Historical Library

The Brethren in Christ Historical Library contains books, periodicals, and other unpublished reference materials pertaining to church and family history.

Books
The Library contains over 1,000 published volumes, arranged in the following collections.

Brethren in Christ Church
Titles by Brethren in Christ authors or titles pertaining to church life or church members.

Anabaptism/Pietism/Wesleyan Holiness
Titles from the three theological streams that have shaped Brethren in Christ doctrine and practice. Also includes titles from related denominations that share some aspect of this theological heritage. (For more information about these three movements, visit The Sider Institute for Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan Studies.)

Genealogy
Titles of family genealogies.

Local and Reference
Titles containing local history or reference information (i.e., a published 1926 government census of religious bodies).

Search the collections

NOTE:

To limit your search to the Historical Library collections, click on the "Limits" button in the lower right corner of the page. At "Location," select "BIC Library," then click on the "Set Limits" button at the bottom of the page.

Periodicals
Periodical subscriptions include, among others, The Visitor (formerly Evangelical Visitor), the official publication of the denomination (1887-present), Brethren in Christ History and Life, a semi-scholarly journal published three times a year (1978-present), and Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, the quarterly periodical of the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society (1978-present).

A complete catalog card index of birth, marriage, and obituary announcements in The Visitor is available. Visitor articles are also indexed by title and author. A subject index is currently being compiled.

Reference
Various unpublished materials, such as newspaper or magazine clippings, genealogy charts, and other reference items, are also available for use.