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History of Manchester College

Manchester College traces its origin to the Roanoke Classical Seminary found by the United Brethren Church in Roanoke, Ind., in 1860. The seminary became Manchester College when, in 1889, it was moved to North Manchester, Ind. In 1895, the campus was purchased by representatives of the Church of the Brethren who deeded it to four State Districts of the Church in 1902. The number of supporting districts increased until, by 1932, Manchester served the five-state area of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Mount Morris College and Roanoke Classical Seminary Merge

Mount Morris (Ill.) College, merged with Manchester College in 1932. Founded as a Methodist seminary in 1839, Mount Morris had been purchased by representatives of the Church of the Brethren in 1879 and operated under the name of the Rock River Seminary and College Institute until 1844 when the name was changed to Mount Morris College.

The merger of Mount Morris College and Manchester College came about when the Church of the Brethren decided that its educational program would be strengthened by pooling its resources in a smaller number of colleges.

Manchester College Today

Manchester College offers more than 45 areas of study to more than 1,140 students from 22 states and 29 countries. The independent, liberal arts college is located in North Manchester, Ind.

About 74 percent of the students live on the 120-acre campus and about 15 percent of MC students are members of the Church of the Brethren.

About the Church of the Brethren

Adapted from www.brethren.org

Influenced by Reformation movements, including Anabaptism and Radical Pietism, the Church of the Brethren had its beginnings in Schwarzenau, Germany.

Adult Baptism Marks Faith, Committment

In August 1708 five men and three women, including Alexander Mack, gathered at the Eder River in Schwarzenau for baptism, an illegal act since all had been baptized as infants. They understood this baptism as an outward symbol of their new faith and as a commitment to living that faith in community. An anonymous member of the group first baptized Mack. He, in turn, baptized the other seven. This new group simply called themselves “brethren.”

Though the early Brethren shared many beliefs with other Protestants, a number of issues separated them from the state churches. Relying on the New Testament as their guide, these men and women believed that Jesus had intended for his followers a different kind of life—one based on peaceful action, plain and compassionate living, and a shared search for truth.

North American Immigration

Due to growing persecution and economic hardship, Brethren began emigrating to North America in 1719 leaving Europe by 1740. The Brethren expanded across the United States for several years. In the early 1880s a major schism took place resulting in a three-way split. The largest branch after the schism was the German Baptist Brethren, who changed their name to the Church of the Brethren in 1908.

Church of the Brethren Today

Entering the 21st century, the Church of the Brethren had about 135,000 members in more than 1,000 congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico; about 150,000 in the fast-growing Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria); and hundreds more in the Dominican Republic and Brazil.