Understanding the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church — formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren — is a 56,000-strong controversial sect with communities across the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA, and smaller communities in Argentina, the Caribbean, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. It is led by Bruce Hales, self-proclaimed "Man of God", from his base in North West Sydney.

Separation

The sect leads a life of separation from the non-community world — referred to as "worldlies." This separation includes not eating with those outside the community, no television, restricted books and internet access, not attending university in person, and not working for non-Brethren companies or in the public sector.

In terms of membership, we estimate that 99%+ are born into the Brethren. They attend non-community schools until age six or seven, then move to the Brethren-operated schools (OneSchool Global). On leaving school they work for a Brethren-owned business. Members are not permitted to date or marry outside the community without leaving it. They cannot visit pubs or restaurants. Holidays and marriage require approval by elders — or in certain cases by Bruce Hales himself. They must live in detached properties and can only purchase homes with the approval of local elders.

They live in communities ranging from 50 to 500 members, usually formed by a small number of extended families. In the UK there are approximately 90 communities stretching from Aberdeen to St Austell.

Meeting Rooms

Each community has meeting rooms — larger communities have more than one, with on average one meeting room for every 35 to 40 members. Each community operates these under a Gospel Trust, usually a registered charity. Funding comes through donations from community members and Brethren-owned businesses, supplemented by central Brethren charities.

Members are required to attend meetings several times a day, including three times on Sundays for the Lord's meeting. Many communities have meeting rooms capable of holding 500 to 1,000 people — often disproportionate to the size of the local community.

Charities

The Plymouth Brethren operate a substantial network of central charities. The 18,000 Brethren in the UK alone have around 200 registered charities with total assets of between £300 million and £400 million. The key charities include:

• The Grace Trust — the main Brethren charity, distributing funds to OSG, RRT, CHART and NAF.
• Rapid Relief Team (RRT) — the public-facing PR operation, supplying free catering to emergency services and events.
• Central Hardship & Relief Trust (CHART) — distributes funds to Brethren members in need.
• Central GH Trust — the main meeting room charity, funding Gospel Trusts for new meeting rooms.
• Bible & Gospel Trust — controls the printing and distribution of meeting room material.
• National Assistance Fund (NAF) — funded by the Grace Trust, increasingly taking over funding responsibilities previously held by the Grace Trust.

Business

Because Brethren members are not permitted to work for non-Brethren companies or public organisations — including the emergency services or government — they have over time built an extensive network of businesses across many sectors. We have identified approximately 1,500 companies registered to the 18,000 UK members of the PBCC.

These companies hold assets of over £2 billion and turn over an estimated £4 billion per annum. Research shows that approximately 100 of these companies benefitted from government Covid contracts, with the majority having no previous track record in PPE or testing. The total awarded value in the UK was approximately £2.6 billion, with approximately 85% linked to members of the Hales family in Sydney. Globally, government contracts total over £3.1 billion, with significant contracts in the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.

Schools

OneSchool Global operates campuses that typically serve two or three communities, with free transport provided. Fees are approximately £3,750 per pupil per year, with support available for lower-income Brethren families.

Each school is supported by an educational trust — usually a registered charity — which owns the school buildings and operates a trading company as a fundraiser. This typically takes the form of a local convenience store or mini-supermarket trading under the Campus & Co brand. Members are strongly encouraged to use these stores for their grocery needs. All stores are operated by unpaid volunteers, predominantly female Brethren members. UK annual turnover for Campus & Co exceeds £30 million.

Controversy

The Exclusive Plymouth Brethren are deeply controversial in their practice of separation. The allegations from ex-Brethren members are substantial, and their voices are rarely heard in public.

It is difficult for the wider public and government to comprehend that over 99% of Brethren community members are born into the church, educated in Brethren schools, prevented from attending university, shielded from social media and news, unable to eat in restaurants or watch television, and restricted from associating with non-Brethren. Their families, their workplace, their shops and their social lives are all contained within the Brethren community. They are taught from childhood that the world outside is the world of the devil.

The stories shared by brave ex-Brethren members are often heartbreaking and frequently involve abuse, bullying, alcoholism, coercive control, misogyny, homophobia, mental health crises and family separation. Former members speak of how the leadership has become focused on financial success and how the Bible is manipulated to fit the leader's narrative — a narrative that includes active political lobbying.

Political Involvement

Brethren doctrine holds that God determines political outcomes, so members do not vote. It is therefore remarkable that under Bruce Hales the church has been involved in numerous lobbying and election-influencing controversies — supporting the Liberal Party in Australia, the Conservative Party in the UK and Canada, the National Party in New Zealand, Republicans in the USA, and even funding their own political campaign in Sweden. There are also widespread reports of Brethren members assisting UK Conservative candidates with leaflet drops and involvement with the Young Britons Foundation.

The PBCC Ecosystem

Brethren company revenues fund the UBT (Universal Business Team). Members buy their groceries from Campus & Co, which in turn funds OneSchool Global. Members donate to fund meeting rooms. It is a self-sustaining commercial structure designed to keep all financial flows within the community.

The cost to run meeting rooms and schools is approximately £75 million per year. The Rapid Relief Team is used as evidence of public benefit to maintain charitable status — which is estimated to be worth between £20 million and £40 million per year to the Brethren. The amount the RRT gives back to non-Brethren causes is approximately £1.5 million per year.