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On August 20, 2019, William (Bill) Hoke, longtime missionary to India, passed away at age 102. Two years ago, when he celebrated his 100th birthday, an excerpt from a short autobiography was reprinted in the Summer 2017 edition of “History Matters,” the Historical Society’s newsletter (originally from My Story, My...read more
On Thursday, August 30, 2018, Beth Hostetler Mark, librarian emeritus at Messiah College and secretary of the Historical Society board, will share her grandfather’s World War I story at one of the events related to the traveling exhibit, “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War.” The event will...read more
On Sunday, September 24, 2017, the Montoursville Brethren in Christ Church, located in the beautiful mountains of Lycoming County, PA, celebrated 100 years of ministry. The morning worship service included hymns and contemporary music, a message by Bryan Hoke, bishop of the Atlantic Conference, and celebration of communion. Following a...read more
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
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 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 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
In August 1957, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly was held in Karlsruhe, Germany. At least three Brethren in Christ attended: Charlie B. Byers, Sr., C. N. Hostetter, Jr., and E. J. Swalm. Before the assembly, Bishop Swalm toured the Holy Land and parts of Europe visiting with Mennonites and learning...read more