New Brethren in Flanders: The Origins and Development of the Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen 19712008

New Brethren in Flanders is the story of the planting and remarkable growth of Brethren churches in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium at the end of the twentieth century. The Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen (ECV) began in the early 1970s as a result of evangelistic church-planting efforts led by a group of Canadian Christian Brethren missionaries. In just under twenty years the ECV grew from one evangelistic home Bible study to over thirty local churches in Flanders the Netherlands and Germany composed almost entirely of newly converted evangelical Christians. As one of those who grew up in these churches notes The Spirit of God through the ECVs founders built up an altogether masterly piece of work right in front of us. This is a singularly enlightening piece of research. Marinello serves his readers well by grounding his analysis of this Flemish Brethren movement in the biographical details of its principal workers. He incorporates some valuable oral history--all the more valuable because these participants are aging and in some cases are no longer with us. An excellent piece of work. --Timothy C. F. Stunt Brethren historian Since the middle years of the nineteenth century the Christian Brethren evangelicals of the evangelicals have sometimes excelled as church planters. Here is Thomas Marinellos careful record and illuminating analysis of a recent enterprise in Flanders that achieved remarkable church growth. --David Bebbington Professor of History University of Stirling Thomas J. Marinello PhD is Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Badhoevedorp the Netherlands. He is coeditor of and contributor to My Brothers Keeper: Essays in Honor of Ellis R. Brotzman (2010) and Not Weary of Well Doing: Essays in Honor of Cecil W. Stalnaker (2012). He also is a series editor and contributor for Studies in Brethren History from which The Brethren Movement: Studies in Society and Spirituality is forthcoming.