| Dunkard Brethren Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Anabaptist |
| Orientation | Conservative Anabaptist |
| Theology | Schwarzenau Brethren |
| Associations | Brethren World Assembly |
| Origin | 1926 |
| Separations | Conservative German Baptist Brethren Church[1] |
| Congregations | 26 |
| Members | 1,035 |
| Official website | dunkardbrethrenchurch.com |
| Part of a series on the |
| Schwarzenau Brethren (the German Baptists or Dunkers) |
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TheDunkard Brethren Church is aConservative Anabaptist denomination of theSchwarzenau Brethren tradition, which organized in 1926 when its members withdrew from theChurch of the Brethren in the United States.[2]
The Dunkard Brethren Church observes theordinances ofbaptism,feetwashing,communion, theholy kiss,headcovering, andanointing of the sick.[3]
In 2001, the Dunkard Brethren Church had approximately 1035 members in 26 congregations.[2] As with other Conservative Anabaptist fellowships, the Dunkard Brethren Church holdsrevival services andSunday School, in addition to being engaged inevangelism andmissionary work.[4]
The nameDunkard orDunker is derived from thePennsylvania German worddunke, which comes from theGerman wordtunken, meaning "to dunk" or "to dip". This refers to their preference for the trineimmersion method of baptism, in the forward position, observed by all of the various branches ofSchwarzenau Brethren.[5]
The Dunkard Brethren are a branch of theSchwarzenau Brethren or Dunkards, an Anabaptist tradition that emerged during theRadical Pietist revival.[6] This movement began in 1708, whenAlexander Mack and seven other believers conducted baptism of new members by immersion in theEder river inGermany.
TheChurch of the Brethren represented the largest body of churches that descended from this originalpietist andAnabaptist movement. For the history until 1926 seeChurch of the Brethren: Early history andChurch of the Brethren: The Great Schism.
Early in the 20th century, some members of Church of the Brethren in the United States, the largest of the branch of the Schwarzenau Brethren, began to believe that there was a drift away from the old apostolic standards, such as the wearing ofplain dress and theheadcovering.[2] Benjamin Elias Kesler (1861–1952), an Elder of the Church of the Brethren in Missouri, addressed these concerns in a monthly paper. It was 20 pages and calledThe Bible Monitor, which he first published in October 1922. In 1923, Kesler was refused a seat at the Annual Conference. His conservative sympathizers held a separate meeting in each of the next three years.
During the Annual Conference in 1926, concerns nearly identical to those of Kesler and his sympathizers were addressed by other members, but not resolved in a way that satisfied Kesler and his followers. Subsequently the Kesler group withdrew from the Church of the Brethren and in 1926 formed the Dunkard Brethren Church.[7]
In 1719, led by Peter Becker, twenty families left Germany and immigrated to the US. They settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Alexander Mack led 200 other Brethren to the Netherlands in 1720; after living there for nine years, they found that religious conditions had deteriorated. They immigrated to the US, joining the original Dunkard group in Pennsylvania.[8]
Dunkard Brethren practicebeliever's baptism, that is, reserving baptism for a person old enough to commit to belief. A believer is immersed three times to represent the Trinity: once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Spirit. Most of the women of the Dunkard Brethren dress in aplain manner, which has been associated with otherConservative Anabaptists, such as theConservative Mennonites (including theBeachy Mennonites), as well asOld Order Anabaptist groups, such as theOld Order Brethren andOld Order Mennonites. Women are also expected to wear a plain whiteheadcovering, usually in the form of akapp.[2] Men keep their hair cut short.[2]
The Dunkard Brethren practice theholy kiss and thelove feast withfeetwashing. Divorce is not allowed for members of the church. They are discouraged from buyinglife insurance. Dunkard Brethren do not swear oaths to the state or organizations, and do not file lawsuits without permission of the church. The use of alcohol and tobacco is forbidden, as is watching television, or participating in gaming or gambling. Participation in politics, orlabor unions, and membership in secret fraternal societies such as theFreemasons, are seen as contrary to the Gospel and a pure heart.[9]
In 1980 there were 1,035 members in 26 congregations.[9] The Dunkard Brethren Church has 25 congregations in theUnited States, with approximately 900 members. The majority of the churches are located inPennsylvania,Maryland,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,California, andOhio. They support a mission among theNavajo Indians inNew Mexico, and a mission inAfrica.
The church's publication, a paper that has been published monthly since October 1922, is calledThe Bible Monitor.[1]