Brethren Reformed Church

The Brethren Reformed Church was formed in May 2007, near Dayton, Ohio. Families previously affiliated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International and the Southern Baptist Convention formed this new fellowship of Christians.
Origin
Organization was formalized on August 14, 2007, with the Ohio Secretary of State. The Articles of Incorporation declared that the Brethren Reformed Church is a continuation of the Brethren Church which originated in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. The articles further establish the church as a Peace church.
A fundamental catalyst to the formation of the Brethren Reformed Church was a rejection of the Purpose Driven movement as unsound teaching which had gained wide acceptance, as a Church model, among the mainline Brethren denominations in the early 21st century. The new fellowship also viewed the philosophies of postmodernism and the emerging church as unsound characteristics of the church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22), and subject to the warnings issued by the Apostle Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-4:5.
With specific regard to the Grace Brethren denomination, the Brethren Reformed Church essentially grew out of a convictional rejection of the Grace group's variations on Free Grace Theology, dispensational theology, and "cultural relativism". The Brethren Reformed Church also reaffirmed the historic Brethren commitment to the threefold communion as the most complete, biblical form of communion; the doctrine of non-resistance against religious persecution; and non-aggression against fellow man.
On the other end of the spectrum from the progressive Brethren, the Brethren Reformed Church also found that its doctrinal perspective was well received by many persons in the Old German Baptist Brethren Church (New Conference) who were embracing certain evangelical characteristics of missions, the sufficiency of Scripture, and group Bible Study.
Doctrine
The Brethren Reformed Church espouses a foundation of teaching based on historical Anabaptist Biblicism (as opposed to a creedal framework) regarding the Bible, salvation, the return of Jesus Christ, the Church, communion, baptism, nonconformity, and nonresistance. Systematic theology is encouraged as long as the authority of a given theological position rests in the Bible, and not a systematic confession, creed or customary precedent.
The Brethren Reformed Church accepts the Bible's declaration that man is already dead in his trespasses and sins, and consequently possesses only a dead faith at birth. Therefore, man has no animated will with which he can, or would even be inclined to, seek God. Mankind therefore has no inherent "saving faith".
The church further teaches that Adam, being the first man, exercised his free will on behalf of all mankind in disobedience to God. On that basis, the church concludes that it is inevitable that every human being, as a descendent of Adam, is born spiritually-dead, mortally existing only in opposition to God, unless God Himself intervenes to draw and change the person's heart.
Despite the use of the word "reformed" in its name, the church does not teach classical reformed or covenant theology. It bases its doctrine of salvation on the Biblical expression that God has sovereignly called people to Himself and, had He not done so, no man would ever be disposed to seek God. Accordingly, the church teaches that the Father alone graciously elected to provide salvation; that salvation is made available through Jesus Christ alone; and that salvation is appropriated through faith alone bestowed by the Holy Spirit alone. According to the theology taught by the Brethren Reformed Church, no man can be reconciled to God by his own works, merit, or effort.
With respect to the doctrine of limited atonement, the Brethren Reformed Church holds to a view that Christ died for a world of sinners, but rose again only for those who would live with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15.) The church maintains that the Bible teaches that God Himself preserves the saints, and that one who is truly saved cannot fall from, and cannot abandon, that salvation at some future time in their life.
Of particular note is the Brethren Reformed Church's view on cessationism and dispensationalism.
*Cessationism
**Mainline Brethren have generally embraced cessationism largely on the basis of the fundamentalist reaction against Charismatic "sign gifts". The Brethren Reformed Church questions fundamentalism's definition of, and biblical support for, cessationism. However, the church likewise questions definition and purpose of certain "sign gifts" (e.g., tongues) and their teaching regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, the Brethren Reformed Church would teach that there is little, if any, biblical basis for suggesting that any of the gifts ever bestowed by the Holy Spirit have ceased and, at the same time, spiritual gifts have been manifest more and more as works of faith, and less of sight, since the Apostolic generation. The church would also teach that every believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion by which he or she is sealed unto the day of redemption, but Christians can be filled with the Holy Spirit in greater or lesser degrees throughout their earthly life according to their maturity and obedience as a Christian.
*Dispensationalism
**Almost all Brethren, whether of German or English origin, have taught dispensationalism since the late 19th century. A dispensational view delineates time since creation into distinct periods where God ostensibly worked in a unique way with regard to the affairs of the world. Ultimately, the dispensational view attempts to synthesize the Second Coming of Christ, the Rapture of the Church, the Wrath of God, and the redemption of Israel into one eschatological period called "The Tribulation". The Brethren Reformed Church rejects that synthesis as inaccurate, and views the Second Coming and the Rapture as certainly pre-millennial, but not in juxtaposition to a dispensational period called "The Tribulation".

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu