The Old Order River Brethren is a small Christian denomination with roots in the Mennonite church and German pietism.
This body began about 1778 in Pennsylvania. It shares an early history with the Brethren in Christ Church. A group of brethren near the Susquehanna River that had separated from the Mennonites became known as the River Brethren. In 1843, a group left the larger body of River Brethren and established a separate Old Order group. They were sometimes referred to as the York Brethren or Yorkers, because most of the members in 1843 were located in York County, Pennsylvania. This minority group believed the majority of the church was becoming lax in nonconformity to the world and non-resistance, and desired to keep the old doctrines and traditions.
The church is composed of five congregations—four in Pennsylvania and one in Iowa—with 331 members in 2000. They retain many conservative practices that are generally associated with the Amish. They do not erect meeting houses, choosing rather to meet in homes or barns.
Famous quotes containing the words order, river and/or brethren:
“If there hadn’t been women we’d still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girl friends. And they tolerated it and let us go ahead and play with our toys.”
—Orson Welles (1915–1984)
““I’ll love you dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“A bargain is in its very essence a hostile transaction ... do not all men try to abate the price of all they buy? I contend that a bargain even between brethren is a declaration of war.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)