brethren Church

References

• Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
• Handbook of Denominations, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood
• Profiles in Belief: the Religious Bodies of the United States and Canada, by Arthur Carl Piepkorn
• Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States (2000), Glenmary Research Center
• The Believers' Church: The History and Character of Radical Protestantism, Donald F. Durnbaugh (1968) The Macmillan Company
• Manchester Church of the Brethren 1838-2000 William Eberly (2000), Manchester Church of The Brethren

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