Unity of the Brethren (1919 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: MethodistReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Unity of the Brethren, previously the Evangelical Union of Bohemian and Moravian Brethren, is related to the Moravian Church. It was founded by A. Chumsky and H. Juren in the mid-19th century and took its present name in 1919. The group practices infant baptism and open communion with all Christians.
Official Site: http://www.unityofthebrethren.org/
Interactive Timeline: Methodist Family Interactive Timeline
Unity of the Brethren: Congregations (2020)1
Top 2 Unity of the Brethren States (2020)1 [View all States]
Top 5 Unity of the Brethren Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris County, TX | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Bell County, TX | 3 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Burleson County, TX | 3 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Austin County, TX | 2 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Williamson County, TX | 2 | -- | -- |
Top 5 Unity of the Brethren Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area | 7 | -- | -- |
| 2 | College Station-Bryan, TX Metro Area | 4 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Killeen-Temple, TX Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
Unity of the Brethren, Members (1925 - 1998)2
Unity of the Brethren, Ministers & Churches (1925 - 1998)2
Unity of the Brethren, Trends (1925 - 1998)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 3,105 | 3 | 34 |
| 1929 | 4,200 | 5 | 38 |
| 1935 | 6,600 | 5 | 41 |
| 1937 | 6,900 | 41 | |
| 1940 | 4,538 | 41 | |
| 1947 | 4,920 | 32 | |
| 1950 | 5,000 | 4 | 32 |
| 1951 | 4,090 | 6 | 32 |
| 1952 | 5,143 | 8 | 32 |
| 1954 | 5,276 | 8 | 32 |
| 1958 | 6,028 | 10 | 32 |
| 1959 | 6,103 | 10 | 32 |
| 1960 | 6,151 | 10 | 32 |
| 1961 | 6,030 | 11 | 32 |
| 1963 | 6,200 | 13 | 32 |
| 1964 | 6,142 | 13 | 32 |
| 1985 | 3,006 | 18 | 27 |
| 1986 | 3,581 | 21 | 26 |
| 1987 | 3,495 | 21 | 26 |
| 1989 | 4,336 | 26 | 26 |
| 1990 | 3,196 | 28 | 25 |
| 1991 | 3,615 | 28 | 26 |
| 1993 | 2,602 | 28 | 26 |
| 1995 | 3,090 | 38 | 27 |
| 1998 | 3,218 | 39 | 27 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
