The Brethren in Christ denomination began sometime between 1775 and 1788, near the present town of Marietta, Pennsylvania. Impacted deeply by the revivals of the Great Awakening of the 18th century, our founding mothers and fathers brought strong Anabaptist and Pietist backgrounds with them, emphasizing a personal, heartfelt conversion experience.
The earliest Brethren in Christ called themselves “the Brethren.” Outsiders often referred to them as “River Brethren” since they lived mostly along the Susquehanna River. By 1788 a group of the Brethren immigrated to Canada where they became known as the “Tunkers,” a reference to their practice of baptism (from the German word meaning “to dip”). Other Brethren in Christ moved westward from Pennsylvania, settling in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and California.
The early Brethren expressed discipleship in practical ways. They avoided “worldly” activities, like engaging in politics or playing cards. Desiring to separate themselves from the world, they dressed simply and avoided wearing jewelry, bright colors, or frills.
The early Brethren in Christ took their name seriously; they believed they were a brotherhood in Christ and practiced as such. To symbolize their concept of brotherhood, members held worship services in their homes for much of the first 100 years of BIC history. And even when the Brethren began to construct buildings referred to as “meetinghouses,” they kept them simple with pews surrounding the interior on three sides and an un-elevated pulpit. Thus, the Brethren met in common around the Word of God. Very early in our Church’s history, members began to move and take their beliefs with them.
Around the time of the United States’ Civil War, the Brethren decided to record themselves under the present name, “Brethren in Christ.” Then, in 1879, the North American Church (U.S. and Canada) organized into a general conference, providing overall guidance to regional and local churches and paving the way for systematic evangelism.
In 1894, the BIC founded their first home mission in Chicago, and, four years later, established their first foreign missions work in the African nation of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Today, Brethren in Christ churches can be found all across the United States and Canada, and in more than 23 countries around the world.