Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
United States
Attesting Officer
Media Contact
42.064064, -88.2621633
Eight German Pietists/Anabaptists, including their leader, Alexander Mack, founded the Brethren movement in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany. Begun in reaction to spiritual stagnation in state churches, the Brethren formed their own movement, modeled on the first-century church. They practice believer baptism, anointing, and the love feast. They have no other creed than the New Testament, hold to principles of nonviolence, no force in religion, Christian service, and simplicity. They migrated to the colonies beginning in 1710 and settled at Germantown, Pennsylvania, moving westward and southward to plant congregations across the United States and Puerto Rico. Emphasis on religion in daily life led to the formation of Brethren Volunteer Service in 1948, which continues today. There are now sister denominations and missions in Nigeria, Haiti, India, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and mission workers in several other places around the world.
Membership
| Full Communicants | Average Attendance | Other Members | Total Inclusive Members | Total Churches | Membership Calculation Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 193,547 |
1,035 |
||||||
| 1953 | 190,263 |
1,028 |
||||||
| 1952 | 188,467 |
1,021 |
||||||
| 1951 | 186,358 |
1,030 |
||||||
| 1950 | 180,000 |
186,201 |
1,029 |
|||||
| 1947 | 184,584 |
1,021 |
||||||
| 1944 | 176,100 |
4,187 |
182,497 |
1,019 |
||||
| 1942 | 175,416 |
4,427 |
179,843 |
1,019 |
||||
| 1940 | 163,133 |
13,775 |
176,908 |
1,017 |
||||
| 1938 | 154,073 |
10,711 |
164,784 |
1,025 |
||||
| 1936 | 149,913 |
10,422 |
160,335 |
1,032 |
||||
| 1933 | 154,169 |
10,021 |
164,190 |
1,031 |
||||
| 1929 | 134,620 |
134,620 |
1,026 |
|||||
| 1925 | 120,103 |
120,103 |
1,036 |
|||||
| 1923 | 110,000 |
110,000 |
1,030 |
|||||
| 1922 | 112,563 |
112,563 |
1,024 |
|||||
| 1921 | 109,790 |
109,790 |
1,014 |
|||||
| 1919 | 100,000 |
100,000 |
1,000 |
|||||
| 1917 | 105,102 |
105,102 |
999 |
|||||
| 1916 | 105,649 |
105,649 |
1,004 |
|||||
| 1915 | 97,000 |
97,000 |
965 |
Clergy
| Serving Churches | Retired | Other Service to the Church | Total Clergy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| There is no data yet | ||||||
Education
| Total Schools | Staff | Pupils | Total Individuals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 895 |
109,891 |
||||
| 1942 | 895 |
109,891 |
||||
| 1940 | 895 |
109,891 |
||||
| 1938 | 895 |
109,891 |
||||
| 1933 | 895 |
109,891 |
Finance
| Total Benevolences | Total Financials | Total Giving | Local Expenses | Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | $2,193,155 |
$7,091,624 |
$4,898,469 |
||||
| 1952 | $2,485,442 |
$7,367,138 |
$4,881,696 |
||||
| 1951 | $2,125,157 |
$6,948,967 |
$4,823,810 |
||||
| 1950 | $5,213,969 |
||||||
| 1950 | $5,213,969 |
||||||
| 1947 | $3,919,427 |
$5,947,067 |
$2,027,640 |
||||
| 1944 | $2,303,980 |
$4,403,980 |
$2,100,000 |
||||
| 1942 | $645,013 |
$2,245,013 |
$1,600,000 |
||||
| 1940 | $401,605 |
$1,901,605 |
$1,500,000 |
||||
| 1938 | $368,269 |
$1,668,269 |
$1,300,000 |
||||
| 1936 | $372,931 |
$1,472,931 |
$1,100,000 |
||||
| 1929 | $44,250 |
$1,907,040 |
$1,339,000 |
||||
| 1925 | $441,348 |
$1,862,975 |
$1,398,650 |
||||
| 1923 | $225,379 |
||||||
| 1922 | $852,938 |
||||||
| 1921 | $852,938 |
||||||
| 1919 | $705,725 |
||||||
| 1917 | $705,725 |