Welcome to the Brethren Encyclopedia
The Brethren Encyclopedia Project, founded in the mid-1970s, is a cooperative venture of the seven main Brethren groups that have descended from Alexander Mack’s group of eight believers who began the Brethren movement with baptisms in the Eder River near Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708.
Among the cooperative ventures have been the publishing of a four-volume encyclopedia that is useful to all who are interested in Brethren history and geneaology, the publishing of monographs and materials reflective of the history of the Brethren movement, and the planning and implementing of the 300th anniversary celebration of the founding of the movement. The latter event took place August 2 and 3, 2008, in Schwarzenau, Germany, with approximately 1,000 Brethren from the six cooperating groups in attendance.
The Fifth Brethren World Assembly was held in Brookville, Ohio, July 11-14, 2013. The proceedings of the Assembly are now available in book form, and are entitled "Brethren Spirituality," which was the theme of the Assembly. See "News and Events" section for more detail.
The Sixth Brethren World Assembly was held August 9-12, 2018, in Winona Lake, Indiana. A downloadable program for the Assembly is available by clicking here. Photos of the Assembly are on the Brethren Encyclopedia Facebook page. DVDs of the sessions are also available, for $5 each, by contacting the BE office. The 255-page paperback book of proceedings, entitled "Brethren Intersections: History, Identity, Crosscurrents," is now available for purchase on this website.
Thank you for taking time to visit the Brethren Encyclopedia website. If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact us. Contact Brethren Encyclopedia at 5137 Waltersdorff Rd., Spring Grove, PA 17362 or call (717) 817-6025.
