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 A 1685 illustration byJan Luyken, published inMartyrs Mirror, ofDirk Willems saving his pursuer, an act of mercy that led to his recapture, after which he was burned at the stake nearAsperen in the present-dayNetherlands |
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TheRiver Brethren are a group of historically relatedAnabaptist Christian denominations originating in 1770, during theRadical Pietist movement among German colonists inPennsylvania.[1][2][3] In the 17th century,Mennonite refugees from Switzerland had settled their homes near theSusquehanna River in the northeastern United States.
Their religious guides, Jacob and John Engle, joined with the revival, and their followers were often known by their locality: a group of brethren from north ofMarietta, Pennsylvania, on the east side of theSusquehanna River came to be known as theRiver Brethren.[4]
The initial spiritual leader of thebrethren wasMartin Boehm,evangelical preacher, who was excluded from the Mennonite Church. He later became bishop of theChurch of the United Brethren in Christ. TheRiver Brethren distanced themselves from Boehm and the United Brethren movement.
Influenced by theSchwarzenau Brethren (namedDunkers), the River Brethren developed a conviction that trine (triple, in allusion to theTrinity) immersion,[5] foot washing, adherence toplain dress, thewearing of a headcovering by women andteetotalism was the scriptural form of religion. They oppose war, alcohol, tobacco, and worldly pleasures.[6]
Nevertheless, they maintained their identity and did not join the Dunker movement.Jacob Engle is one of the early leaders who promoted trine immersion. The first confessional statement of this group was formulated around 1780.
As of 2010, there were four bodies of River Brethren in about 300 congregations:
Common to the Radical Piestic tradition, the River Brethren hold experience meetings, in which "members [are seen] testifying of God's work in their lives in bringing them to salvation and daily living."[7] When a member has aconversion experience, he or she begins taking part in the experience meeting and then requestsbaptism.[7] The Old Order River Brethren continue the practice of plain dress.[3]
Several factions of the River Brethren withdrew in the middle of the 19th century, including the Yorker Brethren and the United Zion Church, while the main body took the name Brethren in Christ, by which a group of Mennonites is also known.
There were about 11,000 members in the United States and Canada in 1992. They carry out missionary work in Asia and Africa.
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