tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444999230559376718.post2957060294979041770..comments2023-11-05T03:12:33.152-08:00Comments on ROWLAND CROUCHER'S STORY: 5. THE BRETHRENRowland Croucherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473460918145751334noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444999230559376718.post-46173599395848829472011-09-11T20:07:57.121-07:002011-09-11T20:07:57.121-07:00Thoroughly enjoyed reading your account in the Bre...Thoroughly enjoyed reading your account in the Brethren church. It parallels such of my own experience - although I guess I'm half a generation later than you - and in Melbourne (I can remember your visit to our ISCF group at Norwood Hight school in 1971/72). Also we as a family had come out of a "liberal" Presbyterian church so were not part of the inner family grouping. I remember R. H. Clayton as tall, skinny and very boring and i'm sure he never smiled. And I loved the visit from F.F. Bruce. I wonder Rowland if your "dislike/concern" for clericalism originates with the Brethren - as I've had the same concern all my life as well?!<br />I'm glad that the Brethren Assembly that I was part of in my growing up years has changed - progressed and now does not even go by the name of Assembly, Chapel or Brethren - so it has not died out but then does not look much different from a Baptist church. <br />i am glad that wearing a hat/head covering growing up means that now if it would be best for me to wear one in my current context (a bit more fuller covering), that is no major difficulty for me. In fact, I think that in some ways my Brethren background prepared me for the very male dominated society in which I now live.<br />You don't mention Wednesday night Prayer Meetings - didn't you attend?<br />I still value the emphasis on the Bible given to me in my youth - and a love for it and Jesus which was obvious in a few of those who would regularly say a word most meetings and even though many spoke in cliches - they sure were beautiful cliches.Heather in the fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002433219894191150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444999230559376718.post-73581929586234248812010-11-14T22:52:32.147-08:002010-11-14T22:52:32.147-08:00Really enjoyed reading on your experience of the B...Really enjoyed reading on your experience of the Brethren-Australian style.I went to a Brethren School in Zambia and attended an assembly in Harare for 2 years and a now extinct assembly for 12 months in Jhb.<br />Curious to find out the reason for the total lack or inability to change I began to read on their history.Ironically they have betrayed much of their original practise.Plurality of eldership was replaced amongst the exclusives by Darby's total ruin of the church -hence no need to appoint elders thus setting himself up to be head honcho.<br />There initially were many who believed in a post tribulation second coming such as the philantrophist George Mueller,BJNewton -Darby's nemesis,Tergalles(Greek scholar),Robert Chapman and even Darby's henchman GV Wigram.<br />This led to the legalism of Brethrenism which dictates the head covering for woman and the KJV without any thought to the condition of the heart. <br />They all succumbed: Open and Closed Brethren to the brethrenism of Darby's/Irving any moment secret coming.Intolerence became the glue of all their precious doctrine and a departure from their nondenominationalism.<br />It is interesting to note that many of the founding members eg Dr Cronin had an expectation of all the early church charismata including tongues being restored to the church.<br />I believe that the control mechanism of legalism,their one man leadership hid behind a veneer of plural elder leadership,their over emphasized eschatology and their stubborness in accepting their way as being the only right way can only lead the Brethren to extinction or cultism.The Exclusive Brethren are a warning.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01493155343542689544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444999230559376718.post-62026135056983362602009-11-16T21:39:18.315-08:002009-11-16T21:39:18.315-08:00I would love to get a reaction or two from fellow ...I would love to get a reaction or two from fellow brethren as to a fairly new article on Google etc. with the title of "Edward Irving is Unnerving." How is it that such information has escaped the attention of so many persons so long?Irvhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07634792243846422285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444999230559376718.post-21072806990058938182009-11-14T06:09:05.269-08:002009-11-14T06:09:05.269-08:00A most interesting look inside the Brethren moment...A most interesting look inside the Brethren moment. Thanks! I haven't had a lot of contact with them, though I have friends who are Brethren, and have occasionally visited open assemblies. But I greatly appreciate their teaching, and their desire to please God, and have been blessed many times by the writings of men such as J. N. Darby and F. W. Grant--whose books are in my library.<br /><br />Unlike Mr. Campolo--whose theology is rather vague--I make no apology for being a premillennial dispensationalist. But I have found, over the years, that it is possible to take a stand with a gracious spirit, and have warm fellowship with all who know Christ. God bless.roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435373461292769832noreply@blogger.com