Qustion about Brethren

[FireDragon76]

Are the Brethren that became part of the UMC related at all to the Moravian Brethren with whom John Wesley came into contact?

I'm just curious. I am still technically Methodist but my ancestors were German-American and the family says they were "Brethren" in their religion. At some time the church my mom went to became United Methodist before she was born.

 

[circuitrider]

FireDragon,

I believe the Moravians are a separate body of Christians. Interestingly the UMC is currently in conversations with the Moravian Church for full communion here in the US.

 

[Dave-W]

My mom was Evangelical United Brethern (EUB) until she married my dad. At that point they went to Church of the Nazarene. He was previously Wesleyan Methodist.

Here is the Wiki on the "brethern" side of the EUB denomination:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_United_Brethren_in_Christ

In 1939 they joined with the Evangelical Church to form the EUB. They then joined the Methodist Episcopal and a couple of other Methodist splinter groups to form the current United Methodist Church in 1968.

 

[FireDragon76]

OK, different groups with a similar name.

 

[Obedientiarius]

Moravians are essentially the pietist expression of Lutheranism (I'm grossly oversimplifying). It's probably not 100% accurate, but I've heard this analogy used. Methodism is to Anglicanism what Moravians are to Lutheranism.