Information was shared and exchanged about the changing of names and groups and what is currently the present formation of the Dunkard, Amish and Quaker of today.
We even re hashed data on Mennonite families and how they also lived.
Tunken means to dunk or immerse which is what these groups did instead of sprinkle for Baptism.
They broke away from the CHURCH 1525 due to Mass variant and not wanting to Baptize until adults. These groups still are practicing today. The live a simple life and some use no modern methods, some use a few but not much. Motors are not allowed horses are still the way of plowing and getting around with a carriage.
I do not think this is so bad a life in many ways. Imagine no phone, no lights, no gas. We would be constantly busy cutting wood and making fires to cook and stay warm in the winter and to cook in the summer. Clothing is simpler. Their quilts are beautiful and useful. Women would not be on a computer or typewriter and they would be mending, repairing, crocheting, knitting and quilting for various needs in the home and neighborhood. Done by hand no machines, needle and thread and body movement.
Cows are milked by hand.
Some allowed pictures some did not. Some did up until a certain time then they did not.
Men shaved until married then could not. Woman could not cut their hair after marriage.
Not all of these groups used these rules each had their own ideas to bind to. But they changed and changed and changed. All our groups changed but the names did not bounce so much I think.
Brethren really adjusted their names over the time period. It seemed everyone there had a family ancestor that was of these religions in earlier times. Some are still affiliated with family that is part of these groups now.
A lot was discussed and shared.
Dunkard and Amish
Yes, we covered some Amish earlier but they were at one time with the
Mennonites and then things changed.
They changed many times in 110 years. When they came to America and
settled in PA and NJ and some of the seaboard areas, staying away from the
Puritans who despised them and their genial ways.
Puritans were known to hang and burn them at the stake. A pretty extreme
for being a so called
Religion.
Dunkards are known under many names or groups
over time, but not all were related.
The Plymouth Brethren
developed in 19th century
England. Their largest meeting was
held in Plymouth, England.
Church of the Brethren originated in 1708 in
Germany. The Brethren Churches of German origin were known as Dunkards coming
from the word tunken, to deep or immerse.
Neither group is close to the United Brethren
which started in Pennsylvania. Was
very popular with the German-American’s on the frontier. It was Methodist and today is merged
with that group.
Some groups: Church of the Brethren (Conservative Dunkers). The Brethren
Church ( {Progressive Dunkers), and the Old German Baptist Brethren (Old Order
of Dunkers).
Another is the River Brethren, officially the
Brethren in Christ.
Data came be found in Handbook of
Denominations In the United States by Mead and Hill.
The Church of the Brethren, settled in Pa
about 1719. They printed the Bible, in Germantown in German.
In 1743, they had a news bulletin they circulated through out
the region. First of it’s kind.
Very few kept records as like Lutherans, so
records were not kept much prior to 1880.
They did in their bulletins post obituraries
of their members. VINDICATOR, THE
GOSPEL VISITOR, THE CHRISTIAN
FAMILY COMPANION WEEKLY.
The Brethren Historical Library
and Archives, Elgin, Ill has a card file for 1851 to 1875. It has not been published but they will
do look ups.
In 1881 there was a split. The Old German Baptist Brethren now
called the Old Order of Brethren. They contained control of the papers
etc. They published a complete
list of the obituaries covering 1 Jan 1870 to Nov 1989.
Alva C
Riffey, Rt 2 Box 59, Westphalia, KS 66903.
Other
histories were written also. History of the Church of the Brethren of
the Southern District of Ohio, edited by Elder Jesse O Garst(Dayton, OH, Otterbein Press 1920. 600 pages
Carolyn Teach Denlinger compiled another. For
a complete list of the district histories and other works see:
Bibliography on the Colonial Germans of North
America.
Dunkards withdrew from the Church of the Brethren. They are sometimes
known as the German Baptist Brethren. Founded in 1708, in Schwarzenau,
Germany. They came to West Virginia after or about 1759.
They were pacifists Protestant Dissenters, very similar to Amish, Mennonite,
and Moravian. They were the parent of the Old German Baptist Brethren
1882.
Dunkards got their name from the dunking 3 times for Baptism . They also
wash feet at communion, and live a conservative lifestyle.
e-WV | German Dunkards
Dunkard Brethren Church
Climbing The Genealogy Tree: Dunkards
Knowing I have Brethren in my lines from VA, WVA and PA. One site
even mentions them in the Carolina's.
All forms of the Anabaptist communities are: Hutterites, Amish, Dunkards,
Old Order Mennonites and Apostolic Christian. They wanted to life a
simple life.
Printed Sources pg 696-7 has more data on the complexities of these groups
and divisions
The Source references more on various pages,
depending which you want.
