Brethren Apologist

One of the hardest values, as Brethren, is this concept of non resistance. In our nation where we have a right to self defense, as promised in the Second Amendment, and a right to live peaceably. The idea of not meeting violence with violence, is very hard to grasp. The times we find self defense in the Scripture is when God commands it, or an earthly king gives permission (the Jewish feast of Purim). But how do we view this value? As hard as it to grasp, we must establish, briefly, a truth that...

"We have no creed but the New Testament". That is, or in some ways, was, the creed of the Brethren. The Brethren were anti creedal from the standpoint of how little the creeds actually meant anything to those who used to recite them. Early on, in the beginning of the Brethren, they saw how the creedal churches engaged with their creeds. They saw the church recite empty words, and hollow meanings. The statements meant nothing, and did little in moving them to a deeper and holier walk with God. In...

How does a church respond to the needs surrounding her? How about the needs from within? Some churches extremely claim all money given is only for ministry and nothing else. Other churches go to the other extreme and become a social organization that cares only for the social issues. There are many shades in the middle and the Brethren are no exception. The Brethren, themselves, adopt a both/and approach. The Brethren are very aware of needs within their own local body of faith, within the great...

One of the hardest and most painful things the Brethren have to do is to discipline members for sin. Following Jesus' principal of keeping the church pure, the Brethren were very strict. While we may think this chased many away, it actually brought people to the church because of the standards and the love they had for one another. Church discipline, in our culture today, takes such a negative connotation. Churches talk about being a “no judgement” zone. There is no “churchianity” and everyone...

Conformity, according to the world's system, is the mark of success. Being part of the group and fitting in, the goal. Brethren were very quick on rejecting uniformity to the world to be in conformity with God. This is not to say they ignored all societal expectations, so far as it was Biblical. What conformity did Brethren practice? Let us view non-conformity through the lenses of: 1) Rejection of oaths or swearing, 2) non political, 3) social expectations, 4) human sexuality, 5) Isolationist,...

What is meant by restitution today is nothing more than equivocating the definition of restoring. It has become a key word for legalized theft based on skin color. When the word "restitution" is used, what is meant is reparations. We, usually those who are white, according to them, have systematically oppressed others (often those of black, Hispanic, or some other non-white skin colored) and must step aside, give place and prominence, repent of our "whiteness" and restore to them from ourselves....

From the earliest Brethren, and even in Pietism and AnaBaptism roots, these two concepts, with the focus being on the New Testament, existed at the core. The Brethren believe true faith will bring forth true obedience, and a faith which does not produce such obedience is no faith at all. When many, who claim Christianity, live lives and possess actions which are antithesis of the Scriptures, the Brethren would, or should, wonder if true faith is even found. We are saved by faith, and faith deman...

“Who are the Brethren?” That is often a question I receive when I mention my denomination. I am caught off guard, not for a loss of words, but how to answer. As of 2024, there is 316 years of History with the Brethren. My standard answer is, “What specific questions do you have?” This allows me to zero in on the major questions while not wasting time with info not needed or wanted. But who we are is still not answered deeply. Our full history will not be presented here. Donald Durnbaugh did th...