Six Brethren were arrested 300 years ago in Solingen, Germany. What was their crime? In 1716, the six men, ages 22 to 33, had been baptized as adults. This crime was a capital offense, the punishment could be execution. The six men were first marched to Dusseldorf for interrogation. It is said they sang hymns as they walked to their imprisonment.
“Quotable quotes” from the 5th Brethren World Assembly give a flavor of the three days of presentations, panels, sermons, and more:
Extending greetings to all those present at the 5th Brethren World Assembly on July 11-14 in Brookville, Ohio, Brethren Heritage Center board secretary Larry E. Heisey noted the unique location of the meeting. All of the seven main Brethren groups in North America descended from the believers brought together by Alexander Mack Sr. in Schwarzenau, Germany, are represented in the Miami Valley area near Dayton, Ohio.
Video recordings are available from the 5th Brethren World Assembly. The recordings in DVD format are of the main presentations and worship services, and are made available by the sponsoring body, the Brethren Encyclopedia Board, through the host organization the Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville, Ohio. The taping was done by Brethren videographer David Sollenberger and crew.
Many people have heard of the terrible fighting around the Peach Orchard during the second day of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. What most Brethren probably don’t know is that the peach orchard belonged to a Brethren family, Joseph and Mary Sherfy.
The Fifth Brethren World Assembly for constituents and friends of the Brethren bodies descended from the movement established by Alexander Mack in Germany in the early 1700s will be held July 11-14 at the Brethren Heritage Center in Brookville, near Dayton, Ohio.
The golden age of Brethren print media has wonderfully come to life in the Brethren Digital Archive, available online in a full-text format without charge at archive.org/details/brethrendigitalarchives . It contains 29 periodicals published from 1851-2000 by the spiritual heirs of those baptized in the Eder River.
How has Brethren theology changed since 1708? What was the discussion in church conferences in the late 1800s? What was life like on the mission field in the 1960s? When did my own congregation begin to meet? These are among the questions that until a few years ago could only be answered by turning pages of dusty, fragile Brethren publications located in basement archives of colleges and denominational offices.
William (Bill) Kostlevy begins March 1 as director of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. He comes to the BHLA from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., where he has been professor of History since 2005.
Terry Barkley has announced his resignation as archivist and director of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives (BHLA) at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Oct. 31 will be his last day at the BHLA, allowing him to complete two full years in the position. His resignation is due to family changes in Alabama, which require his daily assistance at home.