The
Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an
evangelicalEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s.Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be: a belief in the need for personal conversion ; some expression of the gospel in effort; a high regard for biblical authority; and an emphasis on the...
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
denominationA Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity.Worldwide, Christians are divided, often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and another are...
based in
Huntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is the largest city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township...
.
Overview
The church is a Protestant denomination of
episcopalEpiscopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop . This episcopal structure is found most often in the various churches of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and other Eastern Church, and...
structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the
MennoniteThe Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
and German Reformed communities of 18th century
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, as well as close ties to
MethodismMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to Reverend John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement in the Anglican Church. His younger brother...
. It was founded by
Martin BoehmMartin Boehm was an American clergyman and pastor. He was the son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
and is the first American denomination that was not transplanted from Europe.
In 1889, a controversy over membership in secret societies, such as the Freemasons, the proper way to modify the church's constitution, and other issues split the United Brethren into majority liberal and minority conservative blocs, the latter of which was led by Bishop Milton Wright (father of the
Wright BrothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans who are generally credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
).
The majority faction merged with the
Evangelical ChurchThe Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association, also known as the Albright Brethren, is a "body of American Christians chiefly of German descent", Arminian in doctrine and theology; in its form of church government, Methodist Episcopal....
in 1946 to form a new denomination known as the
Evangelical United Brethren ChurchThe Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
(EUB). This in turn merged in 1968 with The Methodist Church to form the
United Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which traces its roots back to the evangelical, holiness, revival movement of John and Charles Wesley within the Anglican Church. As such, the church's theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan. It contains both liturgical and...
(UMC).
The Wright-led faction (The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Old Constitution) continues today as a denomination of about 550 congregations, with 47,300 members in fifteen countries. The US National Conference consists of about 200 churches and 25,000 members in the United States, plus mission districts in Haiti and India. The United States national office, known as Healthy Ministry Resources, is located in
Huntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is the largest city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township...
, as is the denomination's only college,
Huntington UniversityHuntington University is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Huntington, Indiana. Huntington University offers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees in approximately 70 academic concentrations....
and its Graduate School of Christian Ministries.
History
Though not organized until 1800, the roots of the church reach back to 1767. In May of that year, a
Great Meeting (part of the interdenominational revival movement known as the "
Great AwakeningThe First Great Awakening was a period of heightened religious activity, primarily in the United Kingdom and its North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.-History:...
") was held at a barn belonging to Isaac Long in
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the county seat of Lancaster County. With a population of 55,351, it is the eighth largest city in Pennsylvania, behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Bethlehem, and Scranton...
.
Martin BoehmMartin Boehm was an American clergyman and pastor. He was the son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
(1725-1812), a
MennoniteThe Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
preacher, spoke of his becoming a Christian through crying out to God while plowing in the field.
Philip William OtterbeinPhilip William Otterbein was a U.S. clergyman. He was the founder of the United Brethren in Christ, a group that is a forerunner of today's United Methodist Church....
(1726-1813), a Reformed pastor at
York, PennsylvaniaYork, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. The population was 40,862 at the 2000 census. York is the county seat of York County, and is located at...
, left his seat, embraced Boehm and said to him, "Wir sind Brüder (we are brethren)". The followers of Boehm and Otterbein formed a loose movement for many years. It spread to include German-speaking churches in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio. In 1800, they began a yearly conference. Thirteen ministers attended the first conference at the home of Peter Kemp in
Frederick, MarylandFrederick is a city in west-central Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a...
. At that conference in 1800, they adopted a name, the
United Brethren in Christ, and elected Boehm and Otterbein as bishops of the conference. The United Brethren Church claims this organization in 1800 as the first denomination to actually begin in the United States. A Confession of Faith was adopted in 1815 (similar to one written by Otterbein in 1789), and it has remained the statement of church doctrine to the present. In 1841, they adopted a Constitution. It has remained mostly intact, being changed only a few times.
The United Brethren took a strong stand against slavery, beginning around 1820. After 1837, slave owners were no longer allowed to remain as members of the United Brethren Church. In 1847 the United Brethren founded
Otterbein CollegeOtterbein College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Westerville, Ohio. The college was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. As a result of a division and two mergers involving the Church, the College has since 1968 been associated with the United Methodist...
in
Westerville, OhioWesterville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 as of the 2000 census, making Westerville then the largest suburb of Columbus...
, which continues today. In 1853, the
Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society was organized. Expansion occurred into the western United States, but the church's stance against slavery limited expansion to the south. By 1889, the United Brethren had grown to over 200,000 members with six bishops. In that same year they experienced a division. Denominational leaders desired to make three changes: to give local conferences proportional representation at the General Conference; to allow laymen to serve as delegates to General Conference; and to allow United Brethren members to hold membership in secret societies. The denominational leadership made these changes, but the minority felt the changes violated the Constitution because they were not made by the majority vote of all United Brethren members. One of the bishops, Milton Wright (the father of aviation pioneers Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright), disagreed with the actions of the majority. Bishop Wright and other conference delegates left the meeting and resumed the session elsewhere. They believed that the other delegates had violated the Constitution (and, in effect, withdrawn from the denomination), and deemed themselves to be the true United Brethren Church.
Until 1946 two groups operated under the name Church of the United Brethren in Christ. In 1946, the larger "United Brethren" church merged with the
Evangelical AssociationThe Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association, also known as the Albright Brethren, is a "body of American Christians chiefly of German descent", Arminian in doctrine and theology; in its form of church government, Methodist Episcopal....
to form the
Evangelical United Brethren Church. That body in turn merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to form the
United Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which traces its roots back to the evangelical, holiness, revival movement of John and Charles Wesley within the Anglican Church. As such, the church's theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan. It contains both liturgical and...
. The present
United Brethren Church is descended from the minority who organized under the leadership of Bishop Milton Wright. They eventually adopted two of the changes that led to the division of 1889 - local conferences have proportional representation at General Conference, and half of the delegates are laypersons. They believe they adopted them constitutionally. In 1897, denominational headquarters, a college and a publishing house were established in Huntington, Indiana.
William Otterbein retained a connection with the Reformed Church, pastoring a Reformed Church in
Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
from 1774 until his death in 1813. Martin Boehm was excluded by the Mennonites in 1775. He joined the Methodist Church in 1802, while remaining bishop of the United Brethren until his death in 1812.
Francis AsburyBishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States.-Biography:...
, bishop of the Methodist Church in America, spoke at the memorial services of both of these United Brethren bishops. Otterbein had assisted in Asbury's ordination.
Faith and Practice
The
Church of the United Brethren in Christ is a conservative Trinitarian body of Christians that hold the deity, humanity, and atonement of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
; that the Bible, in both the
OldIn Christianity, the Old Testament is the collection of books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. These works correspond to the Hebrew Bible , with some variations and additions. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the comparable texts are known as the Septuagint, from the...
and
New TestamentThe New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament, both terms being associated with Supersessionism...
s, is the
inspiredBiblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself.- Etymology :The word inspiration comes by way of the Latin and the King James...
Word of God; and that salvation is through faith, repentance and following after Christ. The church holds two ordinances:
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
and the Lord's supper. The church takes a neutral position on the observance of
feet washingFoot washing or washing of feet is a religious rite observed as an ordinance by several Christian denominations. The name, and even the spelling, of this practice is not consistently established, being variously known as foot washing, washing the saints' feet, paedalavium, and mandatum.The...
, stating, "the example of washing feet is left to the judgment of every one to practice or not...".
Branches and Connections
For the first several decades the Church of the United Brethren in Christ was loosely organized, and known simply as the United Brethren Church. When they officially organized into a denomination they adopted the name "Church of the United Brethren in Christ" in order to avoid confusion with the
Unitas FratrumThis article is about the coordinating body of the Moravian Church worldwide. For the Christian denomination based in Texas see Unity of the Brethren....
(Unity of the Brethren), or as it more commonly was called in English, the United Brethren (also known as the Moravian Church.) Although there was influence by
PietismPietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin...
and the Moravians on the founders of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, there is no direct organizational link.
Likewise, there are no organizational connections with the Brethren denominations coming out of the German Brethren and
Swiss BrethrenThe Swiss Brethren were a group of radical evangelical reformers who initially followed Ulrich Zwingli of Zürich, but later started the movement now known as Anabaptism. In 1525, Felix Manz, Conrad Grebel, George Blaurock and others formed a new group, which rejected infant baptism and preached...
movements, nor are there any connections with various
Latter Day SaintA Latter Day Saint is an adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement, a group of denominations tracing their heritage to the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. and the Church of Christ he organized in 1830...
groups that use "United Brethren" in their name.
Church of the Brethren in Christ
Known branches of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ include several congregations led by United Brethren founder
Martin BoehmMartin Boehm was an American clergyman and pastor. He was the son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
that eventually became part of the Brethren in Christ Church. While they were associated with the United Brethren during the early decades, they never joined when the movement formalized into a denomination.
Missionary Church
There were also a small number of pastors and members that withdrew during the 1800s and eventually contributed to the convergence of denominations of what is now the
Missionary ChurchThe Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist heritage.-Faith and practice:The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body that believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of...
, USA, headquartered in
Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. As of 2008, the city had an estimated population of 251,591, ranking it the 73
rd largest city in the nation. It is the second largest city in Indiana, after Indianapolis...
.
United Christian Church
In addition a small group of members withdrew (primarily over a desire for a stronger stand on pacifism) to form one of the denominations known as the
United Christian ChurchThe denomination known as the United Christian Church is a small evangelical body of Christians with roots in the pietistic movement of Martin Boehm and William Otterbein...
around the middle of the 19th century.
Christian Union Church
In 1848 a small group withdrew to form the Republican United Brethren Church. They later merged with another small splinter group called the Reformed United Brethren Church to form the
Evangelical AssociationThe Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association, also known as the Albright Brethren, is a "body of American Christians chiefly of German descent", Arminian in doctrine and theology; in its form of church government, Methodist Episcopal....
(not to be confused with the later
Evangelical United Brethren ChurchThe Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
). The Evangelical United Brethren Association is said to have united with others to form the
Churches of Christ in Christian UnionThe Churches of Christ in Christian Union was formed in 1909 when five ministers from the Christian Union denomination and some sixty laypeople left the organization of which they had been a part of and organized as the Churches of Christ in Christian Union. Since 1945 the CCCU has reached to 15...
in 1864.
United Methodist Church & United Church of Canada
The largest "branching" came in 1889 when the main body divided into two groups. The larger group embraced a new constitution while the smaller group retained the original constitution. The larger group was known as the Church of the United Brethren in Christ or, later, The United Brethren Church (UB). In 1946 the United Brethren Church merged with the
Evangelical ChurchThe term Evangelical Church may refer specifically to:* Evangelical Church in Germany - largest Protestant denomination in Germany;* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - largest Lutheran denomination in the USA;...
to form the
Evangelical United Brethren ChurchThe Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
(EUB). In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged with the Methodist Church to form the
United Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which traces its roots back to the evangelical, holiness, revival movement of John and Charles Wesley within the Anglican Church. As such, the church's theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan. It contains both liturgical and...
(UMC).
In Canada the more liberal United Brethren group after 1889 joined with the Congregationalists in 1906. The Congregationalists then joined with the Methodist Church and most of the Presbyterian Churches in Canada in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada. The more conservative United Brethren Church after 1889 continues to this day as the United Brethren Church in Canada.
Evangelical Church of North America & Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada
In 1968, a number of the Evangelical United Brethren Churches in the US and Canada left the Evangelical United Brethren Church/United Methodist Church. Some rejoined the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, other denominations, or remained independent. Most joined together to form the Evangelical Church of North America. Later, due to international laws and legal requirements by Revenue Canada, the Canadian branch of the Evangelical Church of North America withdrew to form its own denomination. The Evangelical Church in Canada then merged with the Missionary Church of Canada to form the Evangelical Missionary Church in Canada. Fraternal ties between the Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Missionary Church have been maintained.
United Believers in Christ
Most of the churches of California Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA withdrew from the denomination during the fall of 2005 and started their own group, called United Believers in Christ. Although those churches had strongly supported the initiatives of UBHope, a group which opposed the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA joining with the Missionary Church, USA and although many of the ideas ultimately adopted originated from UBHope, the California churches continuted to disagree with the direction of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.
Church of the United Brethren in Christ (Old Constitution)
The smaller group of churches resulting from the 1889 division became known as the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ (Old Constitution)The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Old Constitution is that part of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ which withdrew from the larger body in 1889 when the majority group adopted a new constitution...
. Later, after the other Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New Constitution) changed names with its 1946 merger with the Evangelical Church, "Old Constitution" was dropped from the name. Today, they are often casually referred to as United Brethren (UB) or the United Brethren Church (UBC).
Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International
In the late 1980s through the early 2000s, a need to comply with changing international laws resulted in the creation of a number of self-governing United Brethren "national conferences", organized by country. These independent national denominations covenanted together to create an interdependent body called the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International. They must all agree to follow the Confession of Faith of 1815, as well as a set of seven Core Values. The other international governing documents include a Constitution and By-Laws.
The General Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International, meets every four years. It is the highest governing body of the church, and is composed of representatives from the nine national conferences. Each national conference can send at least two delegates, with additional delegates awarded depending on the size of the conference in worship attendance. The national conference of each country elects its own highest official (often called the bishop). These national conference officials make up an international Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets annually, usually electronically, to take care of business between sessions of the General Conference.
National Conferences
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International currently consists of nine self-governing national conferences. Seven of them existed when the international structure was adopted in 2001. Two more conferences,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, were accepted as part of the denomination in 2005. The nine national conferences are:
- The United Brethren Church in Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Hong Kong
Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width, amounting to 11,100 km
2. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Nicaragua
Nicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
- The Philippine
The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
National Conference of the United Brethren In Christ
- aka "Looking Unto Jesus United Brethren In Christ Church"
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has a population estimated at 6.4 million...
- The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA
Mission Districts
In addition there are seven mission districts. A mission district is a collection of churches in a country which are not yet organized into a national conference. Instead, those churches are under the supervision of a national conference. For example, Global Ministries of the United States National Conference currently oversees mission districts in
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
and India, while Hong Kong Conference oversees the three churches in
MacauThe Macau Special Administrative Region , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong...
and the work in
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. Any mission district can seek status as a national conference if it meets and maintains the following criteria:
- It consists of at least five churches within that country.
- It is a legally recognized entity within that country.
- No other United Brethren national conference exists in that country.
- It is organized with a constitution and other governing documents.
- Its governing documents, teachings, and practices do not conflict with the Confession of Faith, Core Values, Constitution, and Bylaws of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International.
If a mission district meets those requirements, it can apply for national conference status through this procedure:
- The churches in the mission district vote to seek membership in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International.
- They develop their governing documents and submit them to the international Executive Committee for review.
- The General Conference approves, by a two-thirds vote, the request for membership.
These are the current mission districts:
- Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
(oversight by NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
)
- El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 5.7 million people as of 2009 on...
(oversight by HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
)
- Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(oversight by Sierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has a population estimated at 6.4 million...
)
- Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
(oversight by NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
)
- Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
(oversight by Global Ministries [USA])
- India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
(oversight by Global Ministries [USA])
- Macau
The Macau Special Administrative Region , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong...
(oversight by Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
)
- Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
(oversight by Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
)
(see also: other Protestant missionary societies in China during the 19th Century)
Organization
The General Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, International, meets every four years. It is the highest governing body of the church, and is composed of representatives from the nine national conferences. Each national conference can send at least two delegates, with additional delegates awarded depending on the size of the conference in worship attendance. The national conference of each country elects its own highest official (often called the bishop). These national conference officials make up an international Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets annually to take care of business between sessions of the General Conference.
Organization
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA is the United Brethren national conference for the United States. Its national offices are located in Huntington, Indiana. Led by an elected bishop, it is composed of clergy and lay representatives from US congregations and US-sponsored mission fields. The national conference meets every two years, with the last National Conference held May 30-June 3, 2007 at Sawmill Resort, Huron, Ohio.
On October 14, 2003 the Executive Leadership Team of the United Brethren Church, USA voted to pursue joining with the
Missionary ChurchThe Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist heritage.-Faith and practice:The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body that believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of...
. The joining was tentatively scheduled to occur in 2005 but was defeated by a vote of the membership in 2004. This action, had it received a favorable vote, would have combined the United Brethren churches in the United States into the Missionary Church USA, so that all of those congregations would have become Missionary Church congregations.
At the 2005 National Conference of the United Brethren Church, USA significant changes were passed that initiated a major restructuring and refocusing of the denomination. The new organizational structure eliminates the multiple geographical "annual conferences" which had existed since 1810, and replaced them with smaller groupings, called "clusters", consisting of 5-10 churches and their pastors. Clusters were designed to better equip congregations and their leadership while building stronger relationships and accountability.
The new structure does the following:
- Moves the National Conference from a four-year cycle to a two-year cycle.
- Requires each United Brethren church in the United States to affirm its continued support for a covenant agreement every two years. The covenant agreement lays out the minimum expectations to be a United Brethren church.
- Requires that all pastors and their congregations work together with other pastors and congregations in groups of 5-10 churches called "clusters." The new structure allows flexibility in the formation and focus of a cluster. Each cluster has a leader who has been trained to equip the pastors in the cluster to equip their churches. All cluster leaders are appointed by the United States bishop, and they report to the Director of Healthy Church Ministries, a national conference staff member.
- Allows for a variety of mission-focused networks and associations to be created. These groups may revolve around world evangelism, camps, church planting, or any number of other affinities.
- Requires a "partnership fee" of 3.5% of a church's income. Before 2005, most churches paid around 12% of their income toward conference and denominational interests. The elimination of the annual conferences, a mid-level geographic entity with its own leaders and programs, enabled the fee to be drastically reduced and thereby keep more finances at the local church level.
Any church, regardless of denominational affiliation, may participate in the clusters and affinity groups under the new structure. While a church is not required to be a United Brethren church, it does need to agree to basic beliefs and values. In order to have a representative vote in the National Conference, however, a church must be in good standing with a signed covenant with the United Brethren Church, USA.
The covenant must be signed by each church every two years, and reciprocally signed by the bishop. If a church chooses not to sign the covenant, they are basically withdrawing from the denomination. The covenant includes these six points:
- They are committed to the Confession of Faith.
- They agree with the core values of the United Brethren in Christ, International.
- They agree to abide by the Constitution and Discipline of the US National Conference.
- They are passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission through their local church.
- They support the ministry and mission of the United Brethren Church, USA, through the annual partnership fee.
- They will participate in a cluster
Affiliated ministries
- Healthy Ministry Resources is the name of the national office for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.
- Global Ministries, located in Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is the largest city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township...
, is the official agency of the Church of the United Brethren Church, USA, for worldwide evangelism and discipleship. Areas of responsibility include overseeing mission conferences, certifying missionaries, and promoting connections between US and non-US congregations. US Global Ministries and the United Brethren Church in Canada work together under a joint ministry agreement; two representatives from the Canadian church serve on the Global Ministries Leadership Team.
- Huntington University
Huntington University is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Huntington, Indiana. Huntington University offers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees in approximately 70 academic concentrations....
, and the Huntington University Graduate School of Christian Ministries, located in Huntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is the largest city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township...
, are owned and operated by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA. The successor of Hartsville Seminary, Huntington University was founded in 1897 as Central College. It soon changed its name to Huntington College, becoming Huntington University on July 1, 2005.
- Laurel Mission is a holistic ministry meeting physical, social, and spiritual needs in rural Kentucky.
- Michindoh Camp and Conference Center is a Christian conference center in Hillsdale, Mich. In April 2008, all assets of Michindoh Camp and Conference Center were transferred to the Lenawee Christian Foundation (Adrian, Mich.), which now oversees the camp operations.
- Rhodes Grove Camp is a campground located near Chambersburg, Pa. It was the campground of the Mid-Atlantic Conference until 2005, when Rhodes Grove became an independent entity with its own board of directors. The camps strong connections with United Brethren churches continue.
- Camp Living Waters is a United Brethren campground in Luther, Mich. In 2005, Camp Living Waters became an independent entity, while retaining strong connections with the founding United Brethren churches.
- Camp Cotubic, located in Bellefontaine, Ohio, was the campground of the former Central Conference of the US National Conference. It became an independent entity, with its own board of directors, in 2006, though the historic connections with United Brethren churches in Ohio and Indiana continue.
Key national leaders
- Rev. Phil Whipple, Bishop
- Rev. Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
- Donna Hollopeter, Associate Director of Global Ministries
- Dr. G. Blair Dowden, Director of Higher Education
- Steve Dennie, Director of Communications
- Marci Hammel, Finance Director
Publications
- UB.org is the official website of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.
- UBMissions.com is the official website of Global Ministries.
- Healthy Ministry Resources.com is the website for the national office.
- "Worldview" is the official publication of Global Ministries and is published monthly.
- The BishopBlog and UB News, are online publications and are updated frequently.
- AtMyChurch.com is a service of Healthy Ministry Resources which designs and hosts websites for United Brethren churches.
Status
The total number of United Brethren churches is 600, with a membership of 47,300. In 2000, membership in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was 24,603 in 253 congregations. The majority of United Brethren churches are located in
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
,
IndianaIndiana is a U.S. state, the 19
th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16
th in population and 17
th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38
th in land area, and is the...
, and
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Outside the United States, there are churches in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
,
El SalvadorEl Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 5.7 million people as of 2009 on...
,
GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
,
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
,
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
,
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
,
JamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width, amounting to 11,100 km
2. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
,
MacauThe Macau Special Administrative Region , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
,
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has a population estimated at 6.4 million...
, and
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
.
Higher education
Since its beginning in the 1700s, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ founded 34 colleges, seminaries, and academies in the United States. Only Huntington University is part of the current Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The complete list of colleges surviving as independent entities, include:
- Huntington University
Huntington University is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Huntington, Indiana. Huntington University offers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees in approximately 70 academic concentrations....
, Huntington, Indiana (UBC)
- Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College is a small, liberal arts higher education institution situated in the heart of Annville in Lebanon County, 40 minutes east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, Annville, Pennsylvania
- Otterbein College
Otterbein College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Westerville, Ohio. The college was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. As a result of a division and two mergers involving the Church, the College has since 1968 been associated with the United Methodist...
, Westerville, Ohio (Associated with the UMC)
- United Theological Seminary
United Theological Seminary is a United Methodist seminary in Trotwood, Ohio, United States, in the Dayton metropolitan area. Founded in 1869 by Milton Wright, it was originally sponsored by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
, Dayton, Ohio (UMC)
- University of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...
, Indianapolis, Indiana (UMC)
- Shenandoah University
Shenandoah University is an American private university with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 students in more than eighty programs. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Winchester, Virginia.U.S...
, Winchester, Virginia (UMC)
Notable United Brethren people
- Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the words to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."-Life:...
, who wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during...
", was a Sunday school teacher for the United Brethren.
- Orville and Wilbur Wright
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans who are generally credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, who invented the airplane, were the sons of United Brethren bishop Milton Wright.
- Orville D. Merillat
Orville D. Merillat , businessman and philanthropist, was born on a dirt farm in Tedrow, Ohio, on May 1, 1916, he quit school in the ninth grade to work on the family farm. He married Ruth Muller on January 19, 1941, and served in the U.S...
, founder of Merillat IndustriesMerillat Industries was founded in Adrian, Michigan as an American manufacturer of kitchen cabinets in 1946 by Orville D. Merillat. Now retired, Richard Merillat, took over from his father as CEO and President....
and a noted philanthropist, was a United Brethren member.
- J. Edward Roush
John Edward Roush was a U.S. Representative from Indiana.Born in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Roush graduated from Huntington High School, Huntington, Indiana, 1938.A.B., Huntington College, Huntington, Indiana, 1942....
, who represented Indiana's 4th Congressional District 1959-1977, and was instrumental in establishing the nationwide 911 emergency system.
National Conferences
Affiliated Ministries of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA
UB-Affiliated Camps in the United States
- Camp Living Waters, Luther, Michigan
- Camp Cotubic, Bellfontaine, Ohio
- Michindoh Ministries Camp and Conference Center, Hillsdale, Michigan
- Rhodes Grove Camp, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
- Scioto Youth Camp, Junction City, Ohio
Huntington University
Publications
- "Worldview", a monthly newsletter from Global Ministries distributed free to all United Brethren churches.
- bishopBlog
- UB News