Location: 2129 4th Ave E
Religious institutions
Church of the Brethren congregation, in front of their original building at this location, in about 1911, used by permission |
Church of the Brethren building today (2015), photo by Deb Ross |
The Christian denomination Church of the Brethren, sometimes referred to as the Dunker Church, was founded in Germany in 1708. The Olympia congregation of Brethren was formed in about 1897, under the lay leadership of the Boone family, who arrived here from Virginia. Regular services and sermons began in 1906 under the leadership of J.S. Secrist, whose descendants still serve churches in Olympia five generations later. The congregation acquired this property a year later, first erecting a small wooden building, shown at above left. The current building at this location dates from 1913 and served the congregation until 1956, when they moved to Lacey, where the congregation was called the Lacey Community Church, now (2022) disbanded. The Brethren denomination is known for community service, a simple lifestyle, and pacifism. The building is now (2022) the home of the Risen Faith Fellowship, a nondenominational congregation.
Thank you to Dennis Roth for additional information.
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Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross