The Charis Fellowship, also known as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is included in the most recent census of Anabaptists in the United States, according to an article today (May 27, 2019) in the Mennonite World Review. It also notes that the census results reveal inconsistency between both how Anabaptists are typically portrayed in the media and how they see themselves. The survey conducted by the Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite Historical Society counts nearly 604,000 members across 67 groups, including 30,000 members in the Charis Fellowship. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Broad census counts more Anabaptists
The most inclusive census of Anabaptists in the United States counts 100,000 more members than the 2018 Mennonite World Conference tally.
The survey, by the Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite Historical Society, counts nearly 604,000 members across 67 groups, working with self-reported numbers as well as calculated growth.
Beginning in 2015, MWC broadened its census to count more Anabaptist groups, including Old and New Order Amish, Brethren and Bruderhof communities. The census LMHS created last year is broader still, attempting to include all groups.
The most significant reason for the higher number is the inclusion of six groups not counted by MWC: the Brethren Church, Charis Fellowship, Hutterites, Apostolic Christian Church, the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches and German Baptist Brethren.
— Charis Fellowship, formerly known as Grace Brethren, counts 30,000 members across 294 congregations in the U.S.
Click here to read the complete article.