Brethren in Europe

Brethren engagement in Europe swelled during and after World War II. The Brethren Service Commission began in 1939, first placing people in Civilian Public Service in the US, then organizing a network of relief efforts as the war came to a close.

Food and clothing aid was shipped across Europe from a chain of service centers in the United States, and the center in New Windsor, Md., later helped European refugees to resettle here. At the same time, “seagoing cowboys” delivered livestock shipments to Europe, and hundreds of volunteers crossed the Atlantic to help with rebuilding and other projects.

From those roots, a Brethren Service presence continues in Europe today, with an office in Geneva, Switzerland. A dozen or more Brethren Volunteer Service workers are typically living at any given time in Northern Ireland, England, Germany, France, the Balkans, and elsewhere.

The Church of the Brethren has no congregations in the land of its origin, but occasional trips take Brethren on historical tours to visit significant sites, especially in Germany. The denomination also maintains close ties as a member of the World Council of Churches, based in Geneva.