Brethren in Christ
The Brethren in Christ or Brothers in Christ is a Protestant church in North America. As the Anabaptist Church, you are represented internationally in the Mennonite World Conference . The Brethren in Christ are also known as the River Brethren or River Mennonites .
The story of the Brethren in Christ began in 1778 in the Mennonite settlements on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania . Here, the Mennonites, mostly from Germany and Switzerland, met the ideas of Schwarzenau Brethren (also Tunkers or English Dunkards ), who also came from Germany . With them came pietistic approaches to the communities, which is why the River Mennonites moved more and more away from the other Mennonite communities. Ultimately, the only form of baptism that was allowed was the baptism of believers through immersion. A first creed of the new church was written in 1780. During the American Civil War , the name Brethren established itself in Christ. The name was linked to the first Anabaptist congregations in Switzerland, which also called themselves Brothers in Christ . The Mennonite pastor Jacob Engle is considered to be one of the founders of the young church. On the threshold of the 20th century, approaches by John Wesley found their way into the theology of the Brethren in Christ. Sacraments today are baptism (as the baptism of believers) and the Lord's Supper (as a memorial meal ). Like other Mennonite churches, the Brethren in Christ advocate non-violence, following the example of the Sermon on the Mount . At the international level, the church is involved in the Mennonite World Conference in the Brethren in Christ World Hunger Fund and in the Mennonite Central Committee .
Around 80,000 people worldwide profess to the Church of the Brothers in Christ. About 20,000 of them live in the USA. In addition to the Brethren in Christ, there are today other churches or parish associations that refer to the River Mennonites. However, the church must not be confused with the new religious grouping of the Christadelphians (Greek for brothers in Christ ), which have different historical roots.