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The Annual Conference premier of Dave Sollenberger's latest video documentary was met by rave reviews. The film examines all aspects of the Old Order Brethren, from their plain clothes to their unique perspectives on theology.

During the course of the 19th century, Brethren had to interact with American culture to an ever greater measure because the artificial barriers of a different language and insulated life on the frontier were steadily eroding. As a result, the Brethren brought increasing numbers of questions to their Annual Meeting for deliberation, on issues as diverse as the allowance of carpets and flowered wallpaper in homes, to the proper style of plain clothes, to the acceptance of higher education and Sunday Schools. By the 1860s, two quite divergent views were developing in the church about such issues. One group, the Old Order Brethren, was reluctant to make full use of such practices as Sunday Schools, evangelism, higher education, and foreign missions that would move the church in the direction of worldly Christianity and away from the old order or faith of the church. An opposite position was taken by the Progressive Brethren who felt that such innovations would enable the church to spread the beliefs of the church more widely and to move more quickly into the mainstream of American culture.

Please check with Brethren Press about the availability of “Men in Black”.

“MIB II,” a study of the Progressive Brethren, will be available at next year's Annual Conference.