Old Brethren

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The Old Brethren are a group of Schwarzenau Brethren who split from the Old German Baptist Brethren in Carroll County, Indiana (Deer Creek), in 1913, and in Stanislaus County, California, in 1915. They are a believer's church made up of those who voluntarily choose to follow Jesus as His disciples, and are baptized at this time, during their teen or adult years.

History[]

The issue which is often given as cause for division in the early 1900s was the changes brought by quick acceptance of telephones and automobiles among the Old German Baptist Brethren. Historically the Schwarzenau Brethren groups have believed in and practiced the independent authority of each local congregation. Annual Meetings started out gradually among recently arrived and first generations of dispersed, frontier living, German speaking Brethren families. Generally, the more conservative Old Brethren originally wanted more adherence to Annual Meeting decisions. Ultimately the Old Brethren chose to uphold the older form of Annual Meeting, which was simpler, more worship and Scripture based than the legislative business model which had recently developed among the Old German Baptist Brethren. Attempts in 1929-30 to reunite the Old Brethren and Old German Baptist Brethren were not successful.

After 1930, the Old Brethren placed less stress on Annual Meeting authority than did the parent body, believing it to be a simple gathering more for edification, fellowship and teaching, rather than for legislation. Personal conviction and moral persuasion to follow the Bible are now the basis for adherence to the church's order, rather than authoritative legislative decisions of Annual Meeting.

In 1939, those Old Brethren who wished to stress following legislative decisions of Annual Meeting and also to maintain the rejection of automobiles, telephones, electricity and tractors formed a more conservative traditional group, called the Old Brethren German Baptists.[1]

Religious practice[]

The Old Brethren do not use the German language in worship any longer, neither a German dialect in everyday life nor High German for Bible and church readings, because they had already largely given up the everyday use of the German language when the first split of conservatives from the main body of German Baptist Brethren occurred in the 1880s. They have given up horse and buggy transportation and now accept the use of automobiles, while they have retained plain dress and a simple lifestyle separated from worldly entertainment.

The Old Brethren prefer to allow time and space for the Holy Spirit to guide a person's life. Brotherly counsel according to Matthew 18 and other Scripture is also followed. Teachings of the New Testament are interpreted and applied literally, especially those in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7.)

They have less rules than the Old German Baptist Brethren, preferring to let the Holy Spirit convict hearts and lead people to live holy lives, according to the Scriptures.

Old Brethren are more plain in dress and more conservative in lifestyle than their parent group, the Old German Baptist Brethren; but are similar to them in many other aspects such as nonresistance, using the Trine Immersion mode of baptism and the three-part communion service including feetwashing and a love feast.[2]

Members and congregations[]

In 1980 the Old Brethren numbered about 230 adult members. Old Brethren membership in 2000 was 350 in five congregations with a total population of 651.[2] As of 2020 Old Brethren reside mainly near Salida, CA, Modesto, CA, Tuolumne, CA, Wakarusa, IN and Goshen, IN, between Bradford, OH, Dayton, OH, Greenville, OH, New Lebanon, OH, and Palestine OH; and near Harrison and Marble Falls, AR with a total of 8 meeting houses in use.[3] There are Old Brethren private church schools at Nappanee IN, Palestine, OH and Tuolumne, CA. Those children who do not attend Christian schools are usually home schooled.

Publishing[]

A weekly periodical, , was started in 1870 by brothers and in James Creek, Pennsylvania.[4] This was later changed to monthly publication and came to be affiliated with the Old Brethren Church.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. II, Donald F. Durnbaugh, editor (1983) The Brethren Encyclopedia Inc. pages 964/5.
  2. ^ a b Donald B. Kraybill, C. Nelson Hostetter: "Anabaptist World USA", Scottdale PA, 2001, page 155.
  3. ^ The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. II, Donald F. Durnbaugh, editor (1983) The Brethren Encyclopedia Inc. page 965.
  4. ^ Dove, Frederick Denton (1932). Cultural changes in the Church of the Brethren: A Study in Cultural Sociology. Elgin, IL & Philadelphia, PA: Brethren Publishing House / University of Pennsylvania. p. 116.
  5. ^ Internet Archive: The Pilgrim


External links[]

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