Cause for concern? Plymouth Brethren are building a huge church in our village.

I don't really know what to make of this and could do with some guidance and opinion.

The Plymouth brethren are building a huge chapel around the size of a small supermarket situated less than a mile from my home, and although the brethren seem to be a harmless Evangelical Christian religious movement, after just a little research I feel a little uneasy about this project.

The land has been under development for a number of years now, the owner originally dug up the land and used it as a landfill site, when it was full the waste was covered and the owner started to build a motor museum, this has been a start stop project for years now and there has been very little progress for several years apart from one or two steel building frames erected.

Just recently work has restarted but not on the motor museum, instead the fellowship themselves are constructing a new church.

I have no problem with anyone's beliefs, that is solely each individuals decision, and none of my business, but after reading about the Brethren I discovered that like some other religions the followers, if they are repentant, are forgiven for any sins or crimes they commit and these sins are kept secret within the religion and concealed tightly behind closed doors.

Now I am not saying that all of these people are criminals, however in all walks of life there are predators and criminals and I am concerned for myself, my family and friends that within this faith there will be a certain amount of the type of people who find a safe haven within their group and soon in our village.

Am I wrong to feel concerned?

Should they be allowed to 'harbour' possibly some serious offenders?

Wiki's Plymouth Brethren

What about the victims? I mean in most circumstances they have to apologise for letting themselves become victims so they can be forgiven themselves.

The site is quite open at the front and I could supply some photographs if anyone is interested at some point over the weekend, although parts of the site where the women are working are boarded off so the they cannot be seen by anyone outside the Brethren.

The women and children within the groups are made to be silent and submissive and have no opinion, control or voice, an ideal situation for crimes and abuses that will never be apparent to those outside the Brethren, unless of course the outsiders are the victims.

It doesn't seem right to me, am I wrong?

Is there any cause for me to be concerned?

Thank you in advance for your advice and comment's, regards S_G

The Exclusive Brethren

reply to post by xSMOKING_GUNx

The Plymouth brethren are building a huge chapel around the size of a small supermarket situated less than a mile from my home, and although the brethren seem to be a harmless Evangelical Christian religious movement, after just a little research I feel a little uneasy about this project.

I would concur with the result of your research inasmuch as it may be an 'exclusive' (as opposed to 'open') group. Sadly this grouping does indeed bear some cult-like marks in its teachings and practices, seeking to cut itself off from society as much as possible, and shunning members who question or leave the movement.

If, on the other hand, the project is being undertaken under the auspices of an 'open' group there is really no cause for concern. If this is the case it is a fairly run-of-the-mill Christian church, though with perhaps a longer list of laws & regulations than the mainstream.

We have these people where i come from and they are nothing but backward christian extremists who are more cult like then religion.
Heres a news article on someone who was born into the breathren and finally escaped as an adult

reply to post by xSMOKING_GUNx

I discovered that like some other religions the followers, if they are repentant, are forgiven for any sins or crimes they commit and these sins are kept secret within the religion and concealed tightly behind closed doors.

I think you may be making something out of nothing here. Any faith believes that if you repent of wrong doing, you're forgiven by God. In the Christian church, this also means that within the congregation, your relationship to them has been restored, and isn't supposed to be brought back up and held against you.

For example, if I am a member of a church and I flip out at the pastor, and it's my fault, and then later apologize to the pastor, he's suppose to forgive me and that's that, nothing more should come out it. No more gossip no more anything.

That doesn't mean though that if I murder someone that the congregation should just sit on their hands. There are laws, and as Christians, we're also supposed to obey the laws. So, if I murder someone, I can apologize and be forgiven by the congregation, but I still need to suffer the consequences for my actions.

Of course, there will be people who attend any church that have a bad past. This is always a tricky issue, and how they function in the church should be up to that local church. Usually though, a person who was convicted of touching kids understands that they can't work with kids.

I've never heard of the Plymouth Brethren withholding things like the Catholic Church did. From what I glanced over about their beliefs, they're so literal in what they believe, i.e., remove the sinner from amongst you, that, they wouldn't tolerate it at all if someone was acting in a way that they shouldn't.

The women and children within the groups are made to be silent and submissive and have no opinion, control or voice, an ideal situation for crimes and abuses that will never be apparent to those outside the Brethren, unless of course the outsiders are the victims.

While I don't think it's right that they make women and children be silent and submissive, I think that it is speculation to think that the Brethren believing in that would lead to crime. Remember that they take the Word seriously and really don't want to sin against God. You basically are disowned by them if you sin, until you repent. Since there is no hierarchy, essentially, it would be difficult to keep a sin, like rape, or molestation, that happened to a woman or child, quiet, like it there was a pastor. There seems to be things that one can do that gets the permanently remove from the fellowship as well.

I guess, in short, what I'm trying to say is that the Plymouth Brethren don't play around with sin. They wouldn't play the same type of games that the Catholic Church did--in fact they wouldn't be able to since there is no hierarchy!

Is there any cause for me to be concerned?

I would say no. The structure of the Brethren seems to prevent anything bad from staying hidden for long. It also seems that they won't play games if someone does something really bad toward another, they'll take care of it, due to their views on sin.

I guess something that you could do is get to know some of the people involved with the chapel. That could perhaps alleviate some fears.


I just wanted to say to that, I don't necessarily agree with all the practices of the Brethren. I think that separating yourself from the world is a bad thing for example. Shunning people away is also a bad thing.

[edit on 7/4/2009 by octotom]

Aleister Crowley was raised as a Brethren and claims that to really understand his teachings that you should understand Brethren teachings. But he loathed them, and I've always suspected that his disdain for all such things originated in some rebellion towards the strict upbringing he had.

Thanks for your replies, I feel that I maybe worying a little too much, but it is always good to know the full story.

Has anyone actualy had any dealings or contact with the Brethren?

Listen, anytime a church is built around your vicinity, up and pack and move.

Personally, I find it very creepy to live anywhere in the close vicinity of a church, where large masses of people sit together to chant and recite and read together.

It's like a mild Georgestown, IMO, and I feel exactly how you feel, that sometimes some churches seem so cult-ish, so where I live, the church is all the way at the other end of the road and I don't hear the bells that herd the "sheep" into a building to be taught something from an eons-old book.

[edit on 5-7-2009 by KarlG]