Denominational Profile

History

	Church of the Brethren (1723)	continuedChurch of the Brethren
		split into Old German Baptist Brethren Church (1881)

The Church of the Brethren grew out of the 18th-century Pietist movement in Germany. It was founded in 1723 in the United States by Alexander Mack Sr., Christopher Sauer II, Alexander Mack Jr., and Peter Becker. They are also referred to as Conservative Dunkards.

Membership Data

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1925	3,500	1,036	120,103
1929	2,725	1,026	134,620
1931	-	-	134,102
1933	-	1,031	154,169
1935	3,048	1,032	160,335
1937	-	1,025	164,784
1940	-	1,017	176,908
1942	-	1,019	179,843
1944	-	1,019	180,287
1946	-	-	182,497
1947	-	1,021	184,584
1950	2,975	1,029	186,201
1951	3,000	1,030	186,358
1952	3,100	1,021	188,467
1953	3,103	1,028	190,263
1954	2,455	1,035	193,547
1955	2,366	1,049	195,609
1956	2,133	1,052	197,290
1957	2,246	1,062	199,936
1958	2,230	1,069	200,282
1959	2,025	1,070	201,219
1960	2,250	1,074	199,947
1961	2,223	1,070	200,788
1962	2,205	1,064	201,220
1963	2,177	1,069	201,958
1964	2,147	1,070	199,854
1965	2,118	1,067	194,815
1966	2,089	1,056	191,402
1967	2,070	1,052	189,558
1968	2,056	1,054	187,957
1969	2,027	1,045	185,198
1970	2,030	1,038	182,614
1971	2,011	1,036	181,183
1972	2,026	1,037	179,686
1973	1,990	1,035	179,333
1974	1,948	1,038	179,387
1975	1,935	1,041	179,336
1976	1,897	1,041	178,157
1977	1,929	1,041	177,534
1978	-	1,061	175,335
1979	1,911	1,061	172,115
1980	1,909	1,063	170,839
1981	1,912	1,064	170,267
1982	1,913	1,063	168,844
1983	1,940	1,067	164,680
1984	2,108	1,044	161,824
1985	1,962	1,045	159,184
1986	1,963	1,059	155,967
1987	1,972	1,052	154,067
1988	1,553	1,079	151,169
1989	2,436	1,102	149,681
1990	1,541	1,095	148,253
1992	1,214	1,139	147,912
1993	1,229	1,135	146,713
1994	1,267	1,127	144,282
1995	1,966	1,114	143,121
1996	1,946	1,106	141,811
1997	1,945	1,095	141,400
2000	1,915	1,071	135,879
2001	1,833	1,070	134,828
2002	1,887	1,069	134,844
2003	1,874	1,062	132,481
2004	1,896	1,068	131,201
2005	1,838	1,068	128,820
2006	1,843	1,064	127,526
2007	1,849	1,055	125,418
2008	1,863	1,049	123,855
2009	1,863	1,047	121,781

Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]