Welcome to PBCC Info, a website dedicated to providing factual, evidence-based information about the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC), including their history, development, beliefs, culture, and activities.
The group has an international presence, mostly in ‘western’ nations, with members and congregations in countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, some Caribbean islands, and several European nations. There are over 55,500 members of the PBCC worldwide, the majority of which are found in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, see these detailed PBCC statistics for more information.
Originating in Dublin in the 1820s, the name Plymouth Brethren comes from Plymouth England, where a large early Brethren congregation became particularly well known during the 1830s and 1840s.
The PBCC group that forms the focus of this website is the group that followed these leaders:
- John Nelson Darby
- Frederic Edward Raven
- James Taylor (Senior)
- James Taylor (Junior)
- James Harvey Symington
- John Stephen Hales
- Bruce David Hales
This lineage can be seen highlighted green on the chart.
Early Brethren groups emphasised simplicity in worship, the authority of the Bible, and gathered together without a formal clergy system, which set them apart from the traditional churches of the period such as the Church of England and the Roman Catholics.
In recent decades, the group has become known for having successful businesses, owning large houses, running an independent private school system, and for their various public-facing entities such as their Rapid Relief Team (RRT) charitable arm. They are sometimes labelled a cult by ex-members due to high levels of control and various controversial activities; the church denies these accusations and has set up a podcast to counter these and other claims.
Tracing the roots of the PBCC
Explore our latest blog articles:
- The Aberdeen Incident 1970
At Aberdeen, Scotland, there was a hotly contested scandal in 1970 involving the group leader at the time, James Taylor Junior (JTJnr), that caused the last known major division when… - PBCC Statistics
At the time of writing (May 2026) there are slightly more than 56,500 members in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church globally. These are distributed as follows: Chart showing the global… - PBCC Podcast
“Behind the Plymouth Brethren – a not-so Exclusive podcast” is a video series from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) designed to portray an image of normality to the outside…