Fraternity Church of the Brethren

Our Values:

Jesus: We love and value Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior and Lord. We seek to listen to Jesus, to learn from his teachings, to follow his example, and to love him more each day.

The Family of God: God calls followers of Jesus to be a part of the family of God. This is why we are called the Fraternity Church of the Brethren—because the Holy Spirit has made a diverse group of people into a family, a brotherhood and sisterhood where all are welcomed and loved (though Brethren sounds masculine, the Brethren have welcomed women in leadership for decades and have ordained women since 1958).

The Bible: The Bible reveals God’s Word and Truth. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is authoritative in the life of the church and each follower of Jesus.

Reconciliation: Jesus has brought reconciliation between God and humanity, and we are called to be reconcilers, helping people to become reconciled with God and one another. From 1708 until today, we have been known as people of God’s peace, and we strive to be a living peace church.

Service: We are committed to serving others in Jesus’ name, in our local community and around the world.

Costly Discipleship: Following Jesus costs everyone something. The early Brethren were persecuted for their faith: some lost their jobs, some lost their homes, and some lost their wealth. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains, faith in Jesus “is costly, because it calls us to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly, because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby makes them live. It is costly, because it condemns sin; it is grace, because it justifies the sinner.” We have received a costly grace that calls us to costly discipleship.

Our Pastor:
Pastor Paul Stutzman is passionate about loving God, loving others, and equipping the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He has served at Fraternity since January 2015. Paul believes that "God is calling us to be faithful followers of Jesus and to share his love with our community and world."
Paul is a native of Virginia. He met his wife Karen at Bridgewater College, and they have been married since 2004. Together they have two children, Kaylee and Joshua. Paul enjoys spending time with family, playing racquetball, singing and playing guitar, landscaping, reading, and building campfires. He has degrees from Bridgewater College and Eastern Mennonite Seminary, a certificate in theological studies from Bethany Theological Seminary. In 2010 his book Recovering the Love Feast: Broadening Our Eucharistic Celebrations was published.

Our History:
The Church of the Brethren began in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany, when eight members of a small group Bible study chose to be baptized in the Eder River. By the 1730s, all the Brethren had moved to Pennsylvania. The first Brethren moved to North Carolina in the 1770s, and the Fraternity congregation was organized in 1775, making it the 14th oldest Brethren congregation in America. Today there are around 1,000 Brethren congregations in America, with a total membership of around 110,000. Through the years, the members of the Fraternity congregation have been faithful, loving God and their neighbors, sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ!

Our Service
We minister locally, nationally, and globally by supporting…
• Clemmons Food Pantry
• Crisis Control Ministry
• Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministry
• Salem Pregnancy Care Center
• Bethany Theological Seminary
• Bridgewater College
• Camp Bethel
• Heifer International
• Nigeria Crisis Fund
• On Earth Peace
• other agencies and programs