Brethren in Christ Church

The Brethren in Christ trace their denomination back to a group of Mennonites who lived just north of Marietta, Pennsylvania, on the east side of the Susquehanna River.

The River Brethren of the 18th century also held to a firm reliance on the centrality of Jesus in Scripture, especially the literal application of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5-7.

[6] Their origin in the Radical Pietistic revivals led the River Brethren to emphasize "the conversion experience, a strong devotional life, and testimony.

During the American Civil War, when required by the Union government of the United States to register as a body that held peaceful, non-combatant non-resistance values, the name "Brethren in Christ'" was adopted.

Foot washing, the dedication of children, prayer for the sick, laying on of hands, and anointing with oil are important accepted practices but are not called ordinances.

The BIC church maintains some connection to its Mennonite-influenced heritage by partnering in ministry with the Mennonite Central Committee.

The church organization is divided into seven regional conferences (each represented by a bishop who sits on the Leadership Council) and one subconference.

The conferences are as follows: Allegheny, Atlantic, Great Lakes, Midwest, Pacific, Southeast, and Susquehanna; the subconference is centered around Miami, Florida, and focuses on Hispanic ministries.

Messiah University in Grantham, and Niagara Christian Collegiate in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, are affiliated with the BIC.