The Bible Fellowship Church is a conservative

pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life, including a social concern for ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

denomination with

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...

roots.

History

The Bible Fellowship Church (BFC) history begins with the formation of the Evangelische Mennoniten Gemeinschaft (Evangelical Mennonite Society) on September 24, 1858 in Milford Township,

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Lechaa Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 374,557.

. Seven Mennonites who had come under the influence of revivalism—elder William Gehman, bishop William N. Shelly, preachers Henry Diehl and David Henning, and deacons David Gehman, Jacob Gottschall and Joseph Schneider—refused to surrender to the pressure from their bishops to give up their evangelism. Instead they formed the new society, which combined Mennonite doctrine with enthusiastic evangelism. The Evangelical Mennonites of Pennsylvania consolidated with the United Mennonites (org. 1875) to become the Evangelical United Mennonites in November 1879. In 1883 the

Brethren in Christ The Brethren in Christ Church (BIC) is a River Brethren Christian denomination with roots in the Mennonite church, Radical Pietism, and Wesleyan holiness. They have also been known as River Brethren and River Mennonites. The Canadian denominat ...

in Ohio merged with the Evangelical United Mennonites to form the Mennonite Brethren in Christ. The Bible Fellowship Church (as the Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ) shares a common history of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (which became the

Missionary Church The Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist origins with Wesleyan and Pietist influences. Faith and practice The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body which believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God and ...

) until 1952. In the 1940s, the relationship of the Pennsylvania Conference with the other Mennonite Brethren in Christ conferences was strained. Disagreements existed over doctrine and ecclesiology, and these were intensified by personality differences. In 1947, the General Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ changed the name of the denomination to the United Missionary Church. The Pennsylvania Conference disagreed with the name change, and was allowed to continue under the old name. Five years later the Pennsylvania Conference voted to separate themselves from the other conferences of the United Missionary Church. Differences of opinion over church government, the doctrine of

holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

, education, foreign missions, and financial autonomy combined to bring about the division. They also objected to what was expected to be a merger with the Missionary Church Association (which occurred in 1969). The Pennsylvania Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ adopted a new name in 1959—the Bible Fellowship Church. At this time, new articles of faith were approved, which included dropping the practice of

feet washing Maundy (from Old French ''mandé'', from Latin ''mandatum'' meaning "command"), or Washing of the Saints' Feet, Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium or Pedilavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. The Latin word ...

. The structure of church government was gradually changed to a more

presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

style. Local elders rule individual Bible Fellowship churches. Each of the individual churches sends their elders and pastors to the annual conference. During the mid-20th century, the denomination's core

soteriological Soteriology (; el, σωτηρία ' "salvation" from σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special significance in many religio ...

viewpoint also gradually changed from its early

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...

Arminian Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

perspective to the current espousal of

Reformed Theology Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...

. However, in a departure from many other

reformed churches Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the Christian theology, theological tradition and forms of Christianity, Christ ...

, Bible Fellowship Churches continue the

practice of

believer's baptism Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing ...

. Headquarters of the BFC are located in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. Ministries include the Bible Fellowship Board of Missions; Church Extension Ministries; Fellowship Community, a home for the aged; and Victory Valley Youth Camp. In 2005, there were 7,470 members in 61 congregations. Most of the churches are located in eastern Pennsylvania. There are also churches in New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, and New Mexico.

Pinebrook Bible Conference

Pinebrook Bible Conference is a Christian camp and conference center in the Pocono Mountains. Founded in 1933 by

Percy Crawford Percy Bartimus Crawford (October 20, 1902 – October 31, 1960) was an evangelist and fundamentalist leader who especially emphasized youth ministry. During the late 1950s, he saw the potential of FM radio and UHF television and built the first ...

, an evangelist who led a radio ministry in Philadelphia, Pinebrook hosted prominent speakers and musicians, including

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...

Jack Wyrtzen John Von Casper "Jack" Wyrtzen (22 April 1913 – 17 April 1996) was an American youth evangelist and founder of Word of Life ministries, which operates Christian camps, conference centers and Bible institutes. Wyrtzen produced the ''Word o ...

J. Oliver Buswell James Oliver Buswell, Jr. (January 16, 1895 – February 4, 1977) was a Presbyterian theologian, educator and institution builder. Education Buswell was born in Burlington, Wisconsin. He received an A.B. from the University of Minnesota (1917), a ...

William Bell Riley William Bell Riley (March 22, 1861 in Greene County, Indiana, USA – December 5, 1947 in Golden Valley, Minnesota) was an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor. Biography In 1878, at the age of 17, Riley publicly professed faith in Ch ...

, William Henry Houghton, Robert T. Ketcham,

Cliff Barrows Clifford Burton Barrows (April 6, 1923 – November 15, 2016) was a longtime music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He had been a part of the Graham organization since 1949. Barrows was best known as the ...

, and

George Beverly Shea George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as "America's beloved gospel singer"Michael Ireland, "America's 'Beloved Gospel Singer,' George Bever ...

. In 1968, Pinebrook came under the umbrella of Bible Fellowship Church. On October 17, 2018, Spruce Lake took over stewardship of Pinebrook, while Bible Fellowship Church continues to offer events, retreats, and conferences at the property.

Notes

References

*''Encyclopedia of American Religions'', J. Gordon Melton, editor *''Handbook of Denominations in the United States'', by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood *''History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ'', Jasper Huffman, editor *''The Bible Fellowship Church: formerly Mennonite Brethren in Christ, Pennsylvania Conference, originally die Evangelische Mennoniten Gemeinschaft von Ost-Pennsylvanien'', by Harold Patton Shelly

External links

Official Website of the Bible Fellowship ChurchBible Fellowship Church Online History CenterPinebrook Bible ConferenceBible Fellowship Church - Board of MissionsProfile of the Bible Fellowship Church on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
{{Authority control Mennonite denominations Organizations established in 1858 1858 establishments in Pennsylvania Evangelical denominations in North America