Plain Evangelical Brethren

[Elmer]

Plain Evangelical Brethren

This article aims to cover the plain evangelical Brethren groups that have formed out of the Church of the Brethren as it journeyed away from Biblical Conservativism. This article does not include those groups with an origin in the Old Order Brethren or Old German Baptist Brethren.

In 1922, B. E. Kessler, a conservative Elder in the Church of the Brethren (COB), began publishing a monthly paper called The Bible Monitor, addressing concerns where he and some others felt the COB were drifting. Of special concern was the wearing of plain dress and the headcovering. In 1926, due to unresolved differences, a group withdrew from the COB and formed the Dunkard Brethren. Today the Dunkard Brethren are found in Kenya, Africa, and in about 20 congregations in the United States.

In 1931, under the leadership of Clayton F. Weaver and Ervin J. Keeny, a group withdrew from the Dunkard Brethren to form a more conservative group called the Conservative German Baptist Brethren. In 1946, under the leadership of Loring I. Moss, another group of more conservative Brethren formed out of the Dunkard Brethren, calling themselves the Primitive Dunkard Brethren. In 1948, the two groups merged under the former name. Moss later withdrew and joined the Old Brethren. At one point the Conservative German Baptist Brethren had two congregations: at New Madison, Ohio, and near New Freedom, Pennsylvania.

In November of 1948, a group of Brethren withdrew from the COB under the leadership of Clair H. Alspaugh. Two issues were the reason for the division: the COB's association with the Federal (now National) Council of the Churches of Christ in America and the lack of the Brethren to endorse doctrinal preaching as inspired by the Holy Spirit. The original congregation, called The Mountain House, was found at Carlisle Springs, Pennsylvania. A second congregation, now defunct, was found at Campbelltown, Pennsylvania. A third congregation was formed in 1954 at Locust Grove Chapel near Abbotstown, York County, Pennsylvania. They have required beards for ministers and cape dresses and black stockings for the women. The group should not be confused with the Bible Brethren Fellowship containing the Broadfording Church at Hagerstownn Maryland.

Around 1968, Paul Beidler led a group out of the Lititz Dunkard Brethren Church. The cause of the division was caused by an unauthorized prayer meeting led by Paul Beidler, which caused contention in the Lititz Congregation. In 1970, the group joined the Campbelltown congregation of the Bible Brethren only to withdraw in 1974 to form the Christ's Ambassadors. There were two congregations in 1980: Little Kutztown near Myerstown, Pennsylvania, and Flickingers near Cocalico, Pennsylvania. I am uncertain whether the second congregation still exists. In the late 2010s the Little Kutztown Congregation split over the issue of the internet with Reading Christian Fellowship forming in Reading, Pennsylvania, with John Michael Nolt as a minister.

In 1972, Upper Marsh Creek withdrew from the COB. Later in the year, former members of the Antietam Church formed the Blue Rock congregation. Those two congregations formed what is known as the Independent Brethren. I am unsure whether the Upper Marsh Creek Independent Brethren of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, still exists. However, the Blue Rock Independent Brethren Church existing near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, along with the Little Kutztown Chapel near Myerstown, Pennsylvania, makes up the Independent Brethren today as I understand it. The Independent Brethren opposed affiliation with the National Council of Churches and require plain dress.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a group of more conservative Brethren left the Lititz and Bethel Dunkard Brethren congregations. They had two meetinghouses: one west of Lititz, Pennsylvania, and the other at Frystown, Pennsylvania. They are called the Conservative Baptist Brethren. I believe only the Frystown congregation exists today. A spilt among them led to the formation of the Conservative Brethren Church, known as Millbach, near the Middle Creek Wildlife in southern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Another group also known simply as Conservative Brethren Church, was established under the leadership of Ray Wagner at Central Plains, Virginia, in 1968. The origins of this congregation come from an independent congregation formed in Adams County, Pennsylvania, around 1955 by Paul Stauffer and several fellow members of the Upper Conewago COB. Around 1964, the Adams County group relocated to Fluvanna County, Virginia, where a congregation was formed under the leadership of Ray Wagner. It is doubtful to me that the Central Plains Conservative Brethren of Virginia are still plain. The former Conservative Brethren Church (Millbach) and the Conservative Baptist Brethren Church still uphold plain dress.

In the summer of 2016, seven families began meeting together, eventually at the Midway Mennonite Reception Center in Lititz, Pennsylvania. They call themselves Servants of Christ Anabaptist Fellowship. If I am not mistaken, they are of the same group with Frank Reed, who runs Biblical Brethren Fellowship, his personal blog from a conservative Brethren/Anabaptist viewpoint which I believe he began in the early 2010s.

Various of the conservative Brethren congregations come together each July for a Camp Meeting in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1950, Bible Helps was formed and prints literature from a plain evangelical Brethren perspective.

In 1959, Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) was formed as a concern movement within the COB. Various congregations have identified loosely with BRF while remaining in the COB. Around 2012, The Council for Brethren Elders (CBE) was formed as a way for training free (unsalaried) ministers of the plain evangelical congregations in the COB. In the late 2010s and early 2020s these conservative Brethren congregations have withdrawn from the COB. They are currently considering forming their affiliation. The churches potentially involved include the Pleasant Hill and Upper Conewago (Mummerts) Churches in York and Adams Counties, White Oak and Heidelberg in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, Hade's, Upton, Trinityn and Shank's in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and Lewiston, Wales and Sanford in Maine. There is also an Annual Brethren Camp Meeting held at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which is primarily sponsored by these conservative churches.

The Covenant Brethren Church formed out of the COB around 2020. Although not plain in general, there are individual members and certain congregations that contain more plain members. Welsh Run Covenant Brethren in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and Blue River Covenant Brethren in Indiana are two congregations where the veiling would not be necessarily uncommon.

While I have no way to gauge the extensiveness of my coverage of the plain and evangelical Brethren, it has been my desire to present an exhaustive and accurate description. Any corrections or updates are welcome.

[JohnH]

Thanks for an informative post.

I wonder if any connections have / are happening between the Plain Evangelical Brethren and the New Conference Old German Baptist Brethren. As I understand it, connections between the Dunkards have existed for a long time.

[Elmer]

Thanks for an informative post.

I wonder if any connections have / are happening between the Plain Evangelical Brethren and the New Conference Old German Baptist Brethren. As I understand it, connections between the Dunkards have existed for a long time.

I believe at least some are involved in volunteering with CDS: https://www.christiandisasterservice.org/

There are probably other connections as well but to what extent, I have no idea.