Editing Open Brethren (section)

===Fellowship, not membership===
Open Brethren assemblies have traditionally rejected the concept of anyone "joining" as a member of a particular local gathering of believers and the maintenance of any list of such members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.believershome.com/html/who_are_the_brethren.html|title=Who are the Brethren?|access-date=2009-07-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312213734/http://www.believershome.com/html/who_are_the_brethren.html|archive-date=2008-03-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brethren emphasise the Christian doctrine of the one "Church" made up of all true believers and enumerated in [[Heaven]] in "Lamb's Book of Life",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+13:8&version=NASB |title=Revelation 13:8 |access-date=2009-12-28}}</ref> rather than by humans. However, as a practical matter, in the late twentieth century many American assemblies began maintaining lists of those in regular attendance at meetings. This was often to comply with secular governance issues or to offer a directory of attendees for internal use. The Open Brethren emphasise that meeting attendance for the nonbeliever has no direct spiritual benefit (though it is hoped the individual may be influenced to convert). Nonbelievers are not to partake of the "Breaking of Bread", though this proves generally difficult to enforce in larger assemblies. Regardless, regular attendance for believers is felt to be an act of obedience to the New Testament command that they should not neglect the assembling of themselves together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10:23-25&version=NASB |title=Hebrews 10:25 |access-date=2009-10-25}}</ref> Despite the Brethren's rejection of the term 'member', many observers use the term to refer to those who attend meetings. Visiting brethren have traditionally been expected to bring a "letter of commendation" from their "home assembly", assuring the group they are visiting that they are in fellowship and not under any form of discipline. This practice is somewhat less common today than in years past, however.