Mattie Dolby was born into a Brethren family, and she and her brother Joe were the first Black students enrolled in Manchester College. Mattie studied Bible there, and then in 1903 was sent by the denomination, along with James and Susan May, to establish a church among Blacks in Palestine, Arkansas, where she started a Sunday school for children. Later, she worked among Black congregations in southern Ohio, where she and her husband, Newton, were installed as deacons in the Frankfort congregation in 1907. Four years later, the congregation called Mattie to become a minister. Because of racial prejudice, Mattie and her family left the Church of the Brethren to minister in other denominations until her death.

Words of wisdom: “It has long been proven that we can be somebody if we only have an opportunity.”

Learn more:

• Mildred Hess Grimley, “No Sound of Trumpet,” Messenger, January 1976, pp. 16-20.
• The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 395.

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Julia Gilbert studied the Bible and Brethren history, which led her to question certain practices, such as feetwashing and communion, and how women were treated. She believed women should be able to break bread and pass the cup to one another, instead of only being served by men. Beginning in 1899, Julie authored the first of several queries which passed from her home congregation in Grundy County, Iowa, to Annual Meeting, to seek a change in policy. And it wasn’t until the 1910 Annual Meeting, when Julia addressed the delegates herself, that a substitute motion was passed granting women the same privilege that men enjoyed.

Words of wisdom: “We sisters . . . have made the same covenant with God, in Christ Jesus, that the brethren have made.”

Learn more:

• Marlene Moats Neher, “The Woman Who Wanted to Break Bread,” Messenger, June 1976, pp. 20-24.
• Frank Ramirez, The Meanest Man in Patrick County, pp. 189-202.

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John Kline was a Brethren elder from Virginia who traveled widely, mostly on horseback. He became a prominent church leader in the years leading up to the Civil War, eventually serving as moderator of Annual Meeting four times. Because of his Brethren beliefs, John fought slavery and opposed war, which led him to write letters to the government to help Brethren secure exemption from military service. He was also known to give medical aid to soldiers of both sides. In 1864, as suspicion of nonconformists grew, Kline was murdered by Confederate soldiers who ambushed him near his home as he was returning from a visit.

Words of wisdom: “My highest conception of patriotism is found in the man who loves the Lord his God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself.”

Learn more:

• Paul Roth, “John Kline: A Beloved Man of God,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 67-70.
• James H. Lehman, The Old Brethren, pp. 157-163. Life and Labors of Elder John Kline the Martyr Missionary, ed. Benjamin Funk.

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Alexander Mack became dissatisfied with the Reformed Church in Germany and joined the Pietist movement around 1705, eventually holding illegal Bible study and prayer services in his home. Mission work spread to other parts of the region, which led the Reformed Church to pressure the local government to act. Fearful for their safety, Alexander took his family and fled to Schwarzenau, a place known as a refuge for religious dissidents. There, he was convinced that the New Testament was clear that adult baptism was the proper initiation into the body of Christ. In an act of civil disobedience, in August 1708, Mack was chosen by lot to baptize seven other adults in the Eder River, establishing the first group of Brethren.

Words of wisdom: “Are you resolved, though all seem lost, to risk your reputation, your self, your wealth, for Christ the Lord as you now give you solemn word?”

Learn more:

• Alice Archer, “Alexander Mack: A Seeker of Scripture,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 17-20.
• The Complete Writings of Alexander Mack, ed. William R. Eberly. William G. Willoughby, Counting the Cost: The Life of Alexander Mack.

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Sarah Major came to Christian faith under the preaching of Harriet Livermore, and soon felt a call of her own to preach. Although her home church in Philadelphia was supportive, most Brethren were not; in fact, the 1834 Annual Meeting disapproved the practice. Despite opposition, Sarah continued preaching wherever she was received. In 1843, Sarah and her husband, Thomas, who was called to the ministry, moved to southern Ohio to preach and hold services. The Majors opposed slavery, helping resettle slaves from the South. In fact, their farm was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Sarah and Thomas befriended Samuel Weir, and joined him and two other Black Brethren in the first integrated love feast in October 1865.

Words of wisdom: “God always gave his gifts freely where they were willing to use them, and I believe in Christ Jesus male and female are one, just as Jew and Gentile are made one.”

Learn more:

• Pamela K. Brubaker, “Sarah Righter Major: Preaching with Power,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 49-52.
• James H. Lehman, The Old Brethren, pp. 183-192. Nancy Kettering Frye, An Uncommon Woman: The Life and Times of Sarah Righter Major.

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Ken Morse spent much of his life editing Brethren publications, including seven years with Our Young People and youth curriculum, twenty-one years with Messenger magazine, and seven years with Brethren Press books and study resources. As a journalist during the 1950s through 1970s, Ken tackled a host of societal issues, including civil rights, antiwar protests, and gender equality, and used his voice to strengthen and challenge readers with the gospel. Ken was also a gifted poet and hymn lyricist, helping shape Brethren worship. His most famous hymn is “Move in Our Midst,” which many consider to be an anthem for the Church of the Brethren.

Words of wisdom: “Kindle our hearts to burn with thy flame. Raise up thy banners high in this hour. Stir us to build new worlds in thy name. Spirit of God, O send us thy power!”

Learn more:

• Howard E. Royer, “Still Moving in Our Midst,” Messenger, June 2013, pp. 13-17.
• Kenneth I. Morse, Preaching in Tavern. Kenneth I. Morse, Listen to the Sunrise: Hymns and Prayers. Kindling Our Hearts: The Prophetic Voice of Ken Morse, ed. Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford.

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Anna Mow and her husband, Baxter, served seventeen years as Brethren missionaries in India during the Indian independence movement, led in large part by Gandhi. After the Indian government refused to renew their visas, the Mows returned to the US and Anna joined the faculty at Bethany Biblical Seminary, where she taught courses in Christian education, missions, and biblical studies, from 1940 to 1958. She was one of the first women ordained in the Church of the Brethren and later became a sought-after preacher and conference speaker. Anna was known for her humility, down-to-earth personality, and spiritual insight. Many found her delightful and were captivated by her joyful disposition and hearty laughter.

Words of wisdom: “Peace that is fruit of the Spirit is not mere absence of conflict or war. It is not a static calm. It is very dynamic and powerful.”

Learn more:

• J. Kenneth Kreider, “Anna Beahm Mow: A Fount of Inspiration,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 111-114.

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Gladdys Muir was a pioneer in the field of peace studies and in 1948 founded the Peace Studies Institute at Manchester College, the first program in the world that offered an academic major in peace studies. Her program became a model for many other peace and conflict studies programs. Gladdys took an interdisciplinary approach to peace studies, encouraging students to study broadly and develop a global worldview. A deep spirituality grounded in humility guided Gladdys as she sought truth and alternatives to violence.

Words of wisdom: “We also know that God is not limited to the alternatives we see, and that he whose travail brought the earth out of chaos has also the power to deliver us.”

Learn more:

• Karla Boyers, “Gladdys Muir: Peace Pioneer,” Messenger, July 1991, p. 20.

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Christopher Sauer, Jr. took over the family printing business located in Germantown, Pennsylvania, after his father died in 1758. The Sauer Press became one of the most successful presses in colonial America, rivaling the press of Benjamin Franklin. The first religious periodical in America, Spiritual Storehouse, came free to subscribers of other Sauer publications. Christopher joined the Brethren and was called to the ministry in 1748, along with his close friend Alexander Mack, Jr. During the Revolutionary War, he refused to give allegiance to either side, which led to his arrest and his press and possessions being seized and sold.

Words of wisdom: “To the glory of God and my neighbor’s good” [motto that is said to have hung in his print shop].

Learn more:

• Kenneth M. Shaffer, Jr., “Christopher Sauer, Jr.: Faith under Fire,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 33-36.
• Frank Ramirez, The Meanest Man in Patrick County, pp. 61-72.

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Ted Studebaker was a conscientious objector to serving in the military, and fulfilled his alternative service and commitment to nonviolence by entering Brethren Volunteer Service. Ted served as an agricultural specialist working with refugees in central highland villages in Vietnam. His primary job was to help local farmers increase their crop yield and improve their flocks of chickens. The people with whom he worked were suspected by the rebel Vietcong of being collaborators with the South Vietnamese government, and on April 25, 1971, the Vietcong raided the village where he lived and killed Ted.

Words of wisdom: “Above all, Christ taught me to love all people, including enemies, and to return good for evil, and that all men are brothers in Christ.”

Learn more:

• Shoes of Peace, letter four. Gary W. Studebaker and Douglas E. Studebaker, Ted Allen Studebaker: An Enduring Force for Peace.

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Samuel Weir was freed from slavery in Virginia when Samuel’s owners, the McClure family, wanted to join the local Brethren congregation but couldn’t because owning a slave was not something Brethren were permitted to do. Virginia law required freed slaves to leave the state within a year or be enslaved again, so Samuel resettled in southern Ohio. He loved to read and study the Bible, and eventually began to preach. The Paint Creek congregation affirmed this gift and called him to the ministry in 1849, but he was charged to serve Black members only. Samuel was fully ordained an elder in 1881, three years before his death.

Words of wisdom: “When I found that I could read the Bible I felt satisfied, and I gave up all other books but that. The Bible has been my delight, and I have read it through several times.”

Learn more:

• Anna M. Speicher, “Samuel Weir: African-American Preacher and Elder,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 57-59.
• Gimbiya Kettering, “Have Patience, Brother Samuel, Have Patience, Messenger, March 2018, pp. 16-17.
• James H. Lehman, The Old Brethren, pp. 139-156.

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Dan West was a visionary church leader whose ideas laid the groundwork for peace and service ministry in the twentieth century. Dan was involved in youth and camping ministries, serving as director of youth work for the Church of the Brethren in the 1930s. During this time, he was also a peace educator and an advocate for service as an alternative to military service. In 1937, Dan traveled to Spain as a relief worker providing assistance to both sides of the Spanish Civil War. Moved by his witness of human suffering, he developed ideas for a practical way to provide milk to starving children, which led to the creation of Heifer Project.

Words of wisdom: “Our communities need to be constantly threatened by an epidemic of love for God, the infection which spreads from a little group of devoted souls.”

Learn more:

• Denise Kettering, “Dan West: Pied Piper for Peace,” in A Dunker Guide to Brethren History, pp. 94-98.
• Glee Yoder, Passing on the Gift: The Story of Dan West.

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Laura Wine dreamed of serving as a missionary in China, and learned Chinese in preparation. Health reasons disqualified her from pursuing mission work, so she worked as a school nurse in the Chicago suburbs and on the nursing staff at Bethany Brethren Hospital on the weekends. Laura was a member of First Church of the Brethren, Chicago, where she tithed a generous thirty percent. In retirement, Laura became a volunteer nurse in Nigeria. While working at a small Church of the Brethren mission hospital in the village of Lassa, she was one of the first to die of a deadly viral disease, later to be called Lassa Fever.

Words of wisdom: “I do not really feel any pride in giving what’s left—just what’s left over!”

Learn more:

• Frank Ramirez, Brethren Brush with Greatness, pp. 66-71.
• Jeanine Wine, “Lassa,” Messenger, June 2020, pp. 12-14.

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