Editing Church of the Brethren (section)

=== Early history ===
The history of the [[Schwarzenau Brethren]] began in 1708 when a group of eight Christians organized themselves under the leadership of [[Alexander Mack]] (1679–1735) into a church and baptized one another in Schwarzenau, Germany, now part of [[Bad Berleburg]] in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]. Five men and three women gathered at the Eder (pronounced ey-duhr), a small river that flows through Schwarzenau, to perform baptism as an outward symbol of their new faith. One of the members of the group first baptized Mack, who then, in turn, baptized the other seven.

They believed that the established European churches{{snd}}Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed{{snd}}were missing the point of true Christianity as taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and as revealed in the New Testament and exemplified by the Early Church. After searching for a church that taught New Testament discipleship and finding none in their area, they committed to follow the commands and example of Jesus in their daily lives regardless of the cost. They rejected established state churches, including infant baptism, existing Eucharistic practices, and the use of physical coercion against other humans. The founding Brethren were initially influenced by Radical Pietist understandings of an invisible, nondenominational church of awakened Christians who would fellowship together in purity and love, awaiting Christ's return; yet they embraced an Anabaptist understanding of the church as a disciplined faith community that enforced Christian standards of discipleship upon those who chose to join their fellowship. The eight founding members referred to themselves as "brethren," and New Baptists ({{langx|de|link=no|Neue Täufer}}). The name alluded to the use of the name ''Täufer'' (Baptists) by the Mennonites. They suffered persecution for their stand, much as the earlier Anabaptists had.

The Brethren soon moved to seek religious freedom in America. They founded the first American congregation on Christmas Day 1723 in [[Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Germantown, Pennsylvania]], then a village outside [[Philadelphia]].<ref>Donald B. Kraybill, ''Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites'', JHU Press, USA, 2010, p. 83</ref> They became known as German Baptist Brethren (although this name was not officially recognized until 1836, when the Annual Meeting called itself "The Fraternity of German Baptist Brethren"). In 1871, the denomination adopted the name, "The German Baptist Brethren Church." Until the early 20th century, Brethren were colloquially called ''Tunkers'' or ''Dunkers'' (from the German for immersionists).

In 1728, [[Conrad Beissel]], a Brethren minister at [[Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Conestoga]] (Lancaster County, Pa.) renounced his association with the Brethren and formed his own group in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. They came to be known as the [[Ephrata Cloister]]. Beissel practiced a mystical form of Christianity. He encouraged celibacy, a vegetarian diet, and recognition of Saturday as the Sabbath.
[[File:6611 Germantown Brethren.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|The first Brethren church built in America, in Germantown near Philadelphia.]]