Any questions?

Our Community was formed in the early nineteenth century in England after a growing dissatisfaction with the Anglican Church. By 1829, the first permanent meetings had been formed, and the participants adopted the name ‘Plymouth Brethren’ as some of the founding teachers hailed from Plymouth, Southern England. Learn more about our history.

Like many Christian churches, our Church is centred on the Holy Bible. The only difference between us and other Christians is our notion of deliberate fellowship. Fellowship is central to our faith, and we express this by only eating and drinking with those whom we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, commonly referred to as Holy Communion. That said, of course we live and work with people of all walks of life in our local communities, and help and care for our neighbours, just as they help us. 

The majority of our members are born into our Church. However, there are exceptions of some joining from the wider community that are prepared to commit to our beliefs and way of life.  

There are no specific rules as such, but we follow a Christian life and are guided by Christian values. Brethren universally maintain beliefs and a lifestyle that is based on the Holy Bible.

The Church does not have a formal hierarchical structure or any paid clergy. We place emphasis on personal responsibility. We are deeply family-oriented, and live, work and pray as ‘Brethren’ – centred around our common Christian values of care and compassion. But, as in a family, there are persons who would provide influence and leadership, including Bruce D. Hales and other leaders globally that serve extensively within our Church.  

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is over 180 years old, and was created by the influential Protestant thinker, John Nelson Darby.  We are not a cult. We are a global Christian fellowship that live peacefully amongst neighbourhoods all over the world. Our children attend OneSchool Global, a network of technology-rich schools, taught by highly skilled professional teachers. We work hard, we volunteer, and we aim to live our lives according to the Holy Bible, with care and compassion.

No. The fact is, sometimes people leave churches, that certainly isn’t unique to us. It is always deeply upsetting when people pursue a life outside of the Church, but it is up to individual families as to how they manage and respond to these situations.  

The Church would never stand in the way of families communicating with each other. At the end of the day, we are Christian, and we always seek to act with kindness and compassion.

Marriage is very important for our community and the incidence of marriage break-up amongst our members is fortunately very rare and well below societal norms.  
 
Forced marriage, or arranged marriage, isn’t something we prescribe to, and members within our Church are free to marry the partner of their choosing.  

Women are given the same opportunities as men in the workplace, and they actively contribute in a professional capacity. Some women own and operate their own family business and others work in a variety of roles within other family businesses, or at our advisory firm, the Universal Business Team (UBT), with our charitable arm, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), or are employed by our network of schools, OneSchool Global (OSG). 

Women also have the freedom to choose to stay at home if they wish, or work-part time – the choice is theirs.  

Women play an important role in the Church and are fundamental to gatherings and meetings. They are involved in all aspects of Church life – from hosting Lord’s Supper to announcing hymns and everything in between. The only limitations would be according to scriptural principles as outlined in the Holy Bible.

Yes. Plymouth Brethren students who undertake further study achieve their tertiary qualifications from Universities or registered training organisations through online courses, we don’t support on campus attendance. Some of these courses include accounting and management. We strongly believe that you should earn and learn at the same time – it’s a win-win.

We use technology in our personal and professional lives, including mobile phones, laptops, and the internet, similar to the general population. Historically, it is true that we have been cautious in embracing new technologies, always with a view to protecting our families. However, it’d be pretty tricky to get by in today’s day and age without the help of technology! 

Our school network, OneSchool Global (OSG), is built around technology rich classrooms. Plymouth Brethren children are taught at these schools by highly skilled teachers who use innovative and progressive digital learning methods and teaching tools.  

No, that’s a myth. All our members, individuals and business owners alike, pay tax just like everyone else.

No. The Church does not run any businesses and does not employ anyone. Many Brethren and their families own and operate their own businesses, and the Church has no legal, financial or any other interest in their businesses.  

In addition, our network, such as the Universal Business Team (UBT), the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) and OneSchool Global (OSG) are not owned or operated by the Church. Instead, they have been set up and are run by Church members for the benefit of other Church members and those not affiliated with the Church.

Church members do not vote and the Church does not and has never made donations to any political party. Like anyone else in society, some of our individual members may take an interest in politics and decide to support an individual politician or particular campaign, but this is at their discretion and they do not represent the Church’s view when doing so. 

Well, many years back we were commonly referred to as the ‘Exclusive Brethren’, however, it wasn’t a name we came up with ourselves nor is it an accurate description of our Community. We believe the term ‘Exclusive Brethren’ was coined by commentators outside of the Church some decades ago. The correct name for our Community, and the one we prefer, is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

In times of military conscription, members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church were involved in both World Wars, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, serving alongside non-brethren soldiers for their respective countries. The Brethren took the ground of being recognized as non–combatants as distinct from conscientious objectors. They experienced reproach especially during WW1 for refusing to carry arms, but time and experience proved there was great courage in going into the front lines unarmed to rescue the wounded.

Brethren have served in many places including the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the deserts of North Africa, the beaches of Dunkirk, the Normandy landings, Korea and Vietnam. They have served at the front line as stretcher bearers as well as in classified Secret Signals units. One was the 2 I.C. at one of the largest Army Hospitals in Australia.

Examples of the appreciation of their work included an award in WW1 for valour in their service including the Military Cross. In WW2, even though imprisoned at Changi, one was mentioned in despatches for his service to other POWs. In the tensions of the Cold War in Europe, one of the Brethren was designated ‘Soldier of the Year’ twice in succession.

EXTRACTS FROM NATIONAL ARCHIVES AUSTRALIA

F. KINGSLEY NORRIS (D.G.A.M.S.)
DIRECTOR-GENERAL AUST. MEDICAL SERVICE –
AUST. ARMY 1942-43 FORCES

Casualties and sickness had woefully thinned the ranks of my medical personnel, and in reply to many signals at last an additional Field Ambulance, which included a company of “conscientious objectors”, had been allotted to us……

….I discussed the situation with the C.O. and decided to move his Ambulance across to Soputa where the crisis of the battle had been reached and our casualties were mounting.

Bearers from among the “conshies” were ordered into the battle and not one hesitated. Some were killed, others wounded, and as I watched them I did not see one man or any stretcher squad having brought out a casualty pause before returning.

Just as the men at Mons transmuted that base word contemptible into the gold of glory, so did “conshie” become a noble word of respect and regard. This incident at Soputa was one of the most inspiring examples of moral and physical courage I have experienced.

For those unfamiliar with Christian teachings, the Doctrine of Separation may sound unusual or strange – we can understand that, but there is nothing mysterious about it.

Members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) make a commitment to only eat and drink with those with whom we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday in small groups. This solemn and sacred occasion of fellowship together is a commitment to one another to seek to live a life of purity, in line with scripture.

The doctrine of separation does not mean we isolate ourselves from the world. Instead, it encourages us to move closer to God, by distancing ourselves from the beliefs and practices that are contrary to biblical principles – the Lord’s Supper being central to our beliefs

This does not mean that we hold ourselves superior to our fellow men, women, and children. We live and work harmoniously alongside them, in the mainstream of society, interacting with the broader community, whether through our charity work, our schools or in business.

We live peacefully amongst people from all walks of life, in regular houses in ordinary streets, in towns and cities around the world, seeking opportunities to be of service to the local community. Our global charity, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), is made up of 14,500 volunteers from our Church, serving people with care and compassion in their time of need.

Far from being cut off from the world, many of our members run successful businesses, employing over 56,000 people from the wider community, who work alongside members of our Church on a daily basis.

We believe sharing a meal with someone is an act of fellowship and we make a commitment to eat and drink only with those with whom we would celebrate the Lord’s Supper, also known as Holy Communion. 

For those unfamiliar with Christian teachings, this notion of deliberate fellowship may sound unusual or strange – we can understand that, but there is nothing mysterious about it. 

Fellowship with our Community does not mean we isolate ourselves from the world. We live and work harmoniously alongside all people, in the mainstream of society, interacting with the broader community, whether through our charity work, our schools or in business.

No, this couldn’t be further from the truth. We live and work with people of all walks of life in regular neighbourhoods, towns, and cities worldwide. We help our neighbours, and they help us. We actively seek opportunities to contribute to our local communities and to be of service. Our attitude is to show care and compassion in action to all, and it is a value we live by. 

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church follows the teachings of the Holy Bible. Our members have lived and worked in communities around the world for nearly 200 years and we fully embrace the values of care and compassion to our neighbours, local, regional and global communities.

No, not at all. We believe there are many true believers, and that being one of the Plymouth Brethren is not a guarantee of salvation or the only way to be saved. We believe if you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that you will be saved. 

We connect with our Community on a daily basis in simple Gospel Halls around the globe, and we come together every Sunday to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which you may know as Holy Communion.  

We emphasise the moral or spiritual bearing of the Cross on our hearts and on our lives, so we don’t physically represent these symbols on or in our churches. Matthew 23 v 5-8 applies.

As a Community, we don’t observe any particular holidays but we look forward to and appreciate the public holidays that come with them. Instead, our celebration is in the Lord’s Supper, also known as Holy Communion, which we host every Sunday.

Our Community is built on the foundations of care and compassion, so in 2013, we established the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), a charity that delivers hope and relief to people in their time of need. 

RRT is run by a team of more than 14,500 volunteers from the Church who offer quality catering assistance and tangible support to charities, government and emergency services confronting some of humankind’s greatest challenges. RRT adapts their benevolent support services to meet the need at hand. Whether it be fire, drought or even a global pandemic, RRT volunteers bring hope to people in their time of need.

The Rapid Relief Team (RRT) is a charity based on the Christian principles of care and compassion. It is an initiative of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC), staffed by Church volunteers who lend a helping hand to those in need during a range of emergencies and charitable events.  

Being Christians, it’s within our beliefs to help those in need. What we do for one, we do for all, and RRT is one way we express this.

As a Community, we know the importance of education, and Plymouth Brethren students attend our own school network called OneSchool Global.  

Like many independent school systems, OneSchool Global (OSG) is not owned or run by the Church, but it does share a close relationship, and it is strongly supported by volunteers of the Church community.  

With over 9,500 students, 120 campuses and 2,000 staff operating across 20 countries, OneSchool’s global education ecosystem provides an environment in which our staff and students thrive. 

OneSchool Global (OSG) is built around technology-rich classrooms. Our kids are taught by highly skilled teachers who use innovative and progressive digital learning methods.  

OSG is a global education ecosystem that develops life-ready students who learn how to learn. Our schools have a Self-Directed Learning approach, which sees the role of a teacher shift from an ‘instructor’ role to a more ‘coach/facilitator’ role. This approach puts the individual student at the centre of everything we do. 

No. OneSchool Global (OSG) employs professionals who aren’t affiliated with the Church and who have a passion for challenging dated teaching methods and exploring new ways of learning for our students. 

Our schools deliver the nationally endorsed curriculum of the country or state where the campus is based, and no religious education is taught in the classroom outside of what’s mandated by the local curriculum. This is a point of difference for OneSchool Global (OSG) as we believe religious studies are best undertaken at Church or home.  

Brethren children attend Government schools for the first three years of their schooling so that they socialise and integrate with other children at an early age, We see this as being important to their early development. After this, they join OneSchool Global (OSG) and continue their education at our own independent school network.

Staff at our schools are leading education experts and professional teachers, and are not members of our Church. Our schools are like any other schools and do not teach religious studies outside of what’s mandated by the local curriculum.