Brethren History

Origins (1825-50)

The story begins early in the 19^th century. Politically and socially, this was a turbulent period in Britain and Ireland: after the French Revolution many feared that similar events might occur here. The Industrial Revolution and later depression brought widespread unrest and economic hardship. It was a time of rapid change in all aspects of life. In the churches, unsettlement took the forms of dissatisfaction with the perceived worldliness of the churches and a longing for more intense spiritual experience.

Numbers of serious and frustrated Christians left their churches to join the Brethren during this period. However, from 1845 to 1848 the movement experienced a catastrophic division, which had at its heart a clash of opinions and personalities between Darby and Newton. What became known as Open Brethren asserted that each assembly had the right to conduct its own affairs in the light of its responsibility to Christ, and (usually) to welcome all true believers to the Lord’s Table; Exclusive Brethren followed Darby in asserting that ‘separation from evil’ was the only true basis for the unity of believers, and that this required assemblies to act together: thus an individual disfellowshipped by one meeting was to be regarded as out of communion with all, and any meeting accepting such a person was deemed to have become infected with spiritual evil. (Newton ended up being ostracised by both sides.) Open Brethren normally practised believer’s baptism, but many Exclusive meetings retained ‘household baptism’ of infants. Little love was lost between the two streams, and a pamphlet war raged throughout the rest of the century. At first, most of the influential Bible teachers were among the Exclusives, but in time a number changed sides.

Nevertheless, Brethren of both types began to see sustained growth. The major factor in this seems to have been that they turned outwards and increased their commitment to evangelism. Whereas the first generation of the movement had been led by members of the gentry and clergy, this generation saw the rise to dominance of the evangelists and itinerant teachers. Now new converts rather than members of other churches made up an increasing proportion of accessions to the movement. When revival affected parts of Britain and Ireland around 1859, Brethren shared in the resulting activity, and hundreds of mission halls came into being.

Exclusive as well as Open Brethren were active in outreach. Both traditions discovered the power of literature, producing vast quantities of tracts, booklets, and longer works designed to expound the Scriptures. Theologically, they were evangelical, and became known for their grasp of the Bible, but their prophetic beliefs, their rejection of a formally-recognised ministry, and their tendency to assert that the Church was irreparably ruined and that Christians should leave their existing fellowships all helped to make them ‘Public Enemy Number One’ in the eyes of many other evangelicals. Opposition did nothing to make Brethren any more sympathetic to the churches, which they regarded as spiritually dead and theologically untaught.

This was also the era when Brethren became a missionary movement. It is claimed that no other Christian tradition, apart perhaps from the Moravians, has seen such a high proportion of its members become missionaries. Brethren are now found in over a hundred countries worldwide, sometimes in much larger numbers than in Britain. During the 1870s, the agency which became known as ‘Echoes of Service’ was founded by Open Brethren: it did not send out missionaries itself because this was regarded as the local assembly’s responsibility; ‘Echoes’ was simply a channel for funds and information, although the Editors of its magazine inevitably accumulated a store of knowledge over time which gave their advice considerable authority.

With growth came division. Open Brethren saw a small schism in the 1890s, leading to the formation of the ‘Church of God’ (sometimes known as ‘Needed Truth Brethren’ after their magazine); they reject the idea that each congregation should be autonomous in favour of a Presbyterian-style pattern of inter-church relationships. Exclusive Brethren saw a succession of divisions from 1881. The largest one, often known as the Taylor Brethren, has developed into the withdrawn community misleadingly known as ‘Exclusives’ today. They have one man as their global leader, seen as the contemporary equivalent of Paul, deemed to be in receipt of divine guidance which must be followed by all members. Other Exclusive groups should not be confused with them, and have remained theologically closer to Calvinist Evangelicalism.

After World War I, British Evangelicalism was largely demoralized: theologically weak, often poorly led, and on the defensive against the world and the religious establishment, Evangelicals sat on the margins of religious life. But Open Brethren in particular offered a contrast: evangelistically active, solidly taught, growing, and with a lay leadership which was often well attuned to the issues of the day, they experienced continued growth, especially in the new suburbs springing up all over Britain. (The growth was not entirely unconnected with the fact that several Brethren were house-builders, most notably John Laing!) Agencies such as Counties Evangelistic Work sponsored tent missions in many places, which not infrequently resulted in the formation of new assemblies. It seemed to many that, in footballing terms, the Brethren had the ball at their feet. The future of British Evangelicalism looked to be theirs, and Brethren were influential in developments in that sphere, such as the founding of London Bible College (now London School of Theology).

Sadly, expectations would be unfulfilled. World War II produced a questioning spirit in all areas of public life, from which churches were not exempt. One Brethren magazine editor, Frederick Tatford (1901-86) asked whether the Brethren were in danger of becoming a ‘back number’. Like other Evangelicals, they engaged in vigorous evangelism, but many could not understand why so much of the blessing which came through Billy Graham’s crusades in 1954/5 was experienced by the churches which they had tended to write off. This was a great stimulus to a process of self-questioning which has not ceased. With it has come a tendency for individuals to reject their Brethren heritage, and for progressive congregations to describe themselves informally as ‘were-Brethren’.

Open Brethren experienced increasing internal tension, as they struggled to respond to the impact of rapid cultural change, the rise of Reformed theology, unfavourable media coverage of ‘Exclusives’, the Charismatic movement, and the more general decline of British Christianity in terms of numbers and public role. Nevertheless, they have contributed much to wider Evangelicalism. The Scot F. F. Bruce (1910-90) played a key part in the growth of evangelical biblical scholarship; others filled prominent roles in public life, such as Brian Mawhinney (b.1940), former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.