Brethren Church

The term "Brethren Church" can refer to several different Christian denominations and movements that share a common heritage rooted in the 18th-century Pietist and Anabaptist traditions.

The Church of the Brethren, often simply called the Brethren Church, was officially organized in 1708 in Schwarzenau, a town, in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, by Alexander Mack and other Pietist leaders. They emphasized adult baptism, nonviolence, simplicity of life, and the practice of love and service.

In the early 18th century, many members of the Brethren Church migrated to the United States, particularly to Pennsylvania. Over time, the denomination spread across the country and has since established congregations in various states.

In 1832, a young Church of Ireland curate John Nelson Darby and a former Roman Catholic Edward Cronin, founded The Plymouth Brethren denomination. Dissatisfied by the lack of spirituality in their own churches and opposed to church government and official ministry, they met together in Dublin each Sunday with several others for the breaking of bread. Soon the movement spread and finally settled in Plymouth, England.

A Plymouth Brethren meeting hall and congregation By Gabimld - Own work, Wikipedia

George Müller, a leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement, opened his famous orphanage on Wilson Street in Bristol in 1836. By 1875, Mueller's orphanage provided care for over 2,000 children, a work sustained not by regular fundraising but by thousands of "answers to prayer."

By the time of his death in 1898, George Müller had established five orphanages, seven day schools, twelve Sunday schools and distributed five million Bibles, books and tracts. He was able to finance all this by totally relying on God and never publicly appealing for money.

 
In the early 1880s, a major schism occurred in The Brethren movement, resulting in three distinct branches:

The Church of the Brethren: The largest branch, known for social justice activism, peacemaking efforts, and a commitment to simplicity.

The Old German Baptist Brethren: A conservative group maintaining traditional practices like plain dress and separation from the world.

The German Baptist Brethren (later renamed Church of the Brethren in 1908): A progressive group, later merged with another Brethren denomination.

During the 1920s in Britain there was a debate among members of the Evangelical Alliance on whether the Salvation Army and Brethren Church are sects.

 
Both Dwight Eisenhower and his parents belonged to the Church of Brethren in Christ, which opposed war and any kind of violence. Ironically, Eisenhower became a professional soldier despite his denomination's philosophy. Although his parents disapproved of his entering the military but none the less allowed him to choose his own career.

 
With over 100,000 members in the U.S., the Church of Brethren is the most prominent branch, active in service work, peacebuilding, and disaster relief. Various other groups like the Plymouth Brethren, Dunkard Brethren, and Open Brethren exist with varying sizes and theological nuances.