Muhlenberg County Kentucky

Churches

Dunkers - Church of the Brethren

Dunkers help settle Muhlenberg

(Editor's note - The following article comprises most of Chapter 1 of “Two Centuries of Brothers Valley, Church of the Brethren, 1762-1962.” It was written and copyrighted by the Rev. H. Austin Cooper, who has visited Muhlenberg County and Col. Wayland Rhoades of Greenville several times while writing another book.

This chapter, entitled “The Background of the Church of the Brethren,” concerns the ancestors of many present-day Muhlenbergers who migrated to Muhlenberg from Pennsylvania shortly after the Revolutionary War.

The Rev. Mr. Cooper is writing another book tentatively called “The Lost Congregation,” which is about Muhlenberg County, dealing with the founder of this county, Capt. Henry Rhoades [Rhoads].

Copies of the book may be obtained from Mr. Cooper at New Windsor, Md.)

The Background of the Church of the Brethren

Beginnings in Germany

The Dunker (or Brethren) Church began in 1708 at Schwarzenau, Germany. In that year at Schwarzenau, Province of Wittgenstein, in Hesse-Cassel, was enacted a remarkable scene. Eight pious souls, after careful prayer and prolonged study, relying only upon God and the Bible to guide them and their followers, forever, walked slowly, solemnly and heroically from the house of Alexander Mack to the river Eder which, like a silver thread, wound its way through the heart of a rich and varied landscape. Here the pious eight, in the early morning, surrounded by many curious witnesses, knelt in prayer, and then one of them led Alexander Mack into the water and immersed him three times, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Then Alexander Mack baptized the other seven; and these eight, perhaps the first to receive trine immersion in the history of the Protestant Church, then organized a new congregation. This new congregation chose one of their number, Alexander Mack, as their leader, and thus began the Taufers (of Tunkers or Dunkers) or German Baptist Brethren Church, as a separate organization.

A few other facts are interesting about this unique organization; they waived the question of apostolic succession, in having no regularly ordained minister to baptize them; they subscribed to no written creed, they were all members of regular Protestant bodies, either Lutherans or Reformed; they were practically all Pietistic refugees enjoying the protection of “the mild and humane County Heinrich von Wittengenstein,” they were more than Pietists, in that they were not averse to church organization, as nearly all Pietists were, and in that they did not abandon the ordinances which are specified in the Word as means of salvation; they abandoned all precedents among the denominations of their time; and they gave evidence in their actions at this time as well as subsequently, that they were men of no mean training, and that they were possessed of a courage and heroism that mounts almost to the sublime.

Alexander Mack, Jr., son of the first leader of the Brethren, in an account of this organization published in 1774, says that Schwarzenau became extensively known as a center for Pietists, and he also indicates that the social grade of the place was considerably elevated because of their presence. He further cites that although they differed in manners, customs and opinions, they were all called Pietists but that they among themselves called each other “brother.”Furthermore, this publication of Mack's leaves the impression that these Pietists found it difficult to reduce Christ's “go and tell it to the Church” to practice, without some formal organization, and that more particularly because of this verse in Matthew 18 some few of the Pietists organized themselves into the church of the Taufers or Dunker Brethren. The New Testament was their daily guide. Gradually, however, the newly organized church worked out its polity, its beliefs and its practices.

At this juncture it is, as indicated before, that Hochmann's influence is felt. Upon the basis of a higher standard of personal piety, the Brethren built their conception of practices of the Primitive Christians, and began to literally observe baptism by trine immersion, feet-washing, the agape (Love Feast) in connection with the communion, salutation by the holy kiss, and the anointing for healing of the sick.

The doctrines of non-resistance and non-swearing are essentially characteristic of the Brethren. As for non-conformity to the fashions of the world in dress, there was no particular emphasis upon such doctrine until social and politicial conditions in the colony of Pennsylvania allied the Brethren with the Quaker party, and produced the distinction between the “Plain People” and the more stylish people; and this distinction, while not so marked during the Revolutionary War, became more marked even than formerly when the war was over and the now popular and victorious war party reverted even more extravagantly to fancy clothes. Just here it may be remarked is the source for the popular idea that all the so-called “Plain People,” Quakers, Mennonites, Dunkers, et al, have the same history and are largely the same. This idea is not entirely true, for it is only on this point of social customs and plain dressing that these widely differing religious bodies are at all alike.

Germany to America

The church in Schwarzenau grew large by 1715 and other congregations were organized in the Palatinate, the one at Marlenborn becoming the new center when persecution at last stopped developments at Schwarzenau. Later, Crefeld or Creyfelt became a center, then Epstein in Switzerland. In 1722, Mack and the remaining members fled from Schwarzenau to Westervain in West Friesland, where a congregation flourished for nine years. Thence they sailed for Pennsylvania, 59 families or 126 souls, landing and qualifying in Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 1729. Of the Brethren and congregations left in Europe, little, if anything, is known except, relative to Creyfelt. This place became the rendezvous of the Brethren, at least from Marlenborn and Epstein; and it also is the place from when the first Brethren sailed for America under the leadership of Peter Becker, settling in Germantown in 1719, 10 years before Mack's arrival.

Among the most prominent names of leading Brethren in this early period, first arising to prominence in Europe and afterwards removing to America, John Henry Kalkglasser and Stephen Koch. These all suffered the hardships incident to independence of religious thought and activity to which the independents and separatists of all ages have been subjected, the state churches of Germany, Holland and Switzerland being their persecutors now, just as the Papal Church had been the persecutor of such bodies as the Waldenses in the Middle Ages. What became of the Brethren who did not come to America is not known; in all probability the great majority came and thus the nucleus of the church was removed from European to American soil.

Colonial Movements

The history of the Brethren after they came to America usually involves the details of the organization and growth of individual congregations, first in the immediate vicinity of Philadelphia, then in New Jersey, 1733, then farther back toward the Susquehanna River, 1738, then along the Antietam in Southern Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, 1731-1752; then down the valley of Virginia and into the Carolinas, 1764-1770; then westward over the Old Braddock Road, 1750-1762; to Georges Creek and Stony Creek in Western Pennsylvania; then from the Carolinas into Kentucky, 1769-1800. This far westward movement of the Brethren is coincident with the general westward movemtn of the American population; first the hardy pioneer, then the invading army that drove the Indian to the West and North, then the agriculturist whose coming marked the beginning of permanent occupation. The sturdy Germans were among the first to press to the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. Among these pioneer farmers were many members of the German Baptist Brethren Church. They carried their principles with them and from 1790 to 1825, the great central plain was rapidly populated by Brethren.

Among the prominent congregations, besides Philadelphia and Germantown, may be mentioned the Coventry; the Great Swamp; the Olney; Amwell, N. J.; the Conestoga; the White Oak; the Great Swatara; the Northkill; the Codorus; the Little Conewago; the Bermudian; and the Stony Creek congregations, most of which are still alive. Among the leaders of the early American Church were Peter Becker, the second Alexander Mack, the two Martin Urners, the first Christopher Sauer, the second Christopher Sauer, who was an Elder, Peter Keyser who was Elder of the Philadelphia Church, Michael Frantz, Michale Pfautz, Jacob Leatherman, Nicholas Martin, Jacob Sontag, Peter Lefbert, George Adam Martin, William Stiver, Ludwig Hoecker, the schoolmaster and organizer of the Sunday School, at least by 1738, Gerhard Tersteegen, the poet, and Elders John Price and Nicholas Martin, of Antietam, the bosom friend (John Price) of Alexander Mack, Jr.

The Church was first called “Church of the Brethren” in Brothers Valley as early as 1758, by those who lived there. They called each other “Brother.” In 1836, it adopted the name “German Baptist Brethren.” In 1908, “Church of the Brethren” was adopted.

The Taufers, Tunkers, Dunkers or German Baptist Brethren of Colonial Times were for the most part Germans or Dutch and the majority of them were substantial farmers; though, of course, they were engaged in other occupations also, particularly weaving. The Sauer presses of Germantown were the most famous German presses in American colonial history; and their output of papers, almanacs, Bibles, Sunday School cards and general works, gives evidence not only of a flourishing business but also of a literary appreciation among the American Germans of no mean consideration.

A nearly complete collection of imprints from the Sauer presses of Germantown is now worthily housed in the splendid library of Juniata College at Huntingdon, Pa., thanks to the tireless energy of Dr. Martin G. Brumbauch; and at Bridewater College, Va., by Reuel B. Pritchett; and even a casual visitor to these departments of the libraries must be astonished by the evidences of appreciation for books which the American Germans must have had. Such literary appreciation would seen to call for the organization of schools by the Brethren o f this early period; but aside from the interest of certain members of the church in the founding of Germantown Academy, there is no school history to record. Being Germans, they retained their language, and desired to do so. Their English neighbors could not understand them and so regarded them as illiterates, even to the extent of attempting to provide for their English education and evangelization. This slur upon their intelligence caused the Germans to dislike the English and their whole schemes of education. This gave rise to the misunderstandings and suspicion cast upon the Germans in early America and stood for 100 years of her history.

As for the activities of the Dunkers in general, social, civic, and reform movements in the 18th century, little can be said that would indicate any considerable activitiy on the part of the denomination as such. While it is a fact that certain leaders among the Brethren were well know and highly respected by men of affairs outside the membership of the church, and particularly by such men as Franklin and Washington, yet, in spite of their anti-slavery sentiments, and temperance sentiments among themselves, they did not grow as rapidly as many other denominations around them. Without being essentially selfish or clannish, the Dunkers were then, as they are generally today, very much to themselves. Particularly have they always cared for their own poor. Undoubtedly this natural attitude of theirs coupled with the fact that they were classed socially and politically with those who had opposed the successful Revoluation against Great Britain, and also coupled with the fact that the anti-slavery agitation with which they were known to be in sympathy became unpopular even in the North prior to the Civil War. All these combined did much to retard the rapid growth of the Brethren and threw them into the class of smaller denominations. Although they have grown into the general congregational form of church government and into the practice of fellowship communion, and although they do now accept members upon other forms of baptism than that of trine immersion; in the 18th century none of these points were so clearly characteristic of the Brethren.

Such is the general story of the Dunkers. Their settlement in Pennsylvania and westward has been mentioned and the detailed history of the congregation of this vicinity will now follow. It is hoped that this old story may have awakened a deeper respect for this body of Christians both on the part of the present members and on the part of those who may be interested in this fascinating narrative of the Church of the Brethren west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Source: Cooper, H. Austin. “The Background of the Church of the Brethren.” Two Centuries of Brothers Valley, Church of the Brethren, 1762-1962. The Times, Inc.: Westminster, MD. Rpt. in The Times-Argus/Messenger Magazine [Central City, KY], 16 Oct 1969, p. 9.

Updated September 16, 2024.

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