Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
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Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International (CGBCI) - a conservative faction which emerged from the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.
In 1939 the National Fellowship of Brethren Churches developed from struggles that occurred within the progressive Brethren Church during the 1920s and 1930s. Later the National Fellowship became known as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC). In 1992, due to doctrinal disagreements in the FGBC, the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International was formed. The Conservative Grace Brethren maintain a 12 article statement of faith similar to the FGBC statement of faith. Comments added in 1994 make the CGBCI statement have an even stronger conservative flavor, highlighting such things as a young earth creation, the cessation of sign gifts, the seven year tribulation, and eternal punishment as a conscious state.
In 2003 CGBCI had 46 churches in 15 states of the United States, with the main concentration being in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 2007, a ministerial dispute resulted in the withdrawal of several congregations from the CGBCI. Since its inception, the CGBCI has dropped to 39 churches.
The CGBCI have foreign missionaries in Africa and Germany. The Conservative Grace Brethren is one of six Brethren groups that cooperate ecumenically in the Brethren World Assembly (founded 1992), and with the Brethren Encyclopedia having one representative on the Board of Directors with the following groups: Church of the Brethren, Dunkard Brethren, Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, Old German Baptist Brethren, and The Brethren Church.
