#8 ROBINHOOD

IOPNA shares the 8th article in our 9-part ‘Exclusive Brethren’ series:

 

Getting back to this Exclusive Brethren sect or whatever you want to call it – ‘Plymouth Brethren Christian Church’…let’s see if it really is Christian.   
What happened to your father’s family was appalling but what about since then?           

Even though the Brethren will never publicly admit to having broken up families, they have made some private apologies years later.

So they’re being dishonest??

I’ll leave you to decide that.  My father-in-law had grown up in a farming family but found employment as a motor mechanic after his father suffered a serious accident. Eventually he established a business making Robinhood rangehoods and gave quite a few people employment, especially Brethren. In 1980 he was accused by their ‘elect vessel’ leader of operating a business organisation that rivalled the Church so was ex-communicated for 6 years, losing contact with their daughter still at high school. The only Brethren employee who didn’t walk out was then ex-communicated too.

What!!?     

I was a commission agent for Robinhood Industries but felt compelled to give that up. Two years later I questioned a botched discipline matter only to find my wife and I ‘confined’ according to:

"Now we enjoin you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw from (stello:avoid) every brother walking disorderly and not according to the instruction which he received from us…..But if any one obey not our word by the letter, mark that man, and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed of himself; and do not esteem him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."                           2 Thessalonians 3

…then ex-communicated for 3 years after trying to appeal to the ‘elect vessel’ leader in USA.

Man, somebody sure had it in for your family didn’t they!                           
So what happened to your immediate family?

As was the custom, we had allowed two of our boys to live meanwhile with the Brethren but finally the oldest went off to do his own thing – he’d had enough.

I don’t blame him!...and then?

After 3 more years back in the fellowship I found myself being publicly censured for trying to send him photos of himself that he’d asked us for. When I challenged that injustice we were ex-communicated again for being ‘contentious’.      Expecting that it would all be quickly sorted out once more, we reluctantly let the next two sons leave home to live with the Brethren, but it took 13 years for the elders to admit they’d got it wrong.

Surely your family has now been happily reunited or is at least on speaking terms?

Both sons are now married and as far as we know, working for the current ‘elect vessel’ leader in Sydney. We briefly met one of the families under strict supervision 12 years ago; as for the other son’s family, we have seen him only twice in 20 years - the last time 15 years ago, and have never set eyes on his wife or 3 children.

Why??...surely the apologies have been made…

My wife’s Christian parents had an enviable reputation for integrity and generosity. They were again ex-communicated and abandoned by the Brethren when Father listened to yet another victim of family break-up. He battled cancer until dying in 1995 and Mother suffered dementia before dying in 2010 - without receiving any apology. I am regarded as a rebel for questioning the Brethren’s antics when I was expected to “give in and get right” submissively.                                                  

Why this is unbelievable stuff!!  How do these people justify wrecking families like this and then expect ‘charitable status’ recognition?

They claim their charter is:                 

"Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity"  2 Timothy 2:19

Huh! If you ask me this church dishonours the name of the Lord, is iniquitous and you’re better off where you are - out of there!

NEXT:  Exclusive or separate?
Click on: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/exclusive-or-separatist.html