About Us

"Jesus lingers still, 'tis for you He waits,
And He's waited for you long;
He waits that heav'n with its fadeless joy,
May yet to you belong.
Come and welcome, welcome whosoever will,
'Tis the Saviour's gracious call;
He is able, willing, waiting now to save;
Simply trust Him, that is all."

I was born in 1948 and was raised among Christians who regarded the Holy Bible as God's word and who also appreciated the teachings and discernment of devout men such as John Darby, Charles Mackintosh //-->Charles Mackintosh, James Stoney, and Charles Coates, among others.

However, during the first half of the 20th century, these brethren had gradually come to overly depend on the leadership of one brother, James Taylor ("JT"), who was born in Ireland in 1870, migrated to Canada in 1888, and moved to New York City the following year.  Brother JT ministered extensively in the USA and elsewhere for over 50 years; during this period the gospel was preached effectively – both on street corners and in meeting rooms – and God saved souls and added to their numbers.  Although difficulties arose from time to time, these brethren had a real sense of God's blessing.  During the early 1930s, brethren commenced to fellowship with Watchman Nee and other Christians in China.  However, in 1935, brethren in London, England disfellowshipped these brethren in Shanghai, China (about 5,700 miles distant) on account of their less "exclusive" approach to Christian fellowship¹.

During the 1940s, baptism of infants — referred to as "household baptism" — was taught and widely practiced in brethren households, and James Taylor's daughter divorced her husband in the early 1950s after being married for many years.  (In the years that followed, the practice of separating husbands and wives from their disfellowshipped spouses became commonplace among those who followed James Taylor Jr's teachings.)

After JT fell asleep through Jesus in 1953, underlying problems and fault lines began to surface that would lead to serious division and scattering over the next 40 years.  In the accompanying paper, entitled My Story, I review my experiences growing up in the New York metro area among these brethren and my impressions as to several conflicts that arose.

We gather to the name of the Lord Jesus in Manahawkin, New Jersey; in the ordering of God, I have made acquaintance with many persons in various parts of the so-called Plymouth Brethren movement and have learned a fair bit about our history.

I desire, with God's help, to be faithful to His Word in what I publish here and in our "Showers of Blessing" periodical, but I realize that some have different viewpoints as to certain doctrinal issues and the grievous divisions that have arisen over the years.  Surely we all need to prayerfully consider what the apostle Paul wrote to the assembly of God at Corinth nearly two thousand years ago:

And I suppose we all tend to forget 1 Corinthians 8:2:  "If any one think he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know it"!

It is easy to jump to conclusions about a doctrinal issue or conflict, perhaps after reading one verse of Scripture taken out of context or hearing one report about an incident, but if we weigh what we have learned in the presence of the Lord, He often sheds more light on the question, by bringing other scriptures to mind or by providing further witness as to something that has occurred.  May the truths of Psalm 37 and Isaiah 40:28-31 be engraved deeply on our hearts.

If you are looking for other Christians to meet with, do pray earnestly to God for His direction.  You may also find these articles helpful:  God's Way and How to Find It by Charles Mackintosh and Following the Man with a Pitcher of Water by Charles Coates.

Stephen Hesterman
101 Campbell Blvd, Unit 5101
Manahawkin, NJ 08050
USA

¹ In 1926, Charles Coates proposed a more "exclusive" approach to Christian fellowship, in a letter that states in part:  "It is true that J.N.D. or J.B.S. would have received to break bread 'a godly clergyman,' or 'a person known to be godly and sound in the faith who has not left some ecclesiastical system ... as to which his conscience is not enlightened, nay, which he may think more right.'  And the question is now raised as to whether brethren still do so, or whether they are on sectarian ground if they do not."  He goes on to compare conditions in Christendom during the preceding century with those extant during the 1920s, concluding the comparison with this statement:  "We cannot now say that we are free to receive Christians without raising any question as to their associations."  (From Letters of C. A. Coates, pages 125-131).  The article Watchman Nee Rejected the Exclusive Way reviews this topic from another perspective. 

Note that J.T. Sr. expressed concerns about Watchman Nee's doctrinal views, writing on August 25, 1933, for instance, "At Westfield [Watchman Nee] gave an address on deliverance, which by most was also thought wonderful, but in my judgment very defective doctrinally".  (From Letters of James Taylor, volume 1, page 406).  See also this article about Watchman Nee on ApologeticsIndex.org.

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

• The "Exclusive Brethren" branch has emphasized the importance of individual faithfulness, both in separating from evil (2 Timothy 2:19-22) and in keeping the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-6).  Well-known personalities among these "Exclusive Brethren" included John Darby, Charles Mackintosh, and George Wigram.
• The "Open Brethren" branch has emphasized the autonomy of local assemblies as well as mission-oriented endeavors such as Christian Missions in Many Lands (2 Corinthians 4:5).  Well-known personalities among these "Open Brethren" included Robert Chapman, Anthony Groves, and George Muller.

About Us