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German Mennonites

★913★

Brethren in Christ

PO Box 290
Grantham, PA 17027-0290

Alternate Address: Canadian Headquarters: 2619 Niagara Pkwy., Fort Erie, ON Canada L2A 5M4.

The Brethren in Christ Church (originally called River Brethren) formed in the 1770s within the intense religious atmosphere of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The brethren, many of whom were Mennonites, had been influenced by the Dunker tradition and accepted triune immersion as the proper mode of baptism. Among the first to be immersed in this manner were Jacob Engel and Peter Witmer. The original group of about 14 met in the upper room of Engel's home in Stackstown, Pennsylvania.

Soon after this meeting, organization was effected and Engel was elected bishop. Triune immersion was a central feature. Doctrine was otherwise drawn from the Anabaptist-Brethren consensus but with an emphasis on evangelism. Over the years, it was also positively affected by the Wesleyan Holiness movement which taught a doctrine of sanctification that included the belief that individual believers could become and should expect to become perfect in love in this early life. In the mid-nineteenth century, three groups emerged from the original one because of doctrinal and accomodationist differences. The three groups were the Brethren in Christ, the Old Order River Brethren (earlier referred to as the Yorker Brethren), and the United Zion's Children, later called United Zion Church.

The Brethren in Christ represented the largest wing of the River Brethren. The name was adopted in 1863 although the church was not incorporated until 1904. Through migration of members in search of better economic opportunities, the church has spread across the United States and Canada. Since the 1950s the church has tripled through its evangelist thrust.

The Brethren in Christ is congregationally organized and eight regional conferences and a general conference serve to carry out churchwide programs. A Board of World Missions oversees work in Colombia, Cuba, England, Honduras, India, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Africa, Spain, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Board of Media Ministries operates Evangel Press, located in Nappanee, Indiana, and publishes books as well as other Brethren in Christ literature. Two retirement centers, Messiah Village in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Upland Manor in Upland, California, are supported by the church. Ministries to the marginalized include Lifeline in San Francisco, California, and Paxton Ministries in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Several camps are owned and operated regionally. The Brethren in Christ Church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Christian Holiness Association, and the Mennonite Central Committee.

Membership: Not reported.

Educational Facilities: Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania.

Niagara Christian Collegiate, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

Periodicals: Evangelical Visitor. • Shalom Therefore Evangelical Visitor. • Hostetler, Paul, ed. Perfect Love and War. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1974. • Manual for Christian Youth. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1959. • Manual of Doctrine and Government. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1968. • Shalom• Therefore• Wittlinger, Carlton O. Quest for Piety and Obedience. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1978.

★914★

Church of God in Christ, Mennonite

420 N. Wedel
Moundridge, KS 67107

John Holdeman, a member of the Mennonite Church, had, at the age of 21, an intense religious experience which changed his life. Following his baptism, he began a period of serious study of the Bible and of the writings of Menno Simons. As a result of his studies, he came to believe that his church had departed from the true way. Holdeman emerged as a young powerful leader and visionary.

He began to hold meetings at his home, and spread his concerns through the writing and publishing of his major books. He felt that the Mennonite Church had grown worldly and departed from the true faith; it did not rigidly screen candidates for baptism to insure that they had been born again; the avoidance of the excommunicated was neglected, members took part in political elections and the proper training of children was neglected. He also objected to choosing ministers by lot. He also felt it was wrong to receive money on loans. While he found much agreement with his observations, few would join him in reformative action.

Growth of his church was slow until the late 1870s when he encountered the German-speaking immigrants who had just arrived from Russia. In 1878 the first church was built, and the first conversion of many people to his church occurred in the Lone Tree Community of McPherson County, Kansas. Holdeman became the first minister to successfully introduce revivalism into a Mennonite framework. Revivals accounted for much of the rapid growth of his movement in the late nineteenth century, especially in the immigrant communities in Kansas and Manitoba. A slow and steady growth period followed through the early twentieth century, followed by a rapid expansion in both North America and abroad after World War II. The greatest concentration of members is in Kansas and Manitoba.

The church follows the Anabaptist-Mennonite doctrinal concensus with strong emphasis upon repentance and the new birth, a valid believer's baptism, separation from the world, excommunication of unfaithful members, a humble way of life, nonresistance, plain and modest dress, the wearing of the beard for men and devotional covering for women.

The church is headed by a delegated General Conference which meets when the need arises. It is composed of all ministers and deacons (all unsalaried) and lay people. Its decisions are binding on the congregations. It oversees the Gospel Tract and Bible Society, Gospel Publishers (the publishing arm of the church), three mission boards, and numerous other functions. There are congregations in 31 states, eight Canadian provinces, Brazil, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Zambabwe. Most North American congregations have an elementary parochial school attached to them. The church supports one hospital, seven nursing homes, and four children's homes.

Membership: In 2001, the church reported 12,754 members in the United States and 4,289 in Canada. There were a total of 19,269 members worldwide in 227 congregations and approximately 60 mission stations.

Periodicals: Messenger of Truth. • Christian Mission Voice.

Sources:

Hiebert, Clarence. The Holdeman People. South Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1973.

★915★

Congregational Bible Church

℅ Congregational Bible Church
Marietta, PA 17547

The Congregational Bible Church was formed in 1951 at Marietta, Pennsylvania, as the Congregational Mennonite Church. The name was changed in 1969. The original members of the church were from six congregations of the Mennonite Church. The statement of faith is at one with Mennonite belief, but includes a statement on anointing the sick and emphasizes separation from the world. The group has an aggressive evangelistic ministry. The church is organized with a congregational government as a fellowship of like-minded churches. The bishop or pastor is the chief officer.

Membership: Not reported.

★916★

Conservative Mennonite Fellowship (Non-Conference)

Box 36
Hartville, OH 44632

The Conservative Mennonite Fellowship (nonconference) was the result of a protest movement in the main branches of the Mennonite Church in the mid-1950s. The conservatives were concerned that Mennonites were conforming to the world (e.g., women were neglecting to cover their hair or were letting it fall down to their shoulders instead of being tied into a knot), that Mennonites were not resisting the military (e.g., the young men were joining the Army as noncombatants instead of staying out of the Army), and that Mennonites were becoming involved in civil affairs (e.g., they were voting or holding office or becoming policemen). The conservatives were also concerned about the growing acceptance of neo-orthodox theology in Mennonite circles. The fellowship was formed in 1956. It added to the prior disciplinary standards (the Apostles' Creed, the Dordrecht Confession, and the Schleitheim Confession) the Christian Fundamentals, which emphasize strict discipline and separation from the world. These were adopted at a fellowship meeting in 1964.

Membership: Not reported. In 1967 there were 23 congregations with 980 members and an additional 50 cooperating congregations with 2,400 members.

★917★

Markham-Waterloo Conference (Mennonite)

℅ Clare Frey
Rte. 2
Elmira, ON, Canada N3B 2Z2

The Markham-Waterloo Conference came into being in 1939 as the culmination of a modernization movement among some of the members of the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario. Among the concerns was the purchase of automobiles by members. Such members were known as the "black bumpers," as they painted over the chrome on the cars to avoid any sign of ostentation. However, a second issue arose in the person of Bp. Jesse Bauman, a leader who had been chosen by lots. Bauman's preachings attracted many, but disturbed others who had little appreciation for his adoption of a more evangelical style, which he hoped would keep the younger people from straying to nearby non-Mennonite churches. In 1939 in the face of growing criticism, Bauman withdrew from the group. About the same time, the "black-bumper" people in Markham and Waterloo joined forces and created a new conference.

The Markham-Waterloo Conference continues as a very conservative Mennonite group, but less so than the Old Order, which does not allow the use of cars and telephones.

Membership: In 1997 the group reported 10 congregations, 1,250 baptized members (and an additional 600 constituency), and 28 ordained preachers, deacons, and bishops.

Sources:

Epp, Franklin H. Mennonites in Canada, 1920–1940. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1982.

Lichdi, Diether Gotz. Mennonite World Handbook 1990: Mennonites in Global Mission. Carol Stream, IL: Mennonite World Conference, 1990.

★918★

Mennonite Church

421 S. 2nd St., Ste. 600
Elkhart, IN 46516

The largest and oldest of the Mennonite bodies in North America is the Mennonite Church. Many other U.S. Mennonite groups derive from it. Organization within the church was slow since each congregation tended to be autonomous. In 1725, a conference of Pennsylvania congregations was called to consider, among other things, an English translation of the Confession of Dordrecht. Other conferences were called in particular regions to deal with controversy. Formal conferences began to emerge in the nineteenth century. At present, a biennial General Assembly meets as an advisory body for the entire church. District conferences counsel and provide resources at a local level.

Developing autonomously, but cooperating with the conferences, have been various service and mission agencies. The Mennonite Board of Missions now supervises a program that includes North American volunteer ministries (that engage more than 80 volunteers), media ministries, and church development. Overseas ministries including district conference programs engage over 300 workers in more than 50 countries. Herald Press is the publishing arm of the church and operates under the Publication Board. The Board of Education oversees the several colleges and seminaries. Other services are provided by the Board of Congregational Ministries and the Mennonite Mutual Aid Board. A General Board coordinates and oversees the five program boards.

While still holding to Anabaptist separatist practices– pacifism, a disciplined membership, believers' baptism–the church has endeavored to minister to urban society. It carries on a vast mission program with congregations on every continent. In the United States, home mission work is conducted among Native Americans, African Americans, Jews, the Spanish-speaking, Asian refugees, and the deaf.

Membership: In 1995 the church reported 110,308 members, 1,110 churches, and 2,692 ministers.

Educational Facilities: Goshen Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana.

Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana.
Rosedale Bible Institute, Irwin, Ohio.
Hesston College, Hesston, Kansas.
Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Periodicals: Gospel Herald. • Mennonite Historical Bulletin• Mennonite Quarterly Review.

Sources:

Horsch, James E., ed. Mennonite Yearbook. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, n.d.

An Invitation to Faith. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1957.

Wenger, J. C. The Mennonite Church in America. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1966.

★919★

Old Order (Reidenbach) Mennonites

℅ Henry W. Riehl
Rte. 1
Columbiana, OH 44408

During World War II, the issue of the draft was of great concern to the Old Order Mennonites. There was a consensus that all the draft-age youths should be conscientious objectors. However, among the Old Order (Wenger) Mennonites there developed a group who felt that prison, not alternative service (medical work, etc.) should be the only course in reaction to the draft. This group further insisted that those youths who accepted alternative service should be excommunicated.

This group was not supported by the majority of the Wengerites. Thirty-five members of the group began to build a separate meeting house near Reidenbach's store in Lancaster County (hence the name). They remain the most conservative of the Pennsylvania Mennonites. They still use candles instead of coal oil for lighting. Rubber tires on carriages are prohibited. They are the only Pennsylvania group which currently opposes the use of school buses.

Among the Reidenbach Mennonites there are a number of specific regulations to keep them separate from the world. Farm equipment is restricted; for example, manure spreaders are not allowed. Children go only to the one-room school and not beyond the elementary grades. The group has only one congregation.

Membership: Not reported. There is only one congregation, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

★920★

Old Order (Wenger) Mennonites

℅ Henry W. Riehl
Rte. 1
Columbiana, OH 44408

Among the Old Order (Wisler) Mennonites of Southeastern Pennsylvania, several schisms have developed over the continuing issue of accommodation to change. In the 1930s, the use of the automobile on a limited basis was advocated by Bishop Moses Horning. Bishop Joseph Wenger rejected the idea, believing automobiles should not be used for either occupational transportation or coming to worship. Wenger's group became the more conservative wing of the Old Order Mennonites. The group holds no evening services and uses only German in the pulpit. Jail, rather than alternative service, is advocated for boys of draft age.

Membership: Not reported. There are an estimated 1,000 members in southeastern Pennsylvania.

★921★

Old Order (Wisler) Mennonite Church

℅ Henry W. Riehl
Rte. 1
Columbiana, OH 44408

In the 1860s the Yellow Creek congregation of the Mennonite Church, located near Elkhart, Indiana, found itself caught between two vocal leaders. Daniel Brenneman demanded a progressive policy and the adoption of such innovations as English preaching, Sunday schools, protracted meetings, and four-part singing. He was opposed by Jacob Wisler, who opposed all innovations and deviations. Wisler began to place under the ban anyone deviating from the past. Wisler's arbitrary manner of enforcing his ideas resulted in a church trial and he was removed from his office. He then took his followers and formed a new congregation in 1870.

During the following decades, other churches of like perspective were founded and then these united with Wisler's group. A group in neighboring Medina County, Ohio, was the first. A Canadian group headed by Bishop Abraham Martin from Woolwich Township, Waterloo County, Ontario, who opposed speaking in English, sunday schools, evening meetings, "falling"-top buggies, and other modernisms, formed a separate church and later allied itself with the Wislerites. In 1901 followers of Bishop Jonas Martin and Gabriel D. Heatwole formed a church; that church later joined the Wislerites. Bishop Jonas Martin had been the leader of the Mennonite Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, until controversy arose about installing a new pulpit in the church. Martin opposed the new pulpit because he was against innovations, and with a third of the congregation he left the Mennonite Church. A separate group of Mennonites in Rockingham county, Virginia, led by Gabriel D. Heatwole, joined Martin's group and then this church joined the Wislerites.

As a group, the Old Order Mennonites remain among the most conservative in dress, forms of worship, and social customs. They are very close to the Amish in their thinking, but meet in church buildings instead of homes and do not wear beards.

Membership: Not reported. In 1972 they reported 38 congregations, 8,000 members and 101 ministers.

★922★

Old Order Yorker River Brethren

Current address not obtained for this edition.

The Old Order (or Yorker) River Brethren separated in 1843 from their parent church, the River Brethren (now known as the Brethren in Christ), protesting what they saw as laxity in matters of nonconformity to the world and non-resistance to the military. The group was led by Bishop Jacob Strickler, Jr., of York County, Pennsylvania (hence the nickname). It was joined in the 1850s by a Franklin County group headed by Bishop Christian Hoover, who had been expelled for being "too orthodox."

The Old Order River Brethren remain the smallest of the River Brethren groups, having only four congregations, all in southeastern Pennsylvania. Three small independent congregations have split off at various times in disputes over modes of transportation. All worship is conducted in home, not in churches. The Old Order River Brethren are also agriculturists.

Membership: Not reported.

Sources:

Breckbill, Laban T. Doctrine, Old Order River Brethren. The Author, 1967.

——. History of the Old Order River Brethren. Lancaster County, PA: Breckbill & Strickler, 1972.

Reynolds, Margaret C. Plain Women: Gender and Ritual in the Old Order River Brethren. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press,2001.

★923★

Reformed Mennonite Church

602 Strasburg Pike
Lancaster, PA 17602

The oldest splinter from the Mennonite Church that still survives dates from 1812. It grew out of a previously existing separatist congregation headed by Francis Herr, who had been expelled from the church for irregularities in a horse trade. After Herr's death, his son John Herr, never a religious man, took up his father's faith, became convicted of sin, was baptized, and soon rose to a position of leadership. He was then chosen bishop. John Herr and his associates immediately began to issue a set of pamphlets charging the Mennonite Church with being worldly and corrupt. They complained of laxity in enforcing discipline and separation from the world. Based on Herr's ideas, the Reformed Mennonite Church was created.

In relation to the Mennonite Church, the Reformed Mennonites emphasize the exclusive claims of their particular faith, practices and community. All who are not Reformed Mennonites are considered to be of the world. The Reformed Mennonites practice the ban and avoidance rigidly. They dress plainly and tend to live in plain surroundings. Membership is located primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Membership: Not reported.

Sources:

Bear, Robert. Delivered Unto Satan. Carlisle, PA: The Author, 1974.

Christianity Defined. Lancaster, PA: Reformed Mennonite Church, 1958.

Funk, John F. The Mennonite Church and Her Accusers. Elkhart, IN: Mennonite Publishing Company, 1878.

The Reformed Mennonites, Who They Are and What They Believe. Lancaster, PA: Reformed Mennonite Church, n.d.

★924★

Stauffer Mennonite Church

Current address not obtained for this edition.

Jacob Stauffer, a minister in the Mennonite Church at Groffdale, Pennsylvania, was the leader of a group in a progressive conservative split. The issue was the ban, which Stauffer and colleague Joseph Wenger of the Old Order (Wenger) Mennonites believed should be applied more strictly. About forty members withdrew from the Mennonite Church, demanding that when the ban was used there should be no communion between the church and the offender.

The Stauffers have continued in their conservative ways. They are part of the horse and buggy culture but, unlike the Amish, are cleanshaven and will ride trains on long trips. They prefer the oneroom school and refrain from politics (even voting). Though never large, and hurt by one major schism, the group has grown steadily by maintaining a rather high birth rate.

Membership: Not reported.

★925★

United Zion Church

181 Hurst Dr.
Ephrata, PA 17522

The United Zion's Children originated in 1855 following the expulsion of Bishop Matthias Brinser from the River Brethren (i.e., the Brethren in Christ) for building and holding services in a meetinghouse. Other than the use of church buildings, there were no doctrinal differences. An annual conference is held but the government is congregational. The United Zion's Children was strengthened within a few years by some churches formed by Henry Grumbein and Jacob Pfautz. These groups accepted Brinser because of a revelation, but remain a separate unit within the church. They constitute one of three districts which send representatives to the annual conference. Mission work is supported through the Brethren in Christ. One home for the aged is maintained.

During the twentieth century several attempts have been made to improve the relationship between the United Zion Church and the Brethren in Christ, and even to look toward a future reunion. In 1967 the Brethren in Christ passed a resolution asking for the forgiveness of the United Zion Church for the action of the Church's council in 1855 and the continued lack of humility on their part which has kept the two groups apart. The next year the United Zion Church issued a formal statement offering complete forgiveness. These resolutions became the basis for cooperative action on the mission field and in higher education. A member of United Zion Church currently sits on the board of Brethren in Christ-founded Messiah College.

Membership: Not reported.

Educational Facilities: Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania.

Periodicals: Zion's Herald.

Sources:

A History of the United Zion Church, 1853-1980. N.p. 1981.

Wittlinger, Carlton O. Quest for Piety and Obedience. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1978.

★926★

Weaver Mennonites

1259 Scalp Ave.
Johnstown, PA 15904

The one schism affecting the Stauffer Mennonite Church was occasioned by the issue of the strictness of the ban. In 1916, the son of aged Bishop Aaron Sensenig married outside the faith. The girl was received into the Stauffer Mennonite Church but later returned to her earlier heritage. The church was split over the strictness of the ban to be applied to the girl. The lenient group, led by Sensenig and John A. Weaver, left and began a new congregation and constructed a meeting house near New Holland, Pennsylvania.

Membership: Not reported. There is one congregation of approximately 60 members.

★927★

Weaverland Conference Old Order (Horning or Black Bumper) Mennonites

Current address not obtained for this edition.

Bishop Moses Horning (1870-1955) established a liberal wing of the Old Order (Wisler) Mennonites. His followers use automobiles, but only for necessary purposes. The car must be black and without "frivolous" trim. Most of the members cover the chrome with black paint to avoid further ostentation.

Membership: Not reported. There are five congregations, all located in southeastern Pennsylvania, and approximately 1,700 members.