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Church of the Brethren
A cross with branches of equal size made up of two parallel lines with the bottom-left corner dovetailing into a wave that connects as part of a circle. The Church of the Brethren logo upholds images of life in Jesus Christ. The cross recalls our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) and testifies to God’s plan to
bring “all in heaven and earth . . . The circle, partially defined, represents the world into which we are sent by Christ (Matthew 28:19). The circle also affirms that as members of Christ’s body we are members one of another (Romans 12:5) – a people who confess “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). The wave connotes new life in Christ, "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5). The wave further evokes the waters of justice (Amos 5:24), the cup of water offered in Christ’s name (Mark 9:41), the basin and towel (John 13:5), and "springs of living water" (Revelation 7:17). Classification
Protestant
Orientation
Anabaptist
Theology
Non-creedal
Organizational structure
Congregationalist with districts that meet together in an Annual Conference
Distinct fellowships
The Church of the Brethren, Inc. (ministry and administration), Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust (retirement fund), On Earth Peace (peace initiative)
Associations
Brethren World Assembly, Christian Churches Together, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Church World Service, Historic Peace Churches, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, National Council of Churches, World Council of Churches
Geographical areas
United States (headquarters) and Puerto Rico, with groups in Brazil; the Dominican Republic; Haiti; Nigeria and Oku, Cameroon; Spain; and South Sudan; also present in Ecuador (United Andean Indian Mission) and India (Church of North India)
Founder
Alexander Mack and the Schwarzenau Brethren
Origin
1708
Schwarzenau, Germany
Branched from
Schwarzenau Brethren in the United States
Separations
Dunkard Brethren (1926)
Congregations
1,047 (2010, United States and Puerto Rico)[1]
Members
122,810 (2010, United States)
Nursing homes
21 (Fellowship of Brethren Homes)
Aid organization
Brethren Disaster Ministries, Brethren Service Center, Brethren Volunteer Service, Children's Disaster Services, Heifer International, SERRV International
Tertiary institutions
6 colleges and universities (Bridgewater College, Elizabethtown College, Juniata College, Manchester College, McPherson College, and University of La Verne), 1 seminary (Bethany Theological Seminary), see also Brethren Colleges Abroad
Official website
brethren.org
Part of a series on the
Schwarzenau Brethren
(the German Baptists or Dunkers)
Seal of the Germantown congregation
Background
Christianity · Protestantism · Anabaptism · Radical Pietism · Radical Reformation
Doctrinal tenets
Non-creedalism · Trine baptism · Love feast · Feet washing · Holy kiss · Free church · Anointing with oil · Non-resistance · Pacifism · The Brethren Card
People
Alexander Mack · Louis Bauman · Conrad Beissel · Donald F. Durnbaugh · Vernard Eller · Christoph Sauer · John C. Whitcomb
Groups
Brethren (Ashland) Church · Brethren Reformed Church · Church of the Brethren · Conservative Grace Brethren · Dunkard Brethren · Grace Brethren · Old Brethren German Baptist · Old German Baptist Brethren · Old Order German Baptist Brethren · Old German Baptist Brethren, New Conference
Defunct groups · Ephrata Cloister · Church of God (New Dunkers)
Related movements
Amish · Bruderhof · Community of True Inspiration · Hutterites · Mennonites · River Brethren · Religious Society of Friends · Christian Peacemaker Teams
Portal icon Anabaptism portal
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination with origins in the Schwarzenau Brethren (German: Schwarzenauer Neutäufer 'Schwarzenau New Baptists') that was organized in 1708 by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the Protestant Reformation. The first of its churches in the United States was established in 1723. These church bodies became commonly known as "Dunkers," and more formally 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. It is one of the three historic peace churches, the other two being the Mennonites and the Quakers. Distinctive practices include believers baptism by trine immersion; a threefold 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 a major division in the early 1880s, creating three wings: traditionalists such as the Old German Baptist Brethren, progressives led by The Brethren Church, and the conservatives, who adopted the name Church of the Brethren in 1908. The church had 122,810 members as of June 2010[2] and 1,047 congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico as of August 2010.[1] 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
