Brethren
The Church of the Brethren is a nonprofit Anabaptist Historic Peace Church denomination founded in 1708, serving approximately 800 US congregations plus international sister churches through disaster relief, volunteer service, theological education, publishing (Messenger magazine, Brethren Press), and peacebuilding advocacy, funded by congregational tithes, offerings, subscriptions, and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1708
- HeadquartersElgin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Brethren does
The Church of the Brethren, Inc. is a nonprofit Christian denomination headquartered at 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, Illinois, with roots in the Schwarzenau Brethren founded by Alexander Mack in Germany in 1708 and the first North American baptism in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1724. It is classified as a Historic Peace Church rooted in Anabaptist and Pietist traditions and serves approximately 800 member congregations across the United States, with sister churches and global mission partnerships in Nigeria (EYN), Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Haiti, and other countries. Its ministry portfolio spans Brethren Disaster Ministries (rebuilding), Children's Disaster Services (emergency child care), Brethren Volunteer Service, Brethren Press (publishing, including Messenger magazine and Shine Curriculum co-published with MennoMedia), the Brethren Historical Library and Archives, the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy in Washington, DC, and ministerial training through Bethany Theological Seminary and the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.
The denomination is governed by the Annual Conference as its highest body, with the Mission and Ministry Board and General Secretary (currently David Steele) providing leadership between conferences. Its principal revenue streams are congregational tithes and offerings, designated special offerings (Disaster Ministries, Global Mission), Messenger magazine subscriptions (individual $21/year, student $18, club $18, sustaining tiers $35–$75, international $36–$56), Messenger advertising (full page $1,353 per insertion), and Annual Conference registration. Eder Financial (formerly Brethren Benefit Trust) provides affiliated insurance and retirement services to congregations and members.
The organization operates three physical sites — General Offices in Elgin, IL (under exploration for relocation and sale as of June 2026), the Brethren Service Center warehouse/distribution facility in New Windsor, MD (now partially leased to Catholic Medical Mission Board), and the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy in Washington, DC. Staff headcount is in the 11–50 range, supporting what the source describes as community-led, event-driven, and direct-to-consumer (magazine) go-to-market motions across approximately 4,700 Messenger subscribers and a multi-channel digital presence spanning website, podcast, YouTube, email, and social media.
Brethren firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brethren
- Legal name
- Church of the Brethren, Inc.
- Website
- https://brethren.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1708
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Church of the Brethren is a nonprofit Anabaptist Historic Peace Church denomination founded in 1708, serving approximately 800 US congregations plus international sister churches through disaster relief, volunteer service, theological education, publishing (Messenger magazine, Brethren Press), and peacebuilding advocacy, funded by congregational tithes, offerings, subscriptions, and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brethren industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Denomination and Faith-Based Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Community Food Services (624210)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)
Keywords
Where Brethren is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elgin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Brethren business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tithes and Offerings: Primary revenue stream from member congregations through tithes and offerings collected at local church level, supporting denominational ministries and operations.
- Special Offerings: Annual special offerings for specific causes such as Disaster Ministries, Global Mission, and other designated programs.
- Messenger Magazine Subscriptions: Official denomination magazine generates subscription revenue from individuals ($21/year, $39/2 years), students ($18/year), and church clubs ($18/year, $34/2 years). International subscriptions available at higher rates.
- Conference Registration: Revenue from Annual Conference registration fees for delegates and attendees.
- Advertising Revenue: Messenger magazine accepts advertisements from compatible organizations, with rate card pricing for various ad sizes and frequency discounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual one-year subscription at $21 per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Student subscription rate at $18 per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Church club subscription rate at $18 per year (save $3 per subscriber) |
| Subscription | Annual | Sustaining subscriber support tiers |
| Subscription | Annual | International subscription rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Messenger magazine advertising rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Brethren product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination coordinating ministries, programs, and resources for approximately 800 member congregations across the United States. It delivers services including disaster relief and rebuilding (Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children's Disaster Services), global mission partnerships, faith formation curriculum (Shine Curriculum), ministerial training, peacebuilding advocacy, and publishes the official Messenger magazine. Funding comes primarily from member tithes, offerings, donations, and publication subscriptions.
Product overview
The Church of the Brethren operates primarily as a religious denomination rather than a technology company. Its product offerings consist of publications and educational resources: MESSENGER Magazine (the official monthly publication, 10 issues/year, tracing back to 1851), Shine Curriculum (jointly published with MennoMedia for Sunday school Christian education), the Shine Everywhere initiative (a faith formation program), Newsline Digest newsletter, the annual Yearbook, and Brethren Press as the publishing division. These publications serve the denomination's ~800 congregations across the United States and sister churches internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brethren Disaster Ministries: Disaster response and rebuilding programs serving communities affected by disasters
- Brethren Press
- Brethren Volunteer Service
- Children's Disaster Services
- Messenger
- Global Mission
- Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Products and services
- MESSENGER Magazine The official magazine of the Church of the Brethren, published 10 times annually in print and digital editions. Reaches approximately 4,700 subscribers with features, news, Bible studies, opinion, and denominational content.
- Shine Curriculum A joint publication of Brethren Press and MennoMedia providing Sunday school curriculum for faith formation. Part of the Shine Everywhere initiative focused on connecting faith practices at church and at home.
- Brethren Disaster Ministries Disaster response and rebuilding programs serving communities affected by disasters, including volunteers in recovery efforts such as in Letcher County, KY in 2025.
- Children's Disaster Services Emergency services providing care for children during disasters and community crises.
- Brethren Volunteer Service Volunteer service program placing volunteers in communities nationwide for faith-based service opportunities.
- Annual Conference Annual Conference held June 28-July 2, 2026 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, gathering delegates from approximately 800 congregations for worship, business sessions, networking, and resources. Includes livestreaming for virtual attendees.
- Yearbook Annual publication containing congregational and district statistics, denominational data, and church information for the Church of the Brethren.
- Eder Financial (formerly Brethren Benefit Trust)
Companies that use Brethren
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brethren technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Brethren partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB)majorCMMB has begun renting warehouse space at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, MD, using space formerly occupied by the Material Resources program. CMMB is a faith-based NGO working globally to bring healthcare closer to home, with Access to Medicines Program having distributed over $6.3 billion worth of medicines and medical supplies to 114 countries over 25 years.
- Church World Service (CWS)coreCWS is a partner organization for immigration advocacy and support. CWS provides updates on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and other immigration matters relevant to the denomination's advocacy work.
- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)coreCMEP is a partner organization for the Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy. CMEP advocates for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic efforts rather than military intervention.
- World Council of Churches (WCC)coreWCC is an ecumenical partner that the Church of the Brethren participates in. WCC recently signed a statement on AI in warfare calling for halt to AI systems in military kill chains.
- MennoMediacoreMennoMedia is a joint publication partner with Brethren Press for the Shine: Living in God's Light Curriculum. MennoMedia received a Lilly Endowment grant on behalf of the Shine Everywhere initiative.
- Eder FinancialcoreEder Financial (formerly Brethren Benefit Trust/BBT) provides financial services including insurance and retirement benefits to Church of the Brethren congregations and members.
- On Earth PeacecoreOn Earth Peace is an Annual Conference agency focused on peacebuilding and conflict transformation, preparing resources like the Annual Conference edition of Agape: A Peacemaking Guide for Kids.
- Bethany Theological SeminarycoreBethany Theological Seminary provides theological education and training for Church of the Brethren ministers. The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is a joint program with the seminary.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brethren competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- United Methodist Church: Much larger US mainline Protestant denomination with comparable structure, publishing operations (UM Publishing House), global mission footprint, and historic-peace-adjacent social principles.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): Larger US mainline Protestant denomination with a parallel congregational structure and Lutheran Disaster Response; comparable publishing and theological-education footprint, but at meaningfully greater scale.
- American Baptist Churches USA: Mainline Baptist denomination with a similarly decentralized congregational structure and parallel publishing/educational ministries, providing a useful comparable for denominational governance.
- United Church of Christ: Progressive US mainline Protestant denomination with comparable theological positioning, congregational governance and social-justice mission, but operating at larger scale and reach.
Direct peers
- Presbyterian Church (USA): Another US Historic Peace Church in the mainline Protestant tradition with parallel denominational structure, governing bodies, disaster-response programs (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance), and publishing operations.
- American Friends Service Committee: Quaker-affiliated humanitarian organization with disaster response, peacebuilding and international programming that directly parallels Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children's Disaster Services, and the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy.
- Mennonite Church USA: A sibling Anabaptist denomination with shared theological heritage, a Historic Peace Church identity, and a comparable US congregational network. Directly comparable as a co-peace-church body of similar size and theology.
- Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Co-Historic Peace Church with the same peace witness and simplicity tradition as the Brethren, comparable theology, and similar small-to-mid sized US denominational footprint.
Others
- World Vision: Faith-based humanitarian NGO whose international disaster response, global mission and child-focused programs parallel Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children's Disaster Services and Global Food Initiative—useful benchmark for the aid-delivery line of business at greater scale.
Emerging players
- Bethany Theological Seminary: Anabaptist theological seminary operating under covenant with the Church of the Brethren and home to the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership; comparable educational niche with overlap on ministerial training and formation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brethren social profiles
Digital presenceBrethren financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brethren leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Brethren subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
Brethren funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brethren M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brethren
What does Brethren do?
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination coordinating ministries, programs, and resources for approximately 800 member congregations across the United States. It delivers services including disaster relief and rebuilding (Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children's Disaster Services), global mission partnerships, faith formation curriculum (Shine Curriculum), ministerial training, peacebuilding advocacy, and publishes the official Messenger magazine. Funding comes primarily from member tithes, offerings, donations, and publication subscriptions.
Is Brethren a public or private company?
Brethren is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Brethren founded?
Brethren was founded in 1708. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brethren based?
Brethren is headquartered in Elgin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brethren make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tithes and Offerings are the primary driver. The others are special Offerings, messenger Magazine Subscriptions, conference Registration and advertising Revenue.
Who are Brethren's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), American Baptist Churches USA and United Church of Christ. Direct peers are Presbyterian Church (USA), American Friends Service Committee, Mennonite Church USA and Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). World Vision is listed as an others. Bethany Theological Seminary is listed as an emerging player.
Does Brethren have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brethren.
What industry is Brethren in?
Brethren's product category is Religious Denomination and Faith-Based Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAA, Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAG, Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8600.