Plymouth Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren are a conservative, low church, nonconformist, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s, originating from Anglicanism. Among other beliefs, the group emphasizes sola scriptura, the belief that the Bible is the supreme authority for church doctrine and practice over and above "the [mere] tradition of men" (Mark 7:8). Brethren generally see themselves not as a denomination, but as a network, or even as a collection of overlapping networks, of like-minded independent churches. (Though the Brethren would generally prefer that their gatherings be referred to as "assemblies" rather than "churches," in the interests of simplicity, this article uses both terms interchangeably.) Although the movement refused for many years to take any denominational name to itself — a stance that some of them still maintain — the title "The Brethren" is one that many of their number are comfortable with in that the Bible designates all believers as "brethren". ("[O]ne is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." Matthew 23:8)