Starting a Church
Starting a Brethren Church
If opening a Brethren church is one of your goals, you've come to the right place.
Thinking about opening a Brethren church? We tell you what you need to know to get started.
Church of the Brethren: Denominational Characteristics
The Brethren (or Church of the Brethren) is a non-creedal, Christian denomination with approximately 1,000 churches and 125,000 members in the U.S. As opposed to many other Christian denominations, the Brethren are non-hierarchical. Despite the presence of denominational structures and pastors, Brethren churches are predominantly driven and supervised by laity.
Brethren churches also stand out from other Protestant congregations due to their commitments to peace and simplicity. Although diverse opinions exist among members, the Church of the Brethren is officially pacifistic. Likewise, the denomination's commitment to simplicity manifests itself in diverse ways at both the congregational and individual levels.
The Church of the Brethren is very supportive of church planting efforts and provides resources (including online webinars) for denominational representatives, church planters and church plant support teams.
Forming a Brethren Church Plant Team
Brethren church plants are a team effort. Before you can seriously pursue a Brethren church launch, you will need to gather a core support team to share the workload and generate critical mass for your initial services and ministries.
In the business world, startups with multiple partners have higher success rates than solo startup efforts. But the effectiveness of your church plant support team will depend on how much time and effort you invest in selecting the right individuals for the job. Choosing a core team isn't an intuitive skill for many church planters -- but with a little research, you can learn how to form a team that shares your commitment to launching a successful Brethren church in your community.
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