About Us

Church of the Brethren

Our church belongs to one of the oldest denominations in the country, the Church of the Brethren began in 1708 when eight brave souls, led by Alexander Mack, united in a new fellowship in the village of Schwarzenau. They were baptized as adults in the Eder River, entering into covenant with Jesus Christ and one another. Mack and the others believed in a faith which requires action. They rejected formal dogmatic churches of the state and received heavy persecution for following out their convictions about the peaceful nature of Christ's message. The Church of the Brethren moved to the United States, specifically Pennsylvania, in 1719

.

East Chippewa

Brethren began to cross into Ohio in 1803 and within fifty years settlements were being made all across modern Columbiana, Stark, and Wayne Counties. Meetings in outlying districts were held in private houses, barns, and schoolhouses before meeting houses were ever constructed. The original Chippewa congregation of Wayne County embraced a large territory. It was decided in 1877 to divide the area into three districts, Chippewa, Wooster, and Orrville. This territory would later be sub-divided to form East Chippewa Church House, the foundation of our current Church home.

Today, the Church of the Brethren spans from coast to coast. Our church, East Chippewa or East Chip. as we affectionately call it, is a family of believers that belong to the larger church family of the Northern Ohio District. We are a small church of strong active believers. Our church prides itself on a history of service in our community and in the world at large. In fact, many of our members were "sea-going cowboys", Christian missionaries who helped rebuild Europe after WWII through transportation and care of livestock. At the core of our belief is an emphasis on Jesus message of salvation, peace, and love.