Questions
Common questions about the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
Direct answers from the public record: the fellowship’s own publications, investigative journalism, court and regulator findings, and on-record survivor testimony. Every claim carries its citation. If a question is missing, ask for it.
Everyday life
- Can Plymouth Brethren drink alcohol?
Yes.
- Can Plymouth Brethren eat with non-members?
No.
- Can Plymouth Brethren have pets?
No.
- Can Plymouth Brethren listen to music?
In practice, only the music the fellowship itself produces.
- Can Plymouth Brethren smoke?
No.
- Can Plymouth Brethren use the internet?
Not the open internet.
- Can Plymouth Brethren watch TV?
No.
- Do Plymouth Brethren celebrate Christmas?
No.
- Do Plymouth Brethren eat pork?
Yes.
- Do Plymouth Brethren have mobile phones?
Yes, but only filtered and monitored ones.
- Do Plymouth Brethren use social media?
Members, no.
Clothing & appearance
- Can Plymouth Brethren wear makeup?
Yes, but only minimal and natural.
- What is the Plymouth Brethren dress code?
A strict, gendered code that makes members identifiable in public.
- Why do Plymouth Brethren women wear headscarves?
As a rule, not a choice.
Marriage & family
- Can Plymouth Brethren divorce?
In practice, almost never.
- Can Plymouth Brethren marry outside the church?
No.
- Do Plymouth Brethren have arranged marriages?
No, families and leaders do not formally select spouses.
- What role do women have in the Plymouth Brethren?
A subordinate one.
Beliefs & practice
- Are the Plymouth Brethren Christians?
Yes, on creed.
- Do Plymouth Brethren vote?
No.
- What do the Plymouth Brethren believe?
On paper, standard evangelical Protestantism: one God in three persons, the Bible as "the inspired and infallible Word of God," and salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ.
- What happens at a Plymouth Brethren church service?
Daily meetings, with the central service the Lord's Supper at 6am every Sunday in a local meeting room.
- What is the Doctrine of Separation?
It is the rule that walls Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members off from everyone outside the fellowship.
Education & work
- Can Plymouth Brethren go to university?
No, not on campus.
- What is OneSchool Global?
OneSchool Global is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church's own school network: over 120 campuses in 20 countries, attended almost exclusively by Brethren children.
- Where do Plymouth Brethren work?
Inside the fellowship, almost without exception.
Leadership & organisation
- What is the "Man of God" in the Plymouth Brethren?
The single worldwide leader.
- Who runs the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church?
One man.
Leaving & shunning
- Can you visit a Plymouth Brethren church?
Only the advertised gospel preaching, and rarely even that.
- Do Plymouth Brethren shun former members?
Yes, unequivocally.
- Is the Plymouth Brethren a cult?
Described by two Australian prime ministers as a cult: an "extremist cult" by Kevin Rudd in 2007, and a "cult" by Anthony Albanese in 2025.
- What happens when you leave the Plymouth Brethren?
You lose your family.
Money & institutions
- Do the Plymouth Brethren pay taxes?
Yes: individual members and their businesses pay ordinary income tax, GST, and payroll tax.
- How do the Plymouth Brethren make money?
Three ways.
- What is the Rapid Relief Team?
The public-relations arm of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, registered as a charity and founded in 2013, now operating in more than a dozen countries.
- What is the Universal Business Team (UBT)?
The commercial arm of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
History & identity
- How many Plymouth Brethren are there?
Around 55,000.
- What is the difference between the Plymouth Brethren and the Exclusive Brethren?
One is the parent, the other is a branch.
- What was the Aberdeen incident?
The 1970 scandal that split the Exclusive Brethren worldwide.
- Who founded the Plymouth Brethren?
No single person.