Raven died in and his group was then led by James Taylor senior, who was succeeded by his son, James Taylor junior, after a 6 year period of disputed leadership. The group they led became known as the Taylorites. Jim Taylor junior extended the rules for separation from the world. He decreed that members could not eat with non-members, be friends with them, or join a professional organisation with them. Their only 'safe' places were their own houses and the meeting-rooms.
Children were brought up to keep separate the world outside. In , James Taylor Jr faced accusations of immoral conduct. He protested his innocence but the scandal divided the movement and around 8, members left.
James Harvey Symington followed James Taylor jr as leader. He was followed by John Hales. The doctrine of 'separation from iniquity', or separation from sin, makes the Exclusive Brethren unique. It has two parts:. Families do not have televisions, radios, or go to the cinema or theatre. Members marry other members.
Divorce is rare. Children are often educated within the Brethren community, although many Brethren children do attend mainstream schools. Members who do something against the Exclusive code are required to confess their sin and demonstrate their repentance.
If they don't, they are withdrawn from : no member of the group will speak, work or eat with them. The activities below are forbidden for members of the Taylorite Exclusive Brethren because they are too worldly:.
Members of the Exclusive Brethren are very limited in their contact with outsiders. They must not:. Many Exclusive Brethren work in Brethren-owned companies in order to reduce contact with outsiders. If they leave, or are expelled from the Brethren, they have to give up their jobs as well as their family and their home.
There are several Taylorite innovations that Jim Taylor Jr added to the list of dos and don'ts for members. He instructed them to:. Members who break the rules are likely to be withdrawn from. This means that they are banned from worship meetings and will be ostracised by members of their own family and other Exclusives. The Exclusive Brethren only withdraw from a member if they commit a serious sin and will not repent about it. They believe that they are following the teaching of St Paul in doing this:.
But now I have written to you, if any one called brother be fornicator, or avaricious, or idolater, or abusive, or a drunkard, or rapacious, not to mix with [him]; with such a one not even to eat. Members who sin can also be 'shut up'. This is based on the Biblical procedure for the treatment of lepers, and involves being isolated from family and friends and only allowed to see specially chosen church members until local church leaders believe that God has forgiven the person.
All members must follow the rigid code of behaviour and rules that govern the contact they can have with outsiders. This is far from the Open Brethren idea that individual churches should have a great deal of freedom in their dealings with others. Members of Exclusive Brethren churches are expected to be totally loyal to the leader of the Exclusive Brethren. The leader is regarded as a person of inherent moral power, following in the tradition of the leaders of the past and upholding their teaching in such a way as to lift the membership out of the world of wickedness.
The leader of the church has great influence over members of the sect. He gives guidance, resolves disputes, and can advise on action to be taken for breaches of discipline.
The leader has the authority to convey new light from God appropriate to modern times. This is a long established pattern as Darby also gave new teachings.
While outsiders usually portray this as bad, those on the inside disagree and speak enthusiastically of the leader. This week, former teachers at Brethren-run schools claimed the schools heavily censored reading material, ripping out chapters on reproduction from science texts, and dictated every aspect of the children's lives. Since an Exclusive Brethren trust has set up 15 year schools here, teaching about children.
They ban technology. In the United States and Sweden, Brethren political activism has come to light. Meanwhile, ex-Brethrens here and overseas are telling of the pain of being shunned by family still in the church. Though their businesses bring them into daily contact with non-Brethrens, Brethren rules forbid socialising with "worldly" outsiders.
Even their churches are typically windowless. The main gospel hall in Dargaville resembles a converted factory, with narrow frosted windows on one side only. They observe "separation from evil", which according to the official Exclusive Brethren website also compels them to "shun the conduits of evil communications: television, the radio and the internet" newspapers are OK.
Other rules ban public entertainment, novels, eating with outsiders, university, membership of other organisations, shorts or ties for men, mobile phones and PCs allowed to use them for business but not own them. Women must wear their hair long and down, and headscarves in public. Brethren can't vote but are encouraged "to express a moral viewpoint of legislation" to politicians, and to pray for the guidance of "right Government which is clearly of God".
When the Herald on Sunday approached Dargaville Brethren businessmen to set the record straight about their way of life, most politely dismissed us. They only say, cryptically: "We've nothing to hide and nothing to parade.
We're an easy target. We don't look down on other Christians because they don't live like us. While we don't have fellowship and eat with them, we still appreciate they're genuine people. The marriage relationship is very much a partnership. You'll find most of them are really happy in their role. She would be along later. Where was Dad? He was unclean; I should not wish to be with him.
Later, as I was tucked up on an old settee, I tried not to cry. One of the sisters read me Bible stories to help me fall asleep. A few days later Mum arrived. She told me that the Brethren were rescuing me because Dad had left them after a disagreement over doctrine.
Dad thought it wrong that he could not share even a cup of tea with his elderly widowed mother, who lived with us but belonged to a milder sect. When he stood up in the Meeting and said he disagreed, he was excommunicated. As the weeks passed, I missed my father dreadfully. Unknown to me, he had made me a ward of court, so the family became uneasy at giving us refuge and eventually Mum took me home.
In fact, he's insane. In fact, you never know what he's going to do next. This is really the mortar that keeps the bricks together.
Mr Hales would just tell them what to do and they'd do it. They've got a bit of a mix there, but most of them are men that could put their hand in their pocket probably for half a million dollars each. Senator Brown says voters deserve to know the link-ups by which huge amounts of money from the Exclusive Brethren is being channelled into politics.
John Wallis is in no doubt the group is playing an increasingly pro-active role in local politics.
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