Thomas J. Marinello

New Brethren in Flanders: the Origins and Development of the Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen, 19712008 Thomas J. Marinello

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 ECV's founders, built up an altogether masterly piece of work right in front of us.''