That sort of thought has kept the brethren going for 300 years. The group can trace its roots to 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany, where Alexander Mack laid the foundation for their way of life.

The two Brethren groups trace their roots to the Schwarzenau (Germany) Brethren Movement of 1708 — a synthesis of radical Pietism and Anabaptism. Members of these two Brethren groups are often ...