Any Questions?

We recognise that the Plymouth Brethren community may be unfamiliar to many people, and that some information available about us online or elsewhere may be inaccurate or misleading. We welcome genuine questions and are happy to provide clear, honest answers.

Below you’ll find responses to frequently asked questions. If your question isn’t addressed here, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are you called the “Plymouth Brethren Christian Church?”

A: 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.

Q: How long has the PBCC had a presence in the US?

A: Our Church’s history in America stretches back 185 years, with the first group of Brethren arriving in the 1840s. Today, there are more than 4,500 members spread across 21 states.

Q: Do members have to grow up in the faith, or can anyone join?

A: The majority of our members are born into our Church. However, there have been instances of individuals who are prepared to commit to our beliefs and way of life joining from the wider community.

Q: Does the church have a central leadership structure?

A: 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’ – centered around our common Christian values of care and compassion. However, certain senior members provide influence and leadership, and some serve extensively throughout our global Church.

Q: Do members participate in politics?

A: Traditionally, most of us have not voted. However, over time, more of our members have chosen to vote and even volunteer for political parties. Like anyone else in society, if our individual members take an interest in politics and decide to support an individual politician or particular campaign, this is at their own discretion, and they do not represent the Church’s view when doing so.

Q: Do members send children to public schools, private schools or homeschool?

A: Children from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church generally attend public or state schools until they finish second grade or the regional equivalent. From third grade on, they attend the independent school network OneSchool Global (OSG). OSG is not owned or run by the Church and its teachers and staff come from outside of the community, but it is strongly supported by Brethren parents and volunteers. You can read more about OSG here.

Q: Do Brethren children attend college?

A: Brethren children who pursue post-high-school education are typically encouraged to do so online. Many choose to go directly into the work force, either for family businesses or businesses outside of the community.

Q: How do members dedicate themselves to service or charity outside of the church community?

A: Many of our members serve through our charitable arm, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT). The RRT is staffed by Church volunteers who lend a helping hand to those in need during a range of emergencies and charitable events around the world.  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.

Q: Do members serve in the military?

A: While Plymouth Brethren members have tended to refrain from bearing arms, some have served with distinction in non-combatant roles. For more information on the history of Church members serving during times of conflict, click here.

Q: Do members pay taxes?

A: All our members, individuals and business owners alike, pay tax just like everyone else.

Q: Do Brethren not eat meals with non-Brethren?

A: One of the defining Plymouth Brethren beliefs is that we drink and eat only with those with whom we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, also referred to as Holy Communion. Because Plymouth Brethren beliefs treat sharing a meal as an act of spiritual fellowship, members make a commitment to dine only with those with whom they would celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

In practice, this means Brethren members don’t typically sit down for a full meal with people from outside the church. That said, having a coffee with a neighbor, colleague, or business contact is a different matter, and many members do so regularly.

Q: Are you also called the “Exclusive Brethren?”

A: We have in the past sometimes been referred to as the “Exclusive Brethren” by individuals from outside of the church. However, it is not an accurate description of our community. The correct name, and the one we prefer, is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

If you have additional questions that have not been answered, you can learn more here.

Still Have Questions?

If your question wasn’t answered above, please get in touch.

We welcome enquiries and are happy to provide information about our community.