In a word. NO. But let's take a look at 'em.
They were not the "Phi Slama Jama" University of Houston basketball team of 1982-84
They began in 1708 in Germany when a man named Alexander mack began preaching & baptizing in the Eder River. Soon, a group of them migrated to the USA near Germantown, PA. to escape religious persecution in largely-Catholic Germany. Mack himself & another group moved to The Netherlands,but after 9 years, conditions there had deterioriated, so they joined their brethren in the USA.
They were originally known as the "Church of the Brethren", but had receiced the handle "Dunkers" for their practice of baptizing by full immersion 3 times, once for each Member of the Holy Trinity. In 1926, a group led by Benjamin Kesler left the brethren & formed the "Dunkard Church" because Kesler & Co. believed the brethren wer drifting away from the old apostolic beliefs.
Now, while their Christianity is Bible-based & quite-orthodox, the Dunkards burden themselves with many man-made rules which are NOT Biblical. such as no TV, politics, labor unions, & women are expected to wear a plain white cap. The Brethren are a little looser, which led to the 1926 schism. Whether they're a cult or not depends upon one's views of man-made rules of worship/faith. While I personally don't believe nor follow ANY such man-made rules or doctrines, I won't call the Dunkers a cult as their views of SALVATION ONLY THRU CHRIST are Biblical.
There are only a little over a thousand Brethren & some 900 Dunkards today. They are not too popular, as people associate them with the Amish, even though their beliefs are worlds apart.
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They are best-known because of a famous sanctuary of theirs near Sharpsburg, Md. called the Dunker Church. It was the focal point of one attack during the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.( Ironically, the battle was named after a nearby Methodist church where each army used as its HQ, as the tide of battle changed. It was also called the battle of Antietam Chrrk, which is nearby.) The Dunker church was damaged by artillery & riddled with bullets. It was repaired after the tide of war moved from the area, & regular services resumed in it til the turn of the century, til the Dunkers built a new church in Sharpsburg. It fell into disrepair & collapsed during a 1921 storm. Successive owners of the site salvaged as much of the original material as possible, & it was used in a reconstruction of the building in 1962 for the 100th anniversary of the battle. It now stands as a memorial to peace & for the terrible battle fought on that site. It's a "museum", no longer used for services.
They were not the "Phi Slama Jama" University of Houston basketball team of 1982-84
They began in 1708 in Germany when a man named Alexander mack began preaching & baptizing in the Eder River. Soon, a group of them migrated to the USA near Germantown, PA. to escape religious persecution in largely-Catholic Germany. Mack himself & another group moved to The Netherlands,but after 9 years, conditions there had deterioriated, so they joined their brethren in the USA.
They were originally known as the "Church of the Brethren", but had receiced the handle "Dunkers" for their practice of baptizing by full immersion 3 times, once for each Member of the Holy Trinity. In 1926, a group led by Benjamin Kesler left the brethren & formed the "Dunkard Church" because Kesler & Co. believed the brethren wer drifting away from the old apostolic beliefs.
Now, while their Christianity is Bible-based & quite-orthodox, the Dunkards burden themselves with many man-made rules which are NOT Biblical. such as no TV, politics, labor unions, & women are expected to wear a plain white cap. The Brethren are a little looser, which led to the 1926 schism. Whether they're a cult or not depends upon one's views of man-made rules of worship/faith. While I personally don't believe nor follow ANY such man-made rules or doctrines, I won't call the Dunkers a cult as their views of SALVATION ONLY THRU CHRIST are Biblical.
There are only a little over a thousand Brethren & some 900 Dunkards today. They are not too popular, as people associate them with the Amish, even though their beliefs are worlds apart.
______________________________________________________________________________________
They are best-known because of a famous sanctuary of theirs near Sharpsburg, Md. called the Dunker Church. It was the focal point of one attack during the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.( Ironically, the battle was named after a nearby Methodist church where each army used as its HQ, as the tide of battle changed. It was also called the battle of Antietam Chrrk, which is nearby.) The Dunker church was damaged by artillery & riddled with bullets. It was repaired after the tide of war moved from the area, & regular services resumed in it til the turn of the century, til the Dunkers built a new church in Sharpsburg. It fell into disrepair & collapsed during a 1921 storm. Successive owners of the site salvaged as much of the original material as possible, & it was used in a reconstruction of the building in 1962 for the 100th anniversary of the battle. It now stands as a memorial to peace & for the terrible battle fought on that site. It's a "museum", no longer used for services.
