Bible Fellowship Church is a conservative pietistic Christian denomination with Mennonite roots centered in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
"[2] Bible Fellowship Church (BFC) was founded as the Evangelische Mennoniten Gemeinschaft (Evangelical Mennonite Society) on September 24, 1858, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
The cause of the separation included differences of opinion over church government, the doctrine of holiness, education, foreign missions, and financial autonomy.
In 1959, the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ adopted its present name, 'Bible Fellowship Church,[14] and approved new articles of faith, which included dropping the practice of feet washing.
In the mid-20th century, the denomination's core soteriological viewpoint gradually changed from its early Anabaptist and Arminian perspective to its current Reformed Theology focus.
[7] In an address at the 1962 Annual Conference in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, Donald Kirkwood noted that, "historically we were Arminian; gradually but progressively we became Dispensational; presently we are in transition.
[23] In 1976, the college relocated to Coopersburg, Pennsylvania to a property that formerly housed a school and orphanage run by Sisters of the Sacred Heart that had closed in 1974.
Founded in 1933 by Percy Crawford, an evangelist who led a radio ministry in Philadelphia, Pinebrook hosted prominent speakers and musicians, including Billy Graham, Jack Wyrtzen, J. Oliver Buswell, William Bell Riley, William Henry Houghton, Robert T. Ketcham, Cliff Barrows, and George Beverly Shea.
[27] On October 17, 2018, Spruce Lake took over stewardship of Pinebrook, while Bible Fellowship Church continues to offer events, retreats, and conferences at the property.