I use the term Brethren and German Baptist as one in the same below. The terms Brethren, German Baptist, Dunker and Tunker mean the same. United Brethren is not associated with these terms, and was a completely different denomination, though it was of German heritage. -----Original Message----- From: Bill Thomas Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 4:26 PM To: brethren@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [BRE] German Baptist marriage record questions Melanie....in response to your two questions below: Yes... speaking English wouldn't necessarily mean church services would be in English.....I'm talking early 19th Century. Early Brethren ministers were seldom licensed by the state, so you wouldn't want a Brethren minister marrying you if you were not Brethren. Brethren were a tiny minority of the population even among those of German heritage, and there would have been Lutheran, United Brethren and Reformed pastors that could also marry you, who were also more likely to be licensed. Emmert Bittinger explains early Brethren marriage customs in his book 'Allegheny Passage' (page 82). However, it was not unheard of for German Baptists to be married by Lutherans or other ministers, although it was frowned upon, and often harshly. The customs of the latter 19th Century don't have much relevance with those of the early 19th and 18th Century. The church in general became far more progressive as the decades progressed, leading to divisions in some cases by the more conservative/traditional German Baptists. Bill Thomas -----Original Message----- From: Melanie Rice Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 8:10 AM To: brethren@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [BRE] German Baptist marriage record questions Thank you, Bill. If I understand correctly, it is possible that Brethren church members may have spoken both English and German, but the church may have used German in the early 1800s? WOULD a Brethren minister have married a couple who were not of that faith? For example, in more remote areas where there were not nearby churches - if a minister passed through the area, would he have been likely to marry couples wishing to marry, regardless of their faith? I'm trying to understand if a marriage by a Brethren minister is a strong indicator that the couple were both from Brethren families.