Brethren Beliefs & History

We belong to a church family known as the Church of the Brethren. We are both evangelical and ecumenical. Birthed in Germany over three hundred years ago in the midst of a religious war, the Brethren have been relunctant to adopt a formal creed. In general most Brethren would accept the following beliefs . . .

Brethren Beliefs for the 21st Century

(The following is Pastor Alan's own unofficial attempt to summarize the basic Brethren beliefs)

Out of the past . . . into the future . . . under the guiding hand of God!

1. We begin with a radical commitment to the person and the lordship of Jesus Christ.

To see the interactive Celebrate Jesus! video - Click here

Also see Luke 14:25-33; John 14:1-7; Acts 4:8-13

This is possible not because of our own efforts but only in response to what God has already done in the life, the teaching, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. [grace]

See Psalm 84; I Corinthians 15:8-10; Ephesians 1:1-14

We believe baptism (and a public profession of faith) is for adults (and youth), for those who have come to recognize their own sin and need for a savior. (Of course, younger children can and should also be encouraged to love Jesus). [baptism]

See Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2:37-41

2. We discover the meaning and implication of our commitment to Jesus Christ as we, along with other believers, study the scriptures under the leading of the Holy Spirit. [Bible study]

See Acts 17:11; II Timothy 3:14-17; II Peter 1:20,21

3. Specific implications include the awareness that:

God is our provider for any and all of life's necessities. Our security does not consist in the abundance of our things or our money, but rather upon a deep faith in God. [stewardship / simple living]

See Psalm 21:1,2; 50:7-12; Matthew 6:19-34

We recognize our responsibility to share God's love to those around and to call others to discover the joy of being disciples of Christ. [evangelism]

See Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; John 1:43-46; Romans 10:9-15

Our faith will be lived-out, hand-on faith. There must be congruence between what we say and what we do. [consistency/lifestyle]

See Matthew 7:15-23; Romans 6:15-18; Galatians 5:22-25; I John 2:3-6

Every member is a minister. The Spirit of God has gifted each person for service and ministry. [priesthood of all believers]

See Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11; I Peter 4:10,11

Mutual care will be an identifying characteristic of God's people. We are responsible to show God's love to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of faith. [mutual care]

See Luke 3:7-15; I Cor 12:12-26; James 2:18-26

We follow the Prince of Peace. This means that forgiveness, the love of Christ, and the love for enemies must be lived out, especially in our relationship in our homes, our families, our churches, and our communities. [peace-making]

See Matthew 5:38-42; Luke 19:41-44; 23:32-34; Romans 12:17-21

Lifestyle choices will reflect our awareness that healing, health and wholeness is God's intent for his creation.

See Acts 3:1-8; Romans 12:1,2; I Corinthians 6:18-20; James 5:13-16

4. Worship, sensing God's presence and responding with joy and gratitude, will be a daily hallmark our lives.

See Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 1:3-10; I Thessalonians 5:16-22

aem
7/12/00

Distinctive Brethren Beliefs

While there is some differences in beliefs and practices from church to church, most Church of the Brethren congregations practice the following in one form or another:

Believer's Baptism

The Church of the Brethren began in Swartzenau, Germany as Alexander Mack, his wife and six friends went to the Eder River. One person baptized Mack who in turn baptized the other seven. We continue to practice baptism for adults and for children who are old enough to make their own profession of faith. We baptized by immersion three times forward " . . . in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

The Love Feast and Communion

This is held on the evenings of Palm Sunday and Worldwide Communion Sunday. (the first Sunday of October)

This usually takes the form of a time of preparation, followed by feetwashing. Then we join together for the Agape meal (the Love Feast). This is usually a simple meal in which we remember Jesus' last meal with his disciples. Here at Conestoga we eat a lamb soup and bread. The last part of our evening together occurs as we break the bread and share the cup remembering Jesus' sacrifical death on the cross on our behalf.

The Anointing Service

We practice the anointing service for healing (described in James 5:13-16). Many have found this to be a powerful way of experiencing God's peace and presence in the difficult times of life.

The Peace Position

Brethren have been one of the three historic peace churches (along with the Mennonites and the Quakers). Although many Brethren have participated in the military, the church as a whole has consistently sought to follow Jesus' way of love for enemy and effecting change through redemptive love.

Additional information

Additional information can be found at:

brethren.org - the Church of the Brethren official website.

cob-net.org - a member driven unoffical Church of the Brethren website.