We are leading experts on the commercial businesses operated by members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. In May 2025 we launched the Brethren Network. A database that reveals a global network of over 6,300 businesses, charities & entities operating in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Argentina and the Caribbean.
Search for an individual business or charity, search by country or city, find key people, check out the businesses in the same premises or located nearby. Go to company websites, get directions, check out on street view. Search for individual people.

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What is the Brethren Network

The Brethren Network is a unique global directory of over 6,300 businesses, charities and entities. 

These businesses, charities and entities are all owned, operated, or managed by members of the global community in fellowship with Bruce D Hales of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

    Businesses include companies with trading names, holding companies, and property & investment entities. It includes Limited, Unlimited, Partnerships, Trusts, and Sole Traders. We have abbreviated “Limited” to “Ltd” throughout our directory. 

    Charities include organisations and non-profits that are operated to receive donations or provide grants. 

    Open and Candid built the Brethren Network to provide unique commercial insight into a community that is sometimes misunderstood.​

Who are the Plymouth Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, also referred to as the Exclusive Brethren, is a circa 54,000 strong Christian evangelical sect led by Sydney-based businessman and accountant Bruce Hales. The sect is located in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand & the USA, with smaller communities in Argentina, the Caribbean, Ireland, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Sweden.

History

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) is a Christian denomination that originated in the early 19th century in Plymouth, Devon, England.

The church was founded by a group of Christians who were dissatisfied with the practices of the Church of England and sought to return to what they believed were the teachings and practices of the early church.

The origins of the Plymouth Brethren can be traced back to the 1820s, when a group of Christians in Dublin, Ireland, began meeting for Bible study and prayer. Among these Christians were John Nelson Darby, a former Church of Ireland clergyman, and Benjamin Wills Newton, a curate in the Church of England. The group soon grew in numbers and began to meet in a home in Plymouth, Devon, England.

The Plymouth Brethren were committed to the idea of returning to the simple, unadorned worship and practices of the early church. They rejected the hierarchical structure of the Church of England and other established churches, and instead believed in the priesthood of all believers. They placed a strong emphasis on the study of the Bible, and believed that the Holy Spirit would guide them in interpreting its teachings.

In 1830, the Plymouth Brethren officially broke away from the Church of England, and the first Plymouth Brethren chapel was built in Plymouth. The movement soon spread throughout England and Ireland, and later to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and India.

One of the key leaders of the Plymouth Brethren was John Nelson Darby. He was a prolific writer and theologian, and is credited with developing the doctrine of dispensationalism, which holds that God interacts with humanity in different ways in different time periods or "dispensations". This concept has had a significant influence on evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity, particularly in the United States.

The Plymouth Brethren also developed a unique style of worship, which was characterized by simplicity and informality. They rejected the use of clergy and formal liturgy, and instead emphasized the importance of congregational singing, prayer, and the sharing of personal testimonies. They also believed in the practice of "open worship", which allowed any member of the congregation to share a message or a prayer during the service.

Over time, the Plymouth Brethren became increasingly fragmented, as different groups developed their own interpretations of the movement's teachings and practices. Some groups remained closely tied to the original Plymouth Brethren tradition, while others developed their own distinct traditions and beliefs.

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, which is also known as the Exclusive Brethren, is one of the largest and most conservative groups to have emerged from the Plymouth Brethren movement.

The Brethren place a strong emphasis on their commitment to fellowship, it is central to their faith. They only 'break bread' with those whom they celebrate the Lord's Supper.​

​Since the last large split in the 1970s following the 'Aberdeen incident', those in fellowship of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church have taken a more commercial path. This has led to the creation by the community of a Brethren eco-system, a community or network that is Global.

Fellowship

The brethren differentiate themselves from other Christians in their commitment to fellowship. This commitment has an impact in multiple areas of everyday life, including:

  • not breaking bread (eating/drinking) with those outside of fellowship
  • no TV
  • restricted books
  • restricted internet access
  • not attending University campuses, online attendance is allowed
  • not working for businesses that are owned by those not in fellowship
  • not working in the public sector, as not in fellowship
  • no union membership
  • not voting, though this is down to individual choice
  • living in detached properties, so not to share a sewer with neighbours not in fellowship

This commitment to fellowship can have an impact when a member chooses to leave fellowship. It has an effect on those that leave, their families and friends who remain in fellowship.

Meeting Rooms

The brethren live and work in towns and cities and form communities that range in size from 50 to 700 members. The communities will generally include a small number of extended families. In the UK for example they have circa ninety communities from Peterhead to St Austell.


Each community will have Meeting Rooms, the larger communities will have more than one meeting room, on average there is a meeting room for approximately every 50 members. 


Each community will operate the meeting room under a Trust, which is usually a registered charity. The raising of funds is through donations from the community members and the brethren member owned businesses, there are also central brethren charities which support funding of these meetings rooms and the building of new meeting rooms. 


The brethren attend meetings several times a week, including miltiple times on a Sunday for the Lord’s meeting. Many communities have meeting rooms that can hold 500-1000 people, which can be at odds with the size of the community. This is to enable larger 3 day meetings and interchanges, where brethren in fellowship come together from different communities.

Education & Retail

Once children from brethren families reach the age of 6 or 7, they attend brethren operated schools. These schools are called OneSchool Global (OSG).


Each OSG campus will usually provide education for children from two or three different brethren communities, they are provided with transport to the schools. School fees are circa £3,750 per annum per pupil, there is support available for poorer brethren families.


The brethren have an educational trust for each school, and this is usually a registered charity, this trust will own the school buildings and operate a trading company as a fundraiser.

This trading company will usually encompass a local convenience store/mini supermarket trading under the brethren owned Campus & Co brand.

 
Members are encouraged to use these stores for their grocery requirements. The stores are predominantly operated by unpaid volunteers, usually the female brethren members.

In Australia OneSchool Global receives funding from the Australian government. In other countries they may benefit from charitable donations or be a registered charity.

Open & Candid Insights

We can provide further detailed insight into all the businesses and charities featured.
We also offer business intelligence reporting on various business sectors and can assist in due diligence for M&A's.