Old Brethren German Baptists

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The Old Brethren German Baptists (also: Leedyites ) are the most conservative free church of the Schwarzenau brothers in the United States . You live in Indiana and Missouri .

history

The Free Church of the Old Brethren German Baptist developed just like their mother church, the Old German Baptist Brethren , from the Schwarzenau brothers , is given as its founding year mostly in 1708 than in Schwarzenau (now part of Berleburg ), led by Alexander Mack the first adult baptisms were performed. Due to persecution, they emigrated first to Holland and then to Pennsylvania twenty years after they were founded . In the 19th century, many moved on to Ohio and Indiana .

From 1860 onwards, tensions arose between the traditionalists in the Free Church and the members, who were also open to modern trends such as revival meetings , Sunday schools and missions. The traditionalists insisted on the basic values ​​of church discipline, authority of the annual meetings and preservation of the old order (English. "Old Order") of church offices, worship and dress code and therefore formed in 1881 the Free Church of the Old German Baptist Brethren .

Divisions

In 1913, the conservative members from Camden (Deer Creek), Carroll County (Indiana) split from the Old German Baptist Brethren and formed the Free Church of the Old Brethren . In 1915 the same thing happened in Salida , Stanislaus County , California , and in 1921 the Old Order German Baptist Brethren of Dayton, Ohio broke away from the Old German Baptist Brethren .

From 1929 to 1930 efforts were made to bring the Old Brethren and the Old German Baptist Brethren , two separate churches, closer together in order to unite them. The Old Brethren subsequently divided into two free churches. The more conservative of the two free churches with a focus on Camden was formally founded in 1939 and took the name "Old Brethren German Baptists". Some members of the Old Order German Baptist Brethren joined.

Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions describes the origins of the Old Brethren German Baptists :

Around 1930, members of the Old Brethren Deer Creek Congregation of Camden, Indiana began worshiping with the Old Order Brethren in the Covington, Ohio area. In 1935, however, the traditionalists of the Old Brethren no longer considered it possible to continue their fraternization with the Ohio Brethren. They continued to exist as an independent community until they got in touch with some of the Old Order Brethren in Bradford, Ohio who met at Solomon Lavy's home. In 1939 the two groups merged and took the name Old Brethren German Baptist Church. They were joined in 1953 by a group of Old Order Brethren from Arcanum, Ohio.

Accordingly, the Old Brethren German Baptists are the result of three split-offs of conservative members of the German Baptists between 1881 and 1939.

Teaching

The Old Brethren German Baptists adhere to the traditions more strictly than their churches of origin. For example, they only use horses and carts instead of cars and farm with horses. They also do without electricity and telephones. In addition, the manufacture and consumption of tobacco, old-age provision, and life and goods insurance are prohibited. Many families make sorghum syrup .

The Old Brethren German Baptists have no fellowship with the Old Order German Baptist Brethren , who maintain the same traditions but did not leave the Old German Baptist Brethren until 1921.

Annual meetings are held on Pentecost . In the past they took place in a meeting house near Camden. Since 2016, the meetings have alternated between Camden and the new Missouri settlement.

Even if the name suggests this, the Old Brethren German Baptists no longer use the German language , as is the case with the old-order Amish and the old-order Mennonites . They had given up German as a language before 1880.

Members

In 1980 the Old Brethren German Baptists had three churches with 45 members in 28 households. The largest ward was in Camden, followed by a ward in Goshen, Indiana . The smallest parish was in Arcanum.

In 2015 the group had grown to 130 members. Camden is still the largest parish. The Arcanum Congregation no longer exists and the Goshen Congregation has only two old members, but there is a new settlement between Trenton and Spickard, Missouri . This group has taken in many members who left the car-driving Old German Baptist Brethren when modernization efforts were made there.

similarities

Despite theological differences, there are a number of similarities between the Old Brethren German Baptist and the Amish old order , as well as the conservative Mennonites of the old order . In addition to riding horses and wagons, wearing plain clothes and avoiding certain technologies, they share traditions from the common heritage of the Pennsylvania Germans .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 19th Century Acculturation of the Brethren . Cob-net.org. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ On the Backroad to Heaven: Old Order Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren By Donald B. Kraybill, Carl Desportes Bowman
  3. ^ The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. II, Donald F. Durnbaugh (ed.), The Brethren Encyclopedia Inc. 1983.
  4. ^ Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions: Old Brethren German Baptist Church so: "Around 1930 members of the Old Brethren Deer Creek congregation near Camden, Indiana, began to fellowship with the Old Order Brethren in the Covington, Ohio, area. However, by 1935 the traditionalist Old Brethren found themselves unable to continue their affiliations with the Ohio Brethren. They continued as an independent congregation until they made contact with a few Old Order Brethren near Bradford, Ohio, who met in the home of Solomon Lavy. In 1939 the two groups merged and adopted the name Old Brethren German Baptist Church. They were joined in 1953 by a group of Old Order Brethren from Arcanum, Ohio. "
  5. ^ The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. II, D. Durnbaugh, 1983.
  6. ^ The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. II, D. Durnbaugh, 1983.