Beginnings as Egly Amish In the first half of the 19th century, the time before the
Amish split into Amish Mennonites and Old Order Amish, several members of the Amish Egly family immigrated from
Baden, Germany, to North America. Among them was Henry Egly (1824–1890). Egly was elected deacon of a
Berne-
Geneva Amish church in
Indiana. In 1858, Egly was then elected bishop of the Berne-Geneva Amish Church. Egly, who insisted on the new birth experience, withdrew from the Amish church. Approximately half of the congregation withdrew as well. In 1866, the first Egly-Amish church was created in
Berne, Indiana. In the beginning the Egly Amish church was very strict in regard to discipline and dress, but later developed in the same direction as the
Amish Mennonites, that is towards the Mennonite mainstream, away from the Amish heritage.
Defenseless Mennonites The Egly-Amish officially adopted the name "Defenseless Mennonite" on 6 November 1908 as the congregation wanted to be known as more Mennonite rather than Amish.
Evangelical Mennonite Church In 1942, the Defenseless Mennonites were charter members in the founding of the National Association of Evangelicals. Later, in 1948, their name was changed to "Evangelical Mennonite Church" to reflect both their Anabaptist and Evangelical beliefs.
Fellowship of Evangelical Churches On 2 August 2003, the Evangelical Mennonite Church voted to be known as the "Fellowship of Evangelical Churches", or FEC. ==Doctrine==