hurch of the Brethren in 1908.From the Church of Brethren there have been separations into the Seventh-day Baptists, German Baptists, Church of God, Old German Baptist Brethren, and the Brethren Church. The local churches are united by an annual conference that elects a general board to supervise the national church program.During the 20th century the focus areas of Church of the Brethren have included educating its young people by developing Sunday schools, camping and youth programs; strengthening its emphasis on service, foreign and home missions, and peacemaking; increasing its ecumenical involvement; and developing a new denominational structure. Today the Church of the Brethren maintains the basic beliefs of the first Brethren and seeks to find new ways to continue the work of Jesus in the world.While the Church of the Brethren started in Germany, it has no congregations in Europe today. Instead, the denominations congregations stretch from coast to coast across North America, with especially strong concentrations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. In all, more than 1,000 churches can be found in 38 states and Puerto Rico. There are also nearly 20 international churches in the Dominican Republic, and a large sister denomination in Nigeria. There are four key locations in the denomination. One key location is Elgin, ILL. This city is home to the denominations headquarters and General Offices. It houses the main offices of the Church of the Brethren General Board, Brethren Benefit Trust, the Association of Brethren Caregivers, the Annual Conference, and the Brethren Employees Credit Union.Another key location is New Windsor, MD. This small town is the location of the Brethren Service Center, known for hospitality and service ministries. On its grounds, a former college campus, are the New Windsor Conference Center, Church of the Brethren Emergency Response/Service Ministries, and other ecumenical and ind...
