OUR MOTTO: Scriptural in life and Scriptural in practice.
OUR WATCHWORD: Go into all the world and preach the gospel.
OUR AIM: Be it our aim to be more sancified, more righteous, more holy, and perfect through faith and obedience.
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The church uniformly maintains that its only creed is the New Testament. In a nonliturgical church such as the Dunkard Brethren, cultural inheritance and geography will inevitably, with the passage of time, cause some differences in local customs. Yet the Dunkard Brethren have preserved a remarkable homogeneity, the great annual meeting, which is an annual reunion as well, being a definite element in preserving unity of outlook.
There is no binding creed other than the New Testament itself, yet the Dunkard Brethren Church Polity statement "is declared to embody the doctrines, principles and practices for which the Dunkard Brethren Church stands."
The following widely circulated "Brethren Card" (1923) statement may be regarded as a fair presentation of Dunkard Brethren doctrine.
1. This is the conservative part of the body of Christians originated in the 18th century, the church being a natural outgrowth of the Pietistic movement following the Reformation.
2. Firmly accepts and teaches the fundamental evangelical doctrines of the inspiration of the Bible, the personality of the Holy Spirit, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the sin-pardoning value of his atonement, his resurrection from the tomb, ascension and personal and visible return, and resurrection both of the just and unjust (John 5:28, 29; I Thess. 4:13-18).
3. Observes the following New Testament rites: Baptism of penitent believers by trine immersion for the remission of sins (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38); feet-washing (John 13:1-20; I Tim. 5:10); love feast (Luke 22:20; John 13:4:1 Cor. 11:17-34; Jude 12); Communion (the Lord's Supper) (Matt. 26:26-30); the Christian salutation (Rom. 16:16; Acts 20:37); proper appearance in worship (I Cor. 11:2-16); the anointing for healing in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-18; Mark 6:13); laying on of hands (Acts 8:17; 19:6; I Tim. 4:14). These rites are representative of spiritual facts which obtain in the lives of true believers and as such are essential factors in the development of the Christian life.
4. Emphasizes daily devotion for the individual and family worship for the home (Eph. 6:18-20; Phil. 4:8, 9); stewardship of time, talents and money (Matt. 25:14-30); taking care of the fatherless, widows, poor, sick and aged (Acts 6:1-7).
5. Opposes on Scriptural grounds: War and the taking of human life (Matt. 5:21-26, 43, 44; Rom. 12:19-21; Isa. 53:7-12); violence in personal and industrial controversy (Matt. 7:12; Rom. 13:8-10); intemperance in all things (Titus 2:2; Gal. 5:19-26; Eph. 5:18); going to law, especially against our Christian brethren (I Cor. 6:1-9); divorce and remarriage (Matt. 19); every form of oath (Matt. 5:33-37; James 5:12); membership in secret, oath-bound societies (II Cor. 6:14-18); games of chance and sinful amusements (I Thess. 5:22; I Peter 2:11; Rom. 12:17); extravagant and immodest dress (I Tim. 2:8-10; I Peter 3:1-6).
6. Labors earnestly in harmony with the Great Commission, for the evangelization of the world, for the conversion of men to Jesus Christ, and for the realization of the life of Jesus Christ in every believer (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; 16; II Cor. 3:18).
7. Maintains the New Testament as its only creed, in harmony with which the above brief statement is made.
Except for the mode of baptism by triune immersion and the requirement of wearing the beard by ministers, which was long maintained, Mennonites and Brethren as denominations had so much in common in their earlier history that they were often confused by outsiders. In dress the Brethren dressed as "plain" as the Mennonites until recent times, and in Eastern Pennsylvania many Dunkard Brethren still dress "plain."
The Brethren were in their earlier history much more aggressive than the Mennonites, hence have grown much more rapidly and secured a larger proportion of members from the "outside." Numerous Mennonites were won by early Brethren evangelistic efforts and many names in the Brethren Church of today are Mennonite in origin: e.g., Bowman, Moyer, Ziegler. The original number of Brethren immigrants was about 200, compared to the Mennonite immigrants numbering 3,000 during the colonial period. Today the Dunkard Brethren Church number about 900-1000 members.
In numerous cases the Brethren and Mennonites have settled in the same general areas; e.g., Lancaster Co., Pa., the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and Elkhart Co., Ind. However, little fraternization has taken place on the local level, largely because of the earlier sharp Brethren emphasis on immersion.
This is basicly from The Mennonite Encyclopedia, "Church of the Brethren" article by H. S. Bender. A few changes were made to make it more representive of the Dunkard Brethren.
Updated January 2007
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