Brethren in Christ Historical Society

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Brethren in Christ Historical Society Nurturing understanding and appreciation of the Brethren in Christ Church and related groups since 1

The Brethren in Christ Historical Society exists to nurture understanding and appreciation of the historical, theological, and contemporary life and thought of the Brethren in Christ and related groups.

The August 2026 edition of BRETHREN IN CHRIST HISTORY AND LIFE is now available online for members, along with this feat...
09/15/2026

The August 2026 edition of BRETHREN IN CHRIST HISTORY AND LIFE is now available online for members, along with this featured article on the history of the divorce and remarriage debate in the Brethren in Christ Church.: https://bic-history.org/journal-articles/divorce-remarriage-and-the-brethren-in-christ/. This edition also includes the story of the withdrawal of Brethren in Christ missionaries from Rhodesia in the mid-1970s during the war for independence, a theological consideration of whether suffering is necessary for salvation, and our usual book reviews.

If you're planning to attend the 2026 General Assembly of Brethren in Christ U.S. on July 24-27 in Miami, Florida, don't...
07/13/2026

If you're planning to attend the 2026 General Assembly of Brethren in Christ U.S. on July 24-27 in Miami, Florida, don't miss the annual meeting of the Historical Society. The meeting will feature Devin Manzullo-Thomas interviewing Eduardo Llanes (pictured below preaching at Roxbury Holiness Camp in 1998), who is the founding pastor and bishop of the Brethren in Christ congregations in South Florida. Anyone is welcome to attend. More information is in the Summer 2026 edition of "History Matters, " which also includes articles about a Brethren in Christ fundamentalist of the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a balopticon donated to the Archives (anyone know what that is?), and vintage photos from Cuba. See bic-history.org/newsletter

06/08/2026

John Dietz leading an Old Order River Brethren hymn at the Annual Heritage Service.

Today was the Annual Heritage Service at the historic Ringgold Meetinghouse. We had to cancel last year because of sever...
06/08/2026

Today was the Annual Heritage Service at the historic Ringgold Meetinghouse. We had to cancel last year because of severe storm damage. John Walker, a member of Ringgold board of trustees and caretaker for the meetinghouse, gave an update on repairs and the effort to restore the building to museum quality within the next two years. Joshua Nolt, executive director of the Historical Society, led the meeting which focused on the values and people of the Brethren in Christ Church and Old Order River Brethren. John Dietz, Historical Society board member, spoke about his grandfather's influence and the importance of humility in the OORB tradition. Joshua spoke about the influence of Luke Kiefer Jr.s analysis of the three "streams of our heritage." We also sang hymns from both traditions.

This morning, Messiah Lifeways residents had the opportunity to hear from Morris Sider and his biographer, Devin Manzull...
04/27/2026

This morning, Messiah Lifeways residents had the opportunity to hear from Morris Sider and his biographer, Devin Manzullo-Thomas, about Morris's career as the pre-eminent Brethren in Christ "Storyteller" and historian. Copies of the biography, "Storyteller: The Life and Ministry of E. Morris Sider,” are still available for sale for $12 each plus postage. Contact the Society's editor, Harriet Sider Bicksler, at [email protected].

At almost 99 years old, Mim Stern is still going strong at Messiah Lifeways. The first part of her memoir, "Stirrings: S...
04/21/2026

At almost 99 years old, Mim Stern is still going strong at Messiah Lifeways. The first part of her memoir, "Stirrings: Seventy-Plus Years in God Service," detailing her early years until she and her late husband Pete landed on the Brethren in Christ mission field in Africa, has been published in the April 2026 edition of our journal, BRETHREN IN CHRIST HISTORY AND LIFE. Read her story here: https://bic-history.org/journal-articles/stirrings/.

Imagine two young Lancaster County Brethren in Christ men in 1905: Henry T. Frey, age 28, and Levi F. Sheetz, age 22. Th...
04/21/2026

Imagine two young Lancaster County Brethren in Christ men in 1905: Henry T. Frey, age 28, and Levi F. Sheetz, age 22. They grew up near each other and knew each other from various regional denominational activities. Both were baptized in 1898 at the same service, and both were members of the Brethren in Christ Church. Henry married Katie B. Ginder a year after his baptism and began truck farming.

Sometime before 1905, Henry had a powerful and unique spiritual vision. Levi—soon after his graduation from Mount Joy High School—had established the fledgling “Florin News,” no doubt hoping it would become a thriving local newspaper. In 1905, the two men collaborated to produce a printed account of Henry’s vision. A black and white version of the vision appeared as a supplement to the EVANGELICAL VISITOR in May 1905. But it was also available through Levi as a color print (see below for the black and white version.

Read the rest of the article in the Spring 2026 edition of our newsletter, "History Matters" :https://bic-history.org/newsletter/

During the late 1980s, Kathleen Aiken wrote a series of reminiscences about growing up in a rural Brethren in Christ chu...
01/13/2026

During the late 1980s, Kathleen Aiken wrote a series of reminiscences about growing up in a rural Brethren in Christ church. Her memories are scattered nuggets and insights into Brethren in Christ life during the first quarter of the twentieth century that were written for the Fairview (Ohio) Brethren in Christ monthly newsletter. She called her column “Reminiscence Corner.” Kathleen’s memories include detailed reflections of life in a rural Brethren in Christ church during the early twentieth century. They provide insightful perspectives on church life in other congregations within the denomination.

You can read a collection of her remininscences, compiled and explained by Dwight Thomas, in the December 2025 edition of BRETHREN IN CHRIST HISTORY AND LIFE. Photo: bridge painting by Kathleen Aiken.
https://bic-history.org/journal-articles/a-pump-with-a-bright-tin-pump/

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Mechanicsburg, PA
17055

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+17176916048

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