The Church of the Brethren was begun in 1708 in Germany, withdrawing to the American colonies in 1719-1729 due to religious persecution. We share roots with the Old Order Brethren and Ashland Brethren. We are one of the three historic peace churches along with the Friends (Quakers) and the Mennonites.
The Lafayette Church of the Brethren is relatively new on the scene. This congregation was formed in the late 1940's, as many of the members from churches in more rural Indiana found themselves living and working in the city of Lafayette. We started with meetings, formed a group, and, in the early 1950's, decided to build a building at the present site.
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Baptism in the Wabash River (Pastor Kathryn, Michelle Bates Harrold, Pastor Enten) |
While we take the whole Bible as our guide for faith and living, we recognize that the Old Testament cannot be fully understood without the revelation of Jesus, as shared in the New Testament. We therefore seek to take seriously Jesus’ teachings as our guide for our daily lives, leading us to value integrity, morality, peacemaking, honesty, forgiveness, and the simple life.
As a church we observe the practices ordained by Jesus, including believer’s baptism of adults by immersion, anointing for healing, and a Love Feast with feetwashing and communion. We stress service to others as a reflection of God’s love for us, and strive to achieve social justice, peace, and unity among all peoples. We consider it important to work with other Christians, regardless of denomination, as we are all a part of the body of Christ.
We have facilities for physical- and
hearing-challenged persons.