> German Reformed is no where closer to Ev. Lutheran at all. They're more > of Calvinist (Presbyterian), known now as United Brethren Church in USA Many of the German Reformed congregations in Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and Virginia eventually became "Evangelical & Reformed" churches. In the late 1950s, this group merged w/ the Congregationalists to form the present United Church of Christ. In the rural areas & towns in the historically "German" section from southern Pennsylvania south into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, you will find numerous UCC congregations that began as German Reformed in the 18th or early 19th centuries. These congregations were Calvinist in theology originally, as were the Congregationalists in New England. To confuse things more, some Germans in that area were converted to Wesleyan Methodism and formed the United Brethren and others formed the Evangelical Association [I think this is the connect name]. These "German Methodists" were Wesleyans who used German in their services. Eventually, they moved to English-language services. In 1946, these groups merged to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, the EUB Church merged with The Methodist Church to form the present United Methodist Church. Unlike the Calvinist theology in the German Reformed Churches, these churches were Arminian [as was Wesley]. Unlike the congregational government in the Reformed tradition, these churches were episcopal in government, with bishops - as was the larger Methodist Episcopal Church & the present United Methodist Church. Other "Brethren" are from the Anabaptist tradition: Church of the Brethren and other similiar groups. The Mennonites and Amish are the most famous of these groups, because of their distinctive life-style. That name "Brethren" can be confusing ! David Roberts Hollywood, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "W. David Samuelsen" <dsam@sampubco.com> To: "Dutch-Colonies" <Dutch-Colonies-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 6:29 PM Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Confusion of religion affiliatons > Evangelical Lutheran - some belonging to French Reformed are known to > interchange with Ev. Lutheran, even in Germany > > German Reformed is no where closer to Ev. Lutheran at all. They're more > of Calvinist (Presbyterian), known now as United Brethren Church in USA > > Old Order Catholic - now affiliated with Presbyterian. > > Dutch Reformed is easily interchangeable with Presbyterian. > > W. David Samuelsen > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

I have long suspected that some of those German Reformed/Lutheran mergers came about because the congregations were getting too small to sustain themselves and had to merge with someone. But not with an English-speaking congregation! Quite a few German Lutherans and German Reformed considered themselves first and foremost German, at least in the language of their church services. Peter ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Roberts" <droberts@olg.com> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 8:51 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Confusion of religion affiliatons >> German Reformed is no where closer to Ev. Lutheran at all. They're more >> of Calvinist (Presbyterian), known now as United Brethren Church in USA > > Many of the German Reformed congregations in Pennsylvania, western > Maryland, > and Virginia eventually became "Evangelical & Reformed" churches. In the > late 1950s, this group merged w/ the Congregationalists to form the > present > United Church of Christ. In the rural areas & towns in the historically > "German" section from southern Pennsylvania south into the Shenandoah > Valley > of Virginia, you will find numerous UCC congregations that began as German > Reformed in the 18th or early 19th centuries. These congregations were > Calvinist in theology originally, as were the Congregationalists in New > England. > > To confuse things more, some Germans in that area were converted to > Wesleyan > Methodism and formed the United Brethren and others formed the Evangelical > Association [I think this is the connect name]. These "German Methodists" > were Wesleyans who used German in their services. Eventually, they moved > to > English-language services. In 1946, these groups merged to form the > Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, the EUB Church merged with > The > Methodist Church to form the present United Methodist Church. > > Unlike the Calvinist theology in the German Reformed Churches, these > churches were Arminian [as was Wesley]. Unlike the congregational > government > in the Reformed tradition, these churches were episcopal in government, > with > bishops - as was the larger Methodist Episcopal Church & the present > United > Methodist Church. > > Other "Brethren" are from the Anabaptist tradition: Church of the Brethren > and other similiar groups. The Mennonites and Amish are the most famous of > these groups, because of their distinctive life-style. > > That name "Brethren" can be confusing ! > > David Roberts > Hollywood, MD > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "W. David Samuelsen" <dsam@sampubco.com> > To: "Dutch-Colonies" <Dutch-Colonies-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 6:29 PM > Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Confusion of religion affiliatons > > >> Evangelical Lutheran - some belonging to French Reformed are known to >> interchange with Ev. Lutheran, even in Germany >> >> German Reformed is no where closer to Ev. Lutheran at all. They're more >> of Calvinist (Presbyterian), known now as United Brethren Church in USA >> >> Old Order Catholic - now affiliated with Presbyterian. >> >> Dutch Reformed is easily interchangeable with Presbyterian. >> >> W. David Samuelsen >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >