Welland’s Brethren in Christ Church grew out of a house

The Brethren in Christ religious movement traces its roots to Pennsylvania circa 1770.

It shares its development with a group of Anabaptist Mennonites who came together on the east side of the Susquehanna River.

Known as the River Brethren, the society adopted the name of Brethren in Christ about 1862 after the outbreak of the American Civil War, officially registering themselves as non-combatants to avoid conscription.

By 1788, a group of Brethren moved to Canada and became known as “Tunkers” in reference to their practice of baptism by immersion, stemming from the German word tunken , meaning “to dip.”

By 1904, the main body of the organization adopted the name Brethren in Christ Church, with headquarters located in Harrisburg, Pa.

The Welland branch started in 1920, after Brethre