Correcting the Record: Judaism and the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church

Correcting the Record: Judaism and the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church 

On September 26 The Age escalated its long-running campaign against the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church by publishing an article titled “Exclusive Brethren leader calls Jews ‘wicked’, ‘infidel’ as Liberals remain silent”. 

The article was written by Michael Bachelard, who has been writing critically about our church and our faith for around two decades. In our view, his coverage over that time has shown little regard for the religious beliefs at the heart of our lives, and this latest article continues that pattern. It lifts passages grounded in both the Old and New Testaments out of their scriptural setting and presents them in a way that ignores what those Scriptures actually teach about God’s enduring love for the Jewish people. 

The article is built on selective quotations, deliberately taken out of context in an attempt to divide our faiths. The article does not reflect 200 years of love, friendship, respect and support for the Jewish people, and our confidence in God’s promises to Israel, as comprehensively voiced by every one of our senior leaders since our church began. Our church was deeply hurt by this article,  

As people of faith, we see a spiritual dimension to it: an attempt to drive a wedge between Christian and Jewish people who have much in common.

We ask our Jewish friends to see it for what it is.

Our response to the journalist is outlined in full below.

Our current most senior elder, Mr Hales’ ministry has consistently expressed support for the Jewish people and condemned the hatred directed at them. For example: 

• “There have been Jewish synagogues subject to attack here in Sydney; the idea that they can’t have security measures to protect the congregation is ludicrous.” – B.D. Hales, December 2005 

• “Now God is going to look after the Jews … He’s going to take care of the Jews in His own way. … God is going to bring them, going to recover them, He’s going to give them the place that is rightly theirs when it’s His matter to do it.” – B.D. Hales · July 2021 

• “I was thinking especially in this last century or so, but it’s been going on for centuries, the oppression. See, we go back to World War Two and the decades before that, especially the 1930s. … We must not forget all the Jews that were killed, put to death, and the many, many millions that lost their lives in that war; long war it was, all as a result of one man.” – B.D. Hales, November 2022 

• “It’s because they’re God’s people. …If you’re working against God’s sovereign people, you’re up against something that you can never break through. And that’s why it’s not, the attack on Israel is not prospering.” – B.D. Hales, April 2025

Response to The Age:

“These statements are based on Holy Scripture, and we don’t add to it neither do we take away from it.

“The scriptures are the source of salvation, as distinct from the words of The Age which are the source of clicks and advertising revenue.

“This is a selective choice of quotes which is designed to misrepresent Mr Hales’ position on Jewish people.

“The Church has always strongly condemned antisemitism and regards any expression of hatred against the Jewish community as abhorrent.

“The comments were made in a religious context as part of a theological discussion on the historical connection between our faith and Judaism.

“Our communities share deep familial and religious roots. We believe God’s covenant with the Jewish people remains eternal and has never been revoked.

“The PBCC actively supports our valued Jewish communities and regularly pray in our church services for the safety and protection of Israel and its people.

“Mr Hales has expressed this to congregations, such as through the following ministry advice:

• “But in terms of influence in the world, we need to pray for Israel. 20/3/05
• “Anti-Jewish sentiments and anti-Israel sentiments, they’re anti-God, that’s all there is, that’s anti-God.” 25/05/2024
• “The Jews are … God’s chosen people.” 27/06/2026

ENDS

ENDS