The Brethren in Christ Church (often called B.I.C. Church) is an evangelical Christian denomination with roots in the Mennonite church, pietism, and Wesleyan holiness. They have also been known as River Brethren and River Mennonites.

Background

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The B.I.C. Church began about 1778 in Pennsylvania. It loosely shares an early connection with the United Brethren back to 1767. Often known by their locality, a group of brethren north of Marietta, Pennsylvania on the east side of the Susquehanna River became known as the River Brethren. The River Brethren distanced themselves from other Anabaptist denominations (Mennonites and German Baptists) as they developed a conviction that trine immersion was the scriptural form of baptism. They also held a firm reliance on the centricity of Scripture. Jacob Engel is noted as one of the early leaders who promoted this position. The first confessional statement of this group was formulated around 1780.

During the American Civil War, when required by the Union government of the United States to register as a body that held non-resistance values, the name Brethren in Christ was adopted. River Brethren remained the popular usage into the 20th century. The pacifist view is still part of the B.I.C. statement of faith, but other views of military involvement are allowed, mostly due to the draft of World War II.

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