Radical Obedience: The Birth of the Brethren Movement

In this episode of Faith in Process, Pastor Harry Jarrett and co-host Grayson Preece begin a new series exploring the core convictions of the Church of the Brethren through the book Let Our Joys Be Known. The first conversation centers on one powerful theme: radical obedience.What would it take to follow Jesus if it were illegal?Travel back to 1708, when Alexander Mack and seven others stepped into the Eder River in Germany to baptize one another as adults. This act was not just symbolic. It defied both church and state. In a world where infant baptism functioned as a civic registry tied to taxation and military service, choosing believer’s baptism carried real social, economic, and political consequences.Harry and Grayson explore:• Why this act of baptism was considered dangerous• How Pietism shaped the Brethren’s emphasis on Bible study, lay leadership, and lived faith• The tension between Luke 14 and Matthew’s call to love God above all• The cost of dissent in a church-state system• What “counting the cost” means for young adults today navigating money, vocation, and meaningThis conversation moves beyond history. It asks whether radical obedience still has a place in a culture of distraction and financial pressure. What does it mean to prioritize Christ when everything else competes for attention?Recorded live at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia, this episode launches a 13-part series examining the theological callings that have shaped the Brethren for more than three centuries.If your faith is still forming, still questioning, still becoming, you are in the right place.Welcome to the process.Faith in Process: Sunday’s CoolRecorded live on Sunday mornings at Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Hosted by Pastor Harry Jarrett.Join us in person or listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or Substack.Learn more about our congregation at pleasantvalleyalive.org Get full access to Harry Jarrett at pastorharryjarrett.substack.com/subscribe