behind AotW

60 Pastors of the Brethren Church met on South Mountain 10-12 April and

took the time to soak in the rich history of the area, especially the Antietam battlefield highlighted by the Dunker Church, a part of our spiritual heritage.

Dunker Church, Antietam (National Park Service photo)

The Church’s announcement about the event also notes

It was from the steps of this church that Abraham Lincoln spoke following the battle.

I need to do some research to see what event that might be referring to. You’ll remember that the President visited the battlefield in October 1862. I don’t remember reading of his ‘speaking’ there. The Park website says only that

One tradition persists that Lincoln may have visited the site during his visit to the Army of the Potomac in October 1862.

The modern Brethren Church is one of at least 3 bodies descending from the German Baptist Brethren–also known as ‘Dunkers’– founders of the congregation at Sharpsburg who worshiped in that simple little church building on the Antietam Battlefield.