They are a believer's church made up of those who voluntarily choose to follow Jesus as His disciples, and are baptized at this time, during their teen or adult years.
Annual Meetings started out gradually as a time for worship, exhortation, problem solving and unity among the first several generations of dispersed, frontier living, German speaking Brethren families.
After 1930, the Old Brethren placed less stress on Annual Meeting authority than did their parent body, believing it to be a simple gathering more for edification, fellowship and teaching, rather than for legislation.
Individual conviction by the Holy Spirit and moral persuasion to follow the Bible are now the basis for adherence to the church's order, rather than authoritative legislative decisions of Annual Meeting.
They have given up horse and buggy transportation and now accept the use of automobiles, while they have retained plain dress (including the headcovering for women) and a simple lifestyle separated from worldly fads and entertainment.
Teachings of the New Testament are interpreted and applied literally, with special focus given to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as guidelines for those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God.