Our History*

In the late 1800’s most Brethren churches and their members were located in rural areas. Members felt isolated from other churches and one another. Despite distance, the need to continue caring and sharing for one another in times on loss remained strong.

Church members sought an alternative to worldly insurance and wanted to continue the tradition of sharing one another’s burdens, typified by the practice known as barn-raising. With constitution and bylaws in hand, with the church’s district approval, and with the initial commitment of nine men, in the spring of 1885 the Mutual Aid Society of Northeastern Kansas was born.

For nearly the first century of its work, Mutual Aid Association operated from the kitchen table of its then-president (called the secretary). The Annual Meeting set simple rates and assessed members accordingly. Actual production and mailing of documents was literally a family affair.

Changes occurred throughout the decades. Insured church members moved from the farm to the cities, so MAA opened coverage to small businesses and rental property, as well as to suburban housing.

In the 1970’s a building was constructed near Abilene, Kansas, and in the late 1990’s it was remodeled and enlarged and today serves as the Association’s Home Office.

Today MAA, dba Brethren Mutual Aid Agency, still provides property insurance coverage for homes, farms, and small businesses, seasonal dwellings as well as the churches and camps of the Church of the Brethren and its historically-related denominations.

Brethren Mutual Aid Agency

In 2002 the board of directors of Mutual Aid formed Brethren Mutual Aid Agency. It was originally established to handle the transactions necessary in securing coverage for Mutual Aid Association church policy holders from insurance companies that specialize in the unique needs of church properties. The Agency facilitated the transfer of over 400 church properties to Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.

Since 1927 Mutual Aid Association has been listed as an exempt organization within the Kansas Code General Provisions [Article 2, 40-202], but for most of the states in which MAA operated, no regulatory status was ever determined. Largely because of this lack of official regulatory status, the Mutual Aid Association board felt it best to utilize Brethren Mutual Aid Agency to secure insurance coverage with other companies for Mutual Aid Association policy holders.

In September 2009, MAA completed the process of transferring all of its personal line policies to other insurance companies. Once completed the evolution of the company to an independent agency was complete. At that time Brethren Mutual Aid Agency became the official face of the organization to its markets providing a complete line of personal and commercial insurance products from a variety of insurance companies.

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Mutual Aid Association remains in existence, but has become the holding company for the agency, as well as the nonprofit, MAA Share Fund.

Mutual Aid Association Share Fund

In 1994 Mutual Aid Association created its own benevolence organization, pledging a company tithe to sustain the MAA Share Fund. The Fund, a non-profit entity, makes matching grants to insured churches for their ministry with people in unexpected financial need. By working with congregations in this manner, Mutual Aid Association is able to continue its founding principle of helping others in time of crisis. Since its inception the Mutual Aid Association Share Fund has had the opportunity to assist thousands of Church of the Brethren families in their time of need.

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Our Commitment

These 125 years of both change and stability create today’s Mutual Aid Association. The Board of Directors, the area representatives, and the Home Office staff remain committed to honoring our relationships with the churches and individuals in the Church of the Brethren. Our customer service philosophy honors “going the second mile,” while still preserving the company’s financial viability.

* [Historical information taken from, “A Sharing Concern, The Story of the Mutual Aid Association of the Church of the Brethren”, copyright 1985, by Mutual Aid Association, Dale Correll, President, Merlin Frantz, Chairman of the Board, page 17.]

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