The roots of the MB church today are anchored in the early church of New Testament times. However, throughout the centuries there have been times of drifting away from the basic faith in Jesus and accumulating of traditions which were foreign to the teachings of our Lord.

One of the major calls to renewal and return to the essentials of Christian faith took place in 16th century Europe. The so-called Reformation, which was sparked by Martin Luther and other reformers, resulted in a variety of forms (or denominations) in which the renewed faith found expression.

The Anabaptist movement, in Switzerland and South Germany, was one of the outgrowths on the Reformation era. Due to its emphases on "adult" baptism and a deliberate following of the teachings of Jesus, Anabaptism was considered to be a dangerous threat to the state churches of that time. The resultant persecution exterminated many of the Anabaptists and scattered the survivors to northern Europe. In Holland and northern Germany, they found a new leader in Menno Simons and eventually became known as "Mennonites".

Due to their emphasis on pacifism, they were considered to be a liability to the countries in which they lived. Several migrations resulted, which took a larger number of Mennonites to the southern Ukraine, in the late 1700¹s. There a century of relative peace and isolation allowed the Mennonite colonies to thrive in material ways, but it also resulted in spiritual stagnation.

Out of a spiritual renewal movement in the 1860¹s, a group emerged, which became known as Mennonite Brethren. Due to their migrations and early missionary zeal, there are significant groups of "MB's" today in India, Africa, Europe and in North and South America.

The N.K.M.B. Church is pleased to be affiliated with this wider family of believers.