The Church of the United Brethren in Christ (United Brethren) began in 1767, during the spiritual renewal movement known as the Great Awakening, although they weren't formally organized at that time. Isaac Long held a meeting at his large barn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Martin Boehm, a Mennonite preacher gave his testimony. William Otterbein, a German Reformed pastor, was in attendance, and they became the first bishops of the new church. The Brethren in Christ were a part of the fellowship before the UBIC officially organized. The movement spread to severan German-speaking congregations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. By 1800, they had grown large enough to organize as an official denomination, electing Boehm and Otterbein as bishops, although both men were in their mid-70s. The United Brethren was the first denomination to be created in the United States, as the others had been transplanted from Europe. The United Brethren established Otterbein College in 1847, opening it to women as well as to blacks, which was not common at the time. The college president's home was a station on the Underground Railroad. By 1889, the United Brethren had grown to more than 200,000 members. However, at the UBIC convention that year, all but one of the body's six bishops voted to ignore the United Brethren's constitution. The bishop who opposed these changes was Milton Wright, the father of Orville and Wilbur Wright. He led a group of about 10,000 away from the main body. Most of the congregations who followed Wright lost their church property, as the courts sided with the larger body. For a while, two denominations were called the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. One group was known as the Radicals, while the other was known as the Liberals. This ended in 1946, when the other UBIC merged with the Evangelical Association to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church, which merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church.
Recommended Resources
Founded by the United Brethren in Christ in 1867, Huntington University is still affiliated with the UBIC, and a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. An undergraduate and adult studies academic catalog are available for viewing, along with an overview of the degrees offered by the institution, its admissions policies, a statement of faith, and student life programs.
https://www.huntington.edu/
UB Central serves to connect the administration, congregations, and membership of the United Brethren in Christ, offering daily news, which may be emailed to subscribers, along with commentary from a variety of people within the denomination, including regular contributors and others. Longer articles, as well as featured articles may be published to the site., and archives are available. Staff openings are posted.
http://ubcentral.org/
The United Brethren Church in Christ directory features UBIC congregations and other resources. The records in its database may be searched by church name, city, state, country or by cluster leader, or its records list may be browsed, sortable by church name, state or city. Service times, yearly attendance, the number of lay delegates, contacts, mailing address, directions and, when available, web site addresses are given.
http://www.ubdirectory.org/
The international arm of the United Brethren in Christ in North America was created in 2001 as a joint mission of the United States and Canada national conferences. The places that UBIC is working are posted, along with project reports, photographs, and a history of the mission. Its office and field staff are identified, along with partner countries and agencies, a calendar of events, and opportunities for others to get involved.
http://ubglobal.org/
United Brethren All for Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA lays claim to being the first denomination to actually begin in the United States, as it was formed during the Great Awakening of 1767. Its first two bishops were Martin Boehm, a Mennonite preacher, and William Otterbein, a German Reformed pastor. Its categories of ministers, ministerial education requirements and courses are specified in the official denominational site.
http://www.ub.org/
United Brethren Church in Canada
The UBC in Canada is part of the worldwide Church of the United Brethren in Christ, the first denomination created in North America. The origins of the UBIC in the United States are outlined, along with the history of the church in Canada. New church development resources and reports are given, along with its leadership development programs, higher education opportunities, job opportunities, and a calendar of events.
https://www.ubcanada.org/
