Who Are the German Baptist Brethren?
OGBB (Old German Baptist Brethren) and PCBC (Plymouth Brethren Church) are two groups of Baptists that are very different from one another. Each has a very specific set of beliefs, practices, and dress requirements.
Old German Baptist Brethren (OGBB)
Known as German Baptists, these members of the Plain Christian movement believe in traditional beliefs and practices. The Old German Baptist Brethren, like the Amish, emphasize the spiritual experience of living out the Gospel. They reject life insurance, professional salaried ministry, and organized evangelism.
Old German Baptist Brethren began as a division within the German Baptist Brethren in 1881. This division was the result of disagreements on the authority of the Annual Meeting. The more conservative group decided to leave the Old German Baptist Brethren and form a new body. They named it the Old German Baptist Brethren, New Conference.
The Old German Baptist Brethren emphasize baptism, submission, and traditional beliefs. Members practice baptism by immersion. They also oppose professional salaried ministry and political activity. They practice traditional dress, including long dresses for women. They also do not cut their beards. They use electricity and cars. Their ministers sit at the front of the church and wait for the Holy Spirit to move them to speak.
The Old German Baptist Brethren share a common belief in baptismal regeneration. The ritualized sharing of a holy kiss is a symbol of their distinct community. The ritual also emphasizes the importance of unity among members.
The Brethren are most active in the states of Indiana, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. They are represented in the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches as having 5832 members in 57 congregations in 1998.
Dunkard Brethren Church
During the eighteenth century, German Baptist Brethren emigrated to the United States. They were a part of the Pietist-Anabaptist movement that sought to reform European state-church systems. It stressed the importance of personal awareness of the consequences of human sinfulness, as well as the process of regeneration. They rejected parts of the Old Testament and a number of creeds.
The Brethren sect established a number of congregations in the United States. Their earliest recorded statement on slavery was in the Annual Conference minutes for 1797 at Blackwater, Virginia. They refused to take Communion from slaves, and barred those who held slaves from Communion.
The Brethren church group includes Old Order Brethren, Dunkards, Tunkers, German Baptists, and Dompelaars. The most conservative of the Brethren are found among the Old Order Brethren and Dunkards. They do not practice lay ministry, and they do not follow creeds or oaths.
The Brethren are a group of conservative Christians who follow the New Testament. They reject parts of the Old Testament and creeds, and they do not take part in war. They also do not own slaves. The Brethren church group was born out of the Anabaptist movement of the previous century, which stressed personal awareness of the eternal consequences of human sinfulness.
The Brethren sect emigrated to the United States between 1719 and 1733. They emigrated in two main groups. Some daughter congregations continued to use German Baptist practices. The Brethren emigrated during a period of religious intolerance in Europe.
Plymouth Brethren
During the 1700s, a small group of German Baptist Brethren began to emerge from a Pietist movement. This was followed by the founding of many new congregations.
The Brethren movement began as a reaction to the growing denominational structure in Europe. They developed a new denominational structure, eliminating the concept of ordination and clergy/laity separation. It was also an attempt to focus on missions, increasing ecumenical involvement and educating young people.
While the Brethren were originally based in Europe, they reached the United States in the early 1860s. They have been active in Central Africa, India, and South Korea. During the early 1900s, they also began to branch out into Latin America.
One of the most common Brethren terms is the Exclusive Brethren, a branch of the movement that has 45,000 members worldwide. They are known for their strict set of rules and belief that the world is run by the devil. They also believe that fellowship means eating out and business partnerships.
Another term used is the Open Brethren, a network of independent local churches that do not have a governing body. They hold gospel meetings in partnership with non-Brethren Evangelical Christian churches. They also have gifted brothers and sisters who lead private Bible studies.
In the United States, there are at least seven separate groups of the Brethren. They are called the Plymouth Brethren in some areas, but they are also known as the Darbyites or Exclusive Brethren in other areas.
OGBB schism
OGBB and the Avignon Papacy aren’t exactly on the same plane of existence so one tries to make the most of the situation by taking a page from the book of the latter. This is the best time to catch the eagle eyed beast at the bar while you are at it. You might even score a free drink in the process. OGBB is a great time to meet new friends, so bring your A game and you might just win the prize. After all, who knows, you might actually be one of them. A word of caution: if the bar is not your cup of tea, it may be better to leave your wallet at the door. You’re probably on a budget so be careful about the cash you drop. A well dressed host may be a worthy suitor. A well dressed host can make or break the deal. The OGBB is a slick organization and a slick organization is a slick organization.
The OGBB has a rich history with some of the most colorful characters to be found in the greater Constantinople. They are the best and the worst at the same time.
Practice of triple immersion
Historically, the German Baptist Brethren were almost contemporaneous with the Mennonite Brethren. They formed out of a pietistic revival movement in the seventeenth century. These groups emerged from a mixture of pietism and Anabaptist tradition. In their earliest days, the German Brethren were located in German-speaking states in western and southwestern parts of the Holy Roman Empire. They eventually spread into neighboring countries such as Poland, Ukraine, and Latvia.
In the early 17th century, a group of eight people were baptized in Schwarzenau, Germany. They were baptized by triune immersion, which signifies baptism after true faith. These brethren dissented from the Lutheran and Reformed churches. They emphasized simplicity and humility. They believed in the New Testament as an infallible guide for spiritual matters. They also rejected popular Eucharistic practices.
The first Mennonite Brethren baptism was by immersion. A pamphlet was printed that supported immersion. Another Mennonite, Jacob P. Bekker, was one of the first to be immersed. He was influenced by Ann Judson, a Baptist missionary in Burma.
The German Baptist Brethren are also known as “Dunkers.” They practice triple immersion. They are not to be confused with a small, revival movement of Plain Baptists. In the United States, they are most commonly found in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. They also hold an annual meeting during Pentecost. They are considered a fellowship today.
In the nineteenth century, the German Baptists began to expand into Ukraine and Poland. They eventually spread into the Baltic region of Latvia. The largest body of German Baptist Brethren remained as the German Baptist Brethren until 1908. In 1908, the largest body of German Baptists adopted the name Church of the Brethren.
Distinctive dress requirements
Among the Plains Christians, the Old German Baptist Brethren stand out. Their emphasis on submission is at odds with the individualistic discourses of Western society.
They also draw heavily on the Pietist legacy. Their homage to the ancients is their emphasis on the process of regeneration. They also believe in direct creation of the earth and heavens.
They also have a love feast. This is not to be confused with the love story, although they do have a love feast. In 1967, Johannes Thalitzer was the pastor of Christ’s Assembly in Copenhagen and initiated contact with several Brethren groups. He felt that each faction was deficient in belief. He later organized a branch of Christ’s Assembly at a love feast with nine Brethren.
The Old German Baptists also have a foot washing ritual. This is not a symbolic ritual, but it is intended to model members’ attitude toward others.
The Old Brethren have a total community roll of 20,000. They have a handful of congregations in about a dozen states, mainly in Pennsylvania. They see themselves as the closest thing to the original Schwarzenau band.
They have two congregations in Pennsylvania. One is located in Shrewsbury. The other is located in Arcanum. They also have two congregations in Ohio. The conservative German Baptist Brethren have 25 members in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania. They have 47 congregations in 2002. They also have a mascot, the German Baptist.