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If you’re interested in the history, heritage, or current life of the Anabaptist tradition — of which the Brethren in Christ Church is a part — you should be reading Anabaptist Historians, a new group blog seeking to “share cutting-edge scholarship with a broad readership and to foster debates bearing on...read more
Starting the new year off right by planning new -- and improved! -- content for the Brethren in Christ Historical Society blog....read more
by Beth Hostetler Mark As a volunteer in the Brethren in Christ Church and Messiah College Archives, I am currently working on indexing Evangelical Visitor articles from the 1960s. Last week, I came across an editorial (“Prayer – Then What?” See image at left) by John N. Hostetter, in which...read more
In lieu of the August 2016 edition of our journal, Brethren in Christ History and Life, the Historical Society is publishing former missionary Grace Holland’s autobiography, Planting Seeds: A Missionary Story. We are always grateful when people who have kept careful records of their lives are willing to tell their stories for a wider audience,...read more
Last month, the Brethren in Christ Church in Zambia held its General Conference at Sikalongo Mission. The highlight of the conference was the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sikalongo Mission. Below is a brief account of the celebration reprinted by permission from John and Esther Spurrier’s...read more
On September 17, the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society is sponsoring a field trip to historical sites in Gettysburg, PA, featuring discussion of the Civil War from an Anabaptist perspective. The tour will be led by Kevin Lay, a Brethren in Christ pastor. The details are below, reprinted from the newsletter...read more
Thanks to John and Mary Ebersole for the photograph and the information about it. John grew up in Palmyra, Pennsylvania; he and Mary now live in Akron, PA, and attend the Speedwell Heights Brethren in Christ Church This photo came into the possession of John and Mary Ebersole as a...read more
by Harriet Sider Bicksler This postcard is another item I recently found in the suitcase of old photos from my parents. It is addressed to my great-grandfather, John Sider, and dated November 1, 1910. There is nothing identifying the person on the horse, but I suppose it could be my...read more
by Harriet Sider Bicksler Earlier this week, someone contacted me to ask whether an article from a past issue of Brethren in Christ History and Life (our journal) is available in digital format. This person is a member of the Historical Society and “likes” our Facebook page, but was unaware...read more
by Harriet Sider Bicksler Recently, I’ve been going through old photos from my parents, Lewis and Gladys (Bohen) Sider, and I found this one. The only identification on it is a stamp on the back: Bowser Studio, 109 West C St., Ontario, Calif. There is no date, no specific location,...read more
Thanks to Jon Stuckey, director of development at Messiah College, for this guest post. On November 8, 2015, over 120 Upland College and Messiah College alumni gathered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of Upland College. Several alumni participated in the evening’s program. Upland College...read more
This month, the Historical Society published two new books: Celebrations and Convictions: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Luke L. Keefer, Jr., edited by J. Robert Douglass and Wyndy Corbin Reuschling, and Living, Simply, Giving Generously: A Biography of David and Jeannie Byer, by E. Morris Sider. As you can...read more
Learn more about a new book honoring the life and legacy of the late theologian and church historian Luke L. Keefer, Jr....read more
Mennonite and Brethren in Christ leaders from around the world gathered at Elizabethtown College in central Pennsylvania to celebrate the completion of a multi-year research project -- a study of 24 Anabaptist groups from around the globe....read more
This past August, about forty-five people gathered at the beautiful Inn at Ragged Edge near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, for a reunion of people associated with Youngways Hostel, the former home for missionary children in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Former missionary kids (MKs), their spouses, and many of those who were entrusted...read more