Vision for a Global Church of the Brethren, 2018 Church of the Brethren Statement
Founded officially in 2023 the GCBC is a fellowship of twelve national Brethren denominations around the world: Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Honduras, India, Nigeria (general Nigeria page & history) (Nigeria Crisis Response), Rwanda, Spain, Uganda, United States, and Venezuela.
Rooted in Anabaptist/Pietist traditions, the GCBC is an alliance of national churches that is devoted to teaching and preserving this identity and practices. We aspire to work together to share the Gospel and plant new churches around the world. We promote strong leadership ethics, accountability, transparency and financial responsibility, and strong organizational principles in our churches. Where invited, we may participate in mediation and reconciliation of conflicts within national churches.
The GCBC aspires to be able to respond quickly and effectively to humanitarian emergencies that may cross borders and to work together on disaster risk reduction programs. We share resources which include knowledge, learning and experiences.
Common areas of focus include: care for God’s creation, marginalized people and vulnerable groups, community development, peacebuilding, ecumenical and interfaith relationships.
Quick Facts
Brazil: One fellowship. Community outreach programs and family therapy.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): 32 churches, 8,000 members.
Dominican Republic (DR): 15 churches, 10 fellowships, 2,800 members (including two districts).
Haiti: 22 churches, 8 stations, 4,500 members. Haiti Medical Project.
Honduras: Formally affiliated with GCBC on December 5, 2023.
India: 29 churches, 39 worship centers, 10,000 members.
Nigeria: 605 local church councils (congregations), with additional preaching points and church plants under most councils, 750,000 or more members. A full denominational program including women’s and youth programs, agriculture program, educational institutions and a seminary, missions in neighboring countries. Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic, and Togo: Missions of EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.
Rwanda: 4 churches, 724 members, 12 choirs, 2 schools. Significant outreach to the Batwa community, preschool, and Bible school.
Spain: 6 churches, 275 members. Open-air revivals, community gardens.
Uganda: 15 churches with 732 members. Orphanage.
Venezuela: 40 churches, 1,611 members. Outreach to Indigenous people. Churches in Colombia have been started by refugees from Venezuela.
Emerging churches and projects
In addition to the countries where churches are members of the GCBC, there are emerging missions and projects in the following places:
Burundi: 50 churches and 6,000 members since 2006. Registered in Burundi but not yet formally recognized by the Global Church of the Brethren Communion.
Cuba: Two separate groups of independent house churches are relating to Brethren in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela
Dominican Republic: Comunidad de Fe is a group of churches that formed recently as an offshoot of the original Iglesia de los Hermanos on the island.
Kenya and Tanzania: Churches planted by the emerging church in Burundi.
Mexico: Long-term Church of the Brethren-founded community project in Tijuana (Bittersweet Ministries) and emerging churches.
South Sudan: This mission project sponsored by the Mission and Ministry Board has one full-time Global Mission staff person and several local staff working in the areas of agriculture, reconciliation, trauma healing, prison ministry, and evangelism. Five churches have been planted.
Ukraine: One fellowship.
Vietnam: Vision project for retinopathy of prematurity treatment (a former Brethren Volunteer Service location).
Global Communion Survey
Outcomes of the Church of the Brethren Global Communion survey
Global Church of the Brethren Communion News
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion calls new leadership
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion met on June 6 via Zoom with delegates from member denominations attending. Among top agenda items the group elected two new officers of the board of the communion: Santos Terrero of Spain as president, and Sharon Brugger Norton of the United States as treasurer.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion delegates and alternates meet online
What a joyous occasion following Easter for our Global Church of the Brethren Communion to gather online for the first meeting of 2025. All 12 countries in the communion were represented.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion formally organizes
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion held meetings by Zoom in late November and early December last year. “Significant things happened,” reported Eric Miller, executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion holds meeting in the Dominican Republic
For the first time since 2019, leaders of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion met in person, hosted by the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic (DR). Leaders representing Brazil, the DR, Haiti, Honduras, India, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Spain, and the United States met for five days, including days of meetings and visits to agricultural projects.
- Global Mission releases list of grants made to international partners in 2021
Global Mission co-executives Eric Miller and Ruoxia Li have announced the grants their office distributed to international partners last year, in 2021. Close to $700,000 was distributed, made possible through donations to the mission work of the Church of the Brethren denomination. Norm and Carol Spicher Waggy, who previously served as interim directors of Global Mission, contributed to the work of identifying grant recipients.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion survey strongly affirms Brethren characteristics
Outcomes of an international survey asking what characteristics are essential for a church to be Church of the Brethren have been released. A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion developed the survey. The committee had asked all interested Church of the Brethren members around the world to respond, and provided the survey in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion takes survey of essential Brethren characteristics
A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion has developed a survey of essential characteristics for a church to be considered Church of the Brethren. The committee is asking all interested Church of the Brethren members to respond. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.