Plymouth Brethren Christian Church

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) is an influential Christian sect led by Australian businessman Bruce Hales. The group has its origins in Exclusive Brethren, a Plymouth Brethren group,[1][2] itself a branch of the Open Brethren. The PBCC was established in the early nineteenth century. At this time many Christians were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Anglican Church with its forms and customs.

Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (a.k.a. Raven-Taylor Exclusive Brethren)
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationPlymouth Brethren
PolityConnectional
LeaderBruce Hales
FounderJohn Nelson Darby
Origin1848 (as Exclusive Brethren; incorporated as PBCC in 2012)
London
Separated fromPlymouth Brethren (N.B. The Open Brethren and the Exclusive Brethren, which emerged from the schism, dispute which party was responsible for it).
Separationsnumerous schisms.
Members46,000
Primary schools43 (United Kingdom, 38 (Australia), 36 (North America); a few elsewhere

Some of the most prominent teachers of the Brethren were living in Plymouth, UK. By 1829 the first permanent meetings were held in simple meeting rooms and these gathering places became known as those of the Plymouth Brethren. There are now over 50,000 people who identify as members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. These people are spread across 17 countries including Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, UK and Europe.

In 2012, the group incorporated under the name Plymouth Brethren (Exclusive Brethren) Christian Church Limited.[3][4]

Beliefs and practices
PBCC meeting hall at Bad Endbach, Germany

The PBCC believe that "God's principle of unity" is achieved by separating from that which they consider evil. Members of the group do not engage with television, radio, and the open internet.[5][6]

The Brethren reserve all social activities for those with whom they celebrate the "Lord's Supper" (their name for the Eucharist), excluding even family who are not members of the church. Social activities include eating, drinking and entertainment. Eating in restaurants and staying at hotels, club and professional memberships, directorships, shares are avoided.[7]

Services on Sunday start with the "Lord's Supper" at 6 am and worship in small groups. At 10:30 the Bible Study meeting is held and other activities continue throughout the day. There are further meetings every night of the week. Two of their services are closed to those who are not members in good standing: the Lord's Supper and the monthly Care Meeting. However, they do hold 10 services a week, 9 of which are 'open'. Well disposed members of the public are free to come to their gospel preachings and other meetings. In practice, most 'gospel preaching' has been done on street corners and although they do not to seek to make converts, the desire is to spread the Word of God and its benefits for mankind. The addresses of senior Brethren men are recorded, transcribed by the Brethren publishing house in the UK and distributed to all members at a subsidized cost.

The Brethren encourage a traditional marriage and family life. Children live at the family home until they marry and are required to marry within the fellowship. Physical contact between young men and women before marriage is not tolerated, and courting between couples is chaperoned. Men are expected to provide for their families while the women manage the household.[8] A study of the Australian Brethren in May 2006 suggested that the number of divorced, single people in the Brethren is approximately 0.8% compared to 10.8% for the general population,[9] although there have been a few separations without divorce. The aged and sick are usually cared for by other member families (possibly unrelated), although private (non-Brethren) nursing homes are sometimes utilised for the elderly. Few people not born into the Brethren become members, and relatively few of those born into the group leave.[9] Former members say that life inside the Brethren is defined by the "three Fs": family, finances and fear. The strongest is family.[10] Few who remain in the church would agree that fear is a defining factor though.

Women are somewhat subservient to men; they sit behind the men in meetings and their service is to select hymns, not to pray out loud or teach. They wear a scarf or ribbon in their hair to signify that the man is head of the woman. Brethren businesses are generally run by men but some women do run their own businesses, are shareholders or directors in family companies or actively work in the family business.

Brethren members can drink alcohol at home, but being visibly drunk is frowned on and smoking and gambling are forbidden.

Discipline

Critics of the PBCC have accused it of controlling all aspects of its members' lives. The group's influence over its members is such that many who have left the group have had trouble adjusting to life outside.

According to the PBCC, discipline in the Brethren is referred to as 'shutting up' or 'withdrawing from'. Such a measure is infrequent and comes about after long periods of pastoral care. When this pastoral care is totally refused and a course is persisted in which is against principles set out in the Holy Bible such discipline becomes a necessary painful process exercised by the consensus of their area congregation and not as punishment. It is a requirement to protect their community from reproach as to consorting with and condoning immoral practices. A person who is 'withdrawn from' is excommunicated, cut off from the family's social contacts. In actual practice, discipline is the Brethren's ultimate means of control over its members. It is used to quell any dissent or questioning of the church leader or his cohorts.

Leaving the fellowship

Members who leave these days are carefully followed up, and made sure they are not living in destitution although this has not always been the case in the past.[11] Leavers are seen as having chosen the world and the devil against God, and separation is required because they could bring members into contact with their unsavoury behaviour.[11] When someone chooses to leave the Brethren or is excommunicated by the fellowship, their parents, siblings, spouse and even children 'withdraw' or disassociate themselves from them. This allows for no socializing from church members. Since virtually all members work in other members' companies, to leave the group may mean also that they have to give up their jobs, in addition to their family and their home.

Business

Typically Brethren either own their own business or work for a business run by another Brethren member. Their businesses include manufacturing, distribution and sales, including in the fields of clothing, architecture, rehabilitation aids and food and the import and resale of industrial hardware including welding equipment and consumables.[12] Trade unions are not permitted and the Brethren have even successfully fought regulations that permit unions to visit workplaces to talk to employees.[13]

Brethren companies use computers, fax machines and mobile phones but there is guidance so that perverse and morally degrading sites are totally blocked.

Brethren run private schools for their children between the ages of 8 and 18. Members are strongly discouraged from attending university because of the campus environment. However, many undertake tertiary studies through distance learning, completing diplomas or degrees, typically focusing on accountancy or business studies rather than the arts. In 2005 David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, praised the Brethren schools for their standard of teaching and said in his report that "the quality of teaching, most of which is done by experienced practitioners, is generally good."[14] Because of the lack of tertiary education, the teachers are not Brethren. Their schools do use computers and other modern technology and their advanced use of zoom technology and Self Directed Learning has enabled them to cope with COVID-19 virus superbly. Brethren schools have computer banks and students have restricted access to the internet. They now embrace a wide range of technology, possibly some of the best-equipped schools in the world – most students are supplied with a laptop and all schools have equipment for video conferencing which is used extensively to offer a wide range of courses for even the smallest and most remote campuses.

There are 38 Brethren private schools throughout Australia[15] and 43 in the United Kingdom,[14] 36 in the United States and Canada[16] as well as others throughout the world.

As with many private schools in Australia, Brethren schools qualify to receive Australian Federal government funding.[17] In 2007, the Victorian State Government provided $1.08 million in funding to the Glenvale Exclusive Brethren School, which has a dozen campuses in Victoria. This was a significant increase from $370,419 in 2002–03.[18] In the United States and Canada, private schools are operated by Stirling Education, Inc., which is closely affiliated with the PBCC.[19]

History
See also: History of the Exclusive Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren were distinguished from the beginning by a refusal to accept ministers or priests, believing that all members were saints, although in practice, John Nelson Darby became increasingly dominant in the exclusive branch of the movement during his lifetime. It was not until James Taylor Senior became undisputed leader of the Raven faction in 1910 that a stricter hierarchy emerged by which discipline was imposed and the centre of power moved to New York where Taylor lived. He established a norm that someone in leadership should be in their own business, not an employee (although Raven had been a civil servant) and began to speak of certain brothers as 'Levites' or 'the Lord's servants' who were especially able to interpret biblical truths.[20]

In America, James Taylor of New York was beginning to be seen as Raven's future successor as early as 1897, and when Raven died in 1905, books of his sermons began to be reprinted around the world. By the time another letter from Melbourne was received in 1920, resulting in the departure of 40 assemblies mainly in Australia, the London faction was also known as the Taylor or Raven-Taylor party.[21]

By 1929, it was alleged that Taylor was denying one of the main orthodoxies of Christianity, that Christ the Son was truly God before his incarnation. Taylor had pointed out that the title of the 'Son' was not used till after the incarnation, pointing to John 1 as the 'Word', not the 'Son', denying the 'eternal Sonship'.[22][23] This was reflected in the issuing in 1932 of a new version of the Little Flock hymnbook, always a touchstone of Brethrenism. 40% of the hymns in the older version were omitted as "inconsistent with the truth".[24]

When James Taylor Senior died in 1953, there were two candidates for the leadership: Taylor's youngest son, James Taylor Jr (1899–1970) and Gerald R Cowell (1898–1963) of Hornchurch, Essex, UK, who struggled for six years for supremacy.

At the Central Hall conference in 1959, a decisive confrontation took place between Gerald Cowell and James Taylor Jr. The latter proposed that more radical, immediate separation from 'the world' was necessary while the former took a more moderate line. James Taylor Jr won and excommunicated Mr Cowell less than a year after the Conference, judging him 'unfit for Christian fellowship'. During the next ten years, 'Mr Jim' delivered hundreds of new edicts, demanding strict obedience on how people dressed, how they conducted their business, and banning beards and young people from attending university.[25] Members were forbidden to eat with others – even family members – who were not in the movement, and they were not allowed to join professional associations. A considerable number of individuals and assemblies left the Exclusives during the ministry of James Taylor Sr and even more under the leadership of James Taylor Jr, chiefly as a reaction to the increasingly restrictive directives of the latter. Some of these leavers joined with other groups of Brethren (including others who left after 1970) or other local churches.

The Aberdeen incident of 1970

Scandals began to appear in newspapers around 1961, but little concrete information came to light until after the so-called Aberdeen incident of 1970. In that year James Taylor Jr exhibited increasingly erratic behaviour which came to a head in meetings at Aberdeen in Scotland on 25 July, at which he appeared to be drunk, spoke abusively, and was found in bed with a woman who was a member of the community and the wife of another member. Very few based near the scene of the events stayed in fellowship with James Taylor Jr − including just two families in Aberdeen and 200 out of 3,000 in Scotland.[26] Others, especially those overseas, believed Taylor's supporters' line that he was a pure man and that this incident was used by God to expose his enemies.[27] James Taylor Jr died shortly afterwards the same year. 'The Taylor Brethren interpretation of events is rooted in the conviction that God had a vessel whom he would not allow to fail; Taylor spoke and acted as he did to bring out what was in others by provoking reaction, being willing to draw reproach on himself to do so.'[28]

This account of the Aberdeen incident is disputed by some researchers. The Italian Center for Studies of New Religions (CESNUR) has this to say about it:[29]

(Translation from French) "The first episode relates to the previously mentioned Aberdeen conference in 1970, where a Taylor Jr., old and exhausted (he died the same year) was accused not only of criticising some opponents but also of a moral fault. There is convincing evidence showing that these accusations are false and that they were launched as part of a campaign to destroy and usurp his authority. Some nevertheless believed these implausible accusations and thus there arose the "post-Aberdeen" Brethren 10 dissidents."[30]

Following this incident, those who separated from James Taylor Jr continued to hold the doctrine and teaching of Taylor Sr but "rolled back" the directives that had been introduced during James Taylor Jr's leadership. This fellowship further fragmented in 1972, and the party which broke away has since further sub-divided.

Developments since 1970

After Taylor Jr's death there were four contenders for leadership: James H. Symington was a pig farmer in Neche, North Dakota, George Maynard, a doctor in Barbados, Taylor's youngest son, James Taylor III and two brothers from Australia, John S. and W. Bruce Hales. The Hales brothers had become pre-eminent in Australia with their "System" which proclaimed that "inefficiency equals unholiness" but had been "withdrawn from" by Jim Taylor for bringing commerce to the meeting.[31] "Symington, declaring that there was an unbroken line of succession in the Recovery and that the seat of Paul was never vacant, reached out and grasped the prize."[32] He supported Taylor Jr at Aberdeen and became known as the "Paul of our day". Symington also centralized control of all the trusts which held the property portfolio of meeting places around the world.

Symington, died in 1987 and shortly after, the leadership passed to Australian businessman John S Hales. Hales had been trained as an accountant and encouraged the faithful to make substantial donations to the sect out of their estates when they died. He used some of this to establish Brethren-only high schools around the world, starting with one in the Sydney suburb of Meadowbank. In 2002, John S Hales died, and his son Bruce David Hales, another Australian businessman, succeeded to the leadership. For the second time in Exclusive history the position of universal leader was transferred to a son from his father.

In 2004, Hales reversed a long-standing Brethren tradition on political involvement and encouraged the church to support conservative political causes: in the US, large donations were given to the George W. Bush campaign, in Australia support was given to John Howard, and in New Zealand to the National Party. Internal rules are being relaxed, the dress code is breaking down and access to technology is widely allowed. Hales travels the world in a chartered Cessna Citation executive jet at a cost of up to $5,000/hour.[25]

Under Bruce Hales's leadership, meetings continue to take place once a day from Monday to Saturday, and four or five times on Sunday. Sunday meetings include the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion at 6am Sunday), a scripture reading/discussion meeting, and several preachings. The church encourages participation at meetings by all adult males ('brothers'); women ('sisters') may only choose and announce ('give out') hymns, and apart from joining with group singing, are otherwise silent in church meetings as required by the Brethren's interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34.

In 2012, the Preston Downs Trust (a Plymouth meeting room in England) attracted considerable media attention when the Charity Commission rejected an application for charitable status on the grounds that it could not be sure that it met the criterion for public benefit. In January 2014, they announced that, following legally binding changes to its trust documents, they would accept its application.[33]

Criticism

Kevin Rudd (who was later elected as the prime minister of Australia) said in 2007:[34] "They split families and I am deeply concerned about their impact on communities across Australia.".[35]

Despite his earlier criticism, in 2009 Rudd wrote the foreword for a book published by the group (as a fundraiser for the Country Fire Authority) and described the Brethren school, as a 'resilient community coming together in response to this crisis'.[36]

Charity Work

Rapid Relief Team Australia

The Rapid Relief Team (RRT) was established in Australia in 2013 by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC).

The RRT offers quality catering assistance to charitable and government organisations confronting some of humankind's greatest challenges, including natural disasters, heart disease, cancer research and the plight of the homeless.

The teams are composed of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

RRT teams are ready for the unexpected. When natural disasters strike, RRT are at the behest of government emergency services to offer support to those affected by adversity.

RRT actively supports many honourable charitable organisations across the globe through fundraising events of our own, or via catering support at government or charity events.

The Rapid Relief Team has expanded into a global charitable organisation with teams in the United Kingdom, North and South America, the Caribbean, Canada, New Zealand and Europe. The organisational chart has been replicated in every region globally to ensure uniformity across the operations. The teams are generally of a similar size and work to a consistent standard with established protocol

To date, the RRT in Australia has held 1813 events across the country, with the support of 22,712 Plymouth Brethren volunteers, putting in over 105,000 hours to produce 482,312 meals.

The most recent project of the RRT – Operation Drought Relief, saw the charity make three stops along the New South Wales Central coast to distribute 150 tonnes of cattle and sheep feed.

Exclusive Brethren and the media

The PBCC Brethren have been the subject of quite widespread controversy and adverse publicity, at various times since the mid-1960s. Other Exclusive Brethren are normally ignored by the media, but loathe the confusion caused by mistaken association with this group, and careless use of the broader term Exclusive Brethren.

In early 2007 the Brethren began interacting with the media and appointed an official media representative.

A number of documentaries have been made about the Exclusive Brethren. These include Anno Domini – Doctrine that Divides – A BBC television programme (no. LRP1383E) first broadcast 26 September 1976 and Inside New Zealand: Leaving the Exclusive Brethren aired in New Zealand on TV3 Thursday, 18 August 2005.[37]

The Inside New Zealand: Leaving the Exclusive Brethren documentary followed the experiences of five people who had left the Brethren. Shortly after its airing, Michael Powell submitted a complaint to the television station (TV3) stating that "the programme had breached the privacy of members of the Brethren, and was unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair." Upon review of the issues, the New Zealand 'Broadcasting Standards Authority' rejected the complaint on 22 February 2006.[38]

Political involvement

In general, Exclusive Brethren are apolitical since at their core they are a separatist movement. They will obey the laws of their country as long as they do not perceive them to contradict the Bible. They will meet secretly in countries that require religious groups to register with the government as this would be perceived as putting their church under worldly authority. In accordance with the dispensational teachings of John Nelson Darby, they view an apocalyptic future for humanity after the rapture of all Christians (Brethren and non-Brethren). Thus, they see no reason to be involved in politics because of the prophesied apocalyptic future that cannot be changed. There is a story among the exclusive brethren of a woman member who decided to vote every year and informed her husband of her candidate choices. In response, her husband voted for the exact opposite candidates to ensure the two votes cancelled each other out.

In recent years, the PBCC have modified this stance and have become more involved in politics, though until recently their activity was limited to behind the scenes lobbying of politicians. On the basis of religious conviction they have since the 1940s asked for and obtained exemptions to trade union legislation (both membership and representation in brethren businesses), compulsory voting laws and lobbied on abortion and homosexuality.[39]

The Brethren made media headlines in 2005–6 with their political activities in both Australia and New Zealand, despite the fact that members are barred from voting in elections, even in countries that have compulsory voting. But lately Brethren members have been encouraged to work with elected officials "to express a moral viewpoint of legislation in relation to the rights of God".[40] In recent times this has included political campaigning as detailed below.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Daniel Hales, brother of Bruce Hales explained how they could support political parties and not vote: "I see it as a sin and you don't. So I'm very happy for you to vote because to you it's your obligation to the community. But to me, it's my conscience that doesn't allow me to vote."[41][42]

Australia

In the 2004 Australian federal election the Brethren were linked to political advertisements campaigning for the re-election of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard.[41][43] The advertisements were funded by Willmac Enterprises Pty Ltd, a company wholly owned by Mark William Mackenzie who is a member of the Brethren.[44] Willmac's contribution to John Howard's election campaign, of $370,000, was later investigated by the Australian Electoral Commission and is currently the source of an ongoing criminal investigation by the Australian Federal Police.[45][46]

In September 2006, Prime Minister John Howard confirmed that he met with the Brethren, stating he has no problem with the group and that they are "entitled to put their views to the Government".[47] In December 2006, The Age reported that Brethren representatives met with the Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock lobbying for family law changes to "ensure that a child is not subject to a radical lifestyle change without compelling reason".[48]

Then Prime Minister John Howard met with Brethren representatives in his parliamentary office on short notice early August 2007.[49] The Brethren also approached the then Federal Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd who refused to meet with them saying that he believes they are "an extremist cult and sect" that "breaks up families".[46][50][51]

The media attention on the Brethren has been particularly active in Australia. In 2007, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs television program 'Four Corners' aired an investigation into a claim of secret campaigning by the Exclusive Brethren alleging that church elders had met with both the then Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the Treasurer Peter Costello[52] and had allegedly provided them with their support.[53] The programme revealed that the Brethren had a vigorous and largely untold political history going back at least to 1993, and provided evidence of a trail spelling out how its members have spent millions in state and federal elections and overseas, including the USA.

In the state of Tasmania, tens of thousands of dollars was given in a campaign against the Greens in the 2006 state election claiming the Greens policies regarding transgender and inter-sex people would "ruin our families and society".[54] [55] This led to a complaint to the Anti-discrimination Tribunal and some private individuals issued an apology to partly settle that complaint. Further legal action regarding this complaint is ongoing. The published apology however was paid for by an agency acting for the Liberal Party which has led to calls by former Senator Bob Brown for politicians to declare their relationships with the group and called for an anti-corruption inquiry into their influence.[56][57]

In December 2007, the Brethren were accused of infiltrating local councils and bankrolling legal challenges to halt the spread of adult stores.[58]

Canada

In 2005 the Brethren attempted to influence a gay-marriage parliamentary vote by waging an aggressive but anonymous campaign (identifying themselves only as CCP or Concerned Canadian Parents) using direct-mail and advertising with a full page ad in the Hill Times newspaper, a Parliament Hill weekly directed at Senators studying Bill C-38.[59]

New Zealand

In 2000, as a result of their avowed lack of interest and lack of involvement in the political process, Brethren-owned businesses were granted an exemption from legal requirements under the Employment Relations Act 2000 to allow union representatives onto the premises to talk with employees. As a result of the lobbying and other campaigning, there have been threats from MPs to change the relationship between Brethren-owned businesses and labour unions.[60]

In the 18 months leading up to the 2005 New Zealand general election, a group of Brethren met with and lobbied many members of Parliament, particularly MPs of the centre-right National Party but also including the parliamentary leaders of the centre-right New Zealand First and United Future parties and the neo-liberal ACT party with no success.[61] Late in the election campaign they spent approximately NZ$1.2 million[62] producing and distributing to letter boxes at least eight pamphlets attacking the policies of both the socially liberal and centre-left Labour party and the Green party. Though not mentioning the National Party, the wording and colour of the pamphlets hinted at support for National. The leaflets appealed for the election of a "government that would prosper the country economically and govern in a morally upright way". The pamphlets caused some controversy and seven Brethren held a press conference in front of television cameras to explain themselves.[63] This strategy backfired and contributed to Prime Minister Helen Clark's second re-election.[64] The outing of the Brethren's activities were a major catalyst for the drafting of the Electoral Finance Bill.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Gerry Brownlee expressed concerns about the Brethren's lack of political sophistication and loss of female voters for the New Zealand National Party at the 2005 general election.[65] Some National MPs have declared that they will not accept help from the Brethren in the future.[66]

In September 2006, Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Prime Minister, Helen Clark alleged that the Brethren had been involved in spreading "baseless rumour, slander and lies" after accusations that her husband, Peter Davis, might be homosexual appeared in The Sunday Star-Times newspaper.[67] She also alleged that the Brethren had hired a private investigator to follow Davis to dig up dirt. It was later confirmed that private investigators had been hired by members of the group to investigate Labour MPs.[68]

In October 2006, Helen Clark mentioned the Exclusive Brethren in "mirth" during her opening speech at the Labour Party's annual conference. She also said that it was time to move on. Deputy Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen further attacked the group in his closing comments to the conference.

In November 2006 Nicky Hager published the book The Hollow Men alleging, among other issues, the involvement of the Brethren with the National Party. This was seen as one of the reasons for the resignation of party leader Don Brash, though that was denied strongly by Brash.

In April 2007 senior members of the Brethren considered setting up a group that would be politically active.[69]

Critics asserted that the Exclusive Brethren's canvassing campaign was such that at one stage it had threatened the government of that country. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark accused the sect of hiring a private detective to gather dirt on her and husband Peter Davis, who was photographed kissing one of the couple's oldest friends, Ian Scott, who is gay.[70] Due to the ensuing public backlash against the Exclusive Brethren's canvassing efforts, Brash's successor, Prime Minister John Key, explicitly rejected any assistance from the Exclusive Brethren during the 2008 election.[71]

In January 2015, it was reported by various international media houses that a New Zealand man whose Armenian wife abandoned their child at birth because the child had Down's Syndrome, had previously been excommunicated from the Exclusive Brethren Church in New Zealand and all his family members including his ex-wife and their four children banned from having any contact with him because he had divorced his wife.

Sweden

The Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet alleged that the Brethren funded an advertising campaign supporting the centre-right Alliance for Sweden in the Swedish 2006 elections. The advertisements and fliers were distributed by 'Nordas Sverige', an agency set up by Swedish business-owners who, while members of the Brethren, acted on their own initiative. Aftonbladet traced it to a company named 'Nordas Ltd' operating from Liverpool, UK, run by business-owners, also members of the Brethren.[72]

United Kingdom

Controversy over the Brethren in Britain revolves around the practice of "shutting up", where families or persons are confined to their homes, and is used to punish members who break rules. In May and July 2012, six girls from the independent Wilton Park School were allegedly confined for 37 days after making a Facebook page. This claim was denied by the school trust, who subsequently invited the local authority to investigate.[73][74] Investigation later found the complaint groundless.[75]

United States

In 2004 the Exclusive Brethren held prayer meetings and took out newspaper ads supporting the re-election of George W. Bush as President of the United States. A committee, called the Thanksgiving 2004 Committee, formed by Brethren in Florida raised $530,000 for the ads supporting the re-election of Bush and of United States Senator Mel Martinez of Florida. $377,262 of this amount came from a single donor, Bruce K Hazell of London, England.[76] The committee raised none of the money in Florida, according to a report filed with the Federal Elections Commission. A White House spokesman later described the group as "shadowy".[59]

Secrecy

The Brethren have been accused of using defamation lawsuits to silence their critics. In 1984, the Dutch Open Brethren theologian Willem Ouweneel prepared to publish a German translation of his book about the history of the whole Brethren movement in which he discussed the Aberdeen incident. The Exclusives brought a suit on the basis that they 'felt offended'. The case was heard, and settled out of court, but he never published the German version, though he claims he had simply told the truth. In 1992, they brought a $3.2m case against New Zealand MP Nick Smith for his determined questioning of their behaviour in a family custody case. The case ended without a payment and the Brethren later apologized for the action.[77]

In 1997, an ex-member, Dick Wyman, opened a basic guest book-type site which allowed former members to get in contact with each other and eventually became www.exclusivebrethren.net. In 2004, the Brethren filed a defamation suit against Wyman in the Minnesota district court. Faced with the prospect of massive legal costs, Wyman decided to settle, taking down the site and promising never to start another or pass on the information, while the Brethren paid him some compensation. A similar site withdrawnfrom.com lasted only months when it was added to the Wyman case.

A new site peebs.net was started up by a database specialist Tim Twinam, who lived in a log cabin in Vermont and took advantage of the possibility of anonymous ownership of websites in California. This grew to be the largest ex-Brethren site with 597 members vetted for genuineness. It had several levels of security allowing for greater privacy, an emergency button for those considering leaving or committing suicide with a worldwide panel of volunteers who could be contacted, and provided a clearinghouse for news about the Brethren. In 2005, Brethren's publishing house, the Bible and Gospel Trust, started 'fishing expeditions' to flush out who was responsible by threatening lawsuits against likely candidates. Eventually they found out and launched a copyright violation suit against Twinam in Vermont in 2007 over obscure documents that were allegedly published on the site, claiming $500,000 damages. After trying to fend it off on his own, Twinam had to employ legal help, pointing out that this was a classic SLAPP tactic.[78] A settlement was reached in 2009 which allowed the site to continue[79] but the Brethren continued to pursue him and in early 2013 the site descended into a permanent maintenance mode, possibly connected with a serious illness that Twinam was suffering. At least one other website has appeared to replace it.[80]

Notable PBCC members

N.B. The following individuals were associated for at least part of their lives with the religious movement that has been known, since 2012, as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Prior to 2012, it was not formally known by this name, and was commonly known (informally) as the Raven-Taylor Exclusive Brethren.

See also

References
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  2. "Top marks for sect schools that shun the modern world". The Times. London. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
  3. Doherty, Bernard (2013). "The 'Brethren Cult Controversy':Dissecting a Contemporary Australian 'Social Problem'". Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review. 4 issue 1: 27.
  4. "Search results Company no 08175944". Companies House. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  5. Bachelard, Michael (21 January 2020). "Exclusive Brethren cult leader's millionaire son accused of assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. "Hidden prophets". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 July 2006. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  7. "Basic teaching in the Exclusive Brethren". The Exclusive Brethren official website. The Exclusive Brethren. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2007.
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  9. Bouma, Gary D (18 May 2006). "An Investigation into Marriage and Family Relations Among the Exclusive Brethren in Australia" (PDF). Monash University. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
  10. Bachelard 2008, p. 50
  11. "Religions – Christianity: Exclusive Brethren". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  12. Gower, Patrick (14 October 2006). "Behind the Brotherhood: The Elect Vessel, Bruce Hales". The New Zealand Herald. APN Holdings NZ Limited. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  13. Bachelard 2008, pp. 179–181
  14. Halpin, Tony (21 March 2005). "Top marks for sect schools that shun the modern world". The Times. London. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
  15. "Greens call for Brethren investigation". News.com.au. 29 December 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  16. "2013 Campus Directory" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  17. Bachelard, Michael (28 December 2006). "Sect's schools flush from parents – and federal funds". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
  18. Rood, David (6 October 2008). "Exclusive Brethren school given $1m state grants". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  19. "Stirling Education History". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  20. Bachelard 2008, pp. 30–32
  21. Noel 1936, p. 590ff
  22. http://www.mybrethren.org/doctrine/framson.htm
  23. Ministry by J. Taylor, Vol 29: pp 361-74, Kingston Bible Trust
  24. Noel 1936, pp. 607–631
  25. Bachelard 2008, p. 34
  26. A Short History of the Exclusive Brethren, peebs.net, archived from the original on 12 January 2012, retrieved 14 June 2012
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Bibliography
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