Editing Open Brethren (section)

==Influence==
The influence of the Plymouth Brethren upon evangelical Christianity exceeds their relatively small numerical proportion. The movement today has many congregations around the world.

''Christian Missions in Many Lands'' (CMML), in the United States, ''Missionary Service Committee'' (MSC), in Canada, and [[Echoes of Service]], in the United Kingdom, serve as support agencies for Brethren missionaries, helping with logistics and material support. These agencies help to equip and support those sent from local churches. [[Hudson Taylor]], the founder of the [[China Inland Mission]], kept strong ties with the Open Brethren, even though he was raised a [[Methodist]] and later was a member of a [[Baptist Church]]. The concept of "Faith Missions" can be traced back through Hudson Taylor, to the example of the early Brethren missionary, [[Anthony Norris Groves]].

[[John Nelson Darby|J.N. Darby]], one of the original members and perhaps the best known of the movement, wrote over 50 books including a [[translation]] of the New Testament and is often credited with the development of the theology of "[[dispensationalism]]" and "[[pretribulationism]]" which have been widely adopted in evangelical churches outside of the brethren movement. In the early twentieth century, J.N. Darby's writings have the greatest influence on the [[Local churches (affiliation)|Little Flock]] or [[Church Assembly Hall (Chinese christian denomination)|Church Assembly Hall]] of [[Watchman Nee]] and [[Witness Lee]].

Many leaders of the contemporary evangelical movement came from Brethren backgrounds. These include England-born [[Stuart Briscoe|Dr. D. Stuart Briscoe]], author, international speaker and former senior pastor of [[Elmbrook Church]] (one of the 50 largest churches in the U.S.), in [[Brookfield, Wisconsin]]; [[Geoff Tunnicliffe|Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe]], CEO of the [[World Evangelical Alliance]]; the late British scholar [[F. F. Bruce]]; 1956 Auca missionary [[martyr]]s [[Ed McCully]], [[Jim Elliot]] and [[Peter Fleming (missionary)|Peter Fleming]]; Walter Liefeld, NT professor at [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]]; the late preacher Dr. [[Harry A. Ironside]], who wrote the ''Historical Sketch of the Brethren Movement.'' Radio personality [[Garrison Keillor]] was raised among the Plymouth Brethren, whom he sometimes refers to as the "sanctified brethren" in his News from "Lake Wobegon" monologues. [[Peter Maiden]], the most recent previous leader of [[Operation Mobilisation]], also came from the Brethren.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.om.org/about/who-is-peter-maiden.html |title=Who is Peter Maiden? – OM International |publisher=Om.org |access-date=2010-10-24 |archive-date=28 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328183119/http://www.om.org/about/who-is-peter-maiden.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tony Evans, the widely syndicated radio broadcaster and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas comes from the Brethren assemblies.<ref>Robert L. Peterson: [http://www.brethrenpedia.com/A_History_of_Some_Assemblies_of_Christians_in_the_US_and_Canada A History of Some Assemblies of Christians in the US and Canada] (1999)</ref> [[William MacDonald (Christian author)|William MacDonald]], the popular author and Bible commentator was also with the Open Brethren group. In Asia, [[Gnanamuthu Dixon James|Dr G D James]] (1920-2003), known for his widespread evangelistic ministry and the founder of [[Asia Evangelistic Fellowship]] (AEF)<ref>{{cite web|title=Asia Evangelistic Fellowship International|url=http://www.aefi.org.au/|access-date=31 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219033531/http://www.aefi.org.au/|archive-date=19 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> was associated with the Brethren movement.<ref>{{cite book|last=James-Nathan|first=Violet|title=That Asia May Know" Perspectives on Missions in Asia|publisher=Asia Evangelistic Fellowship International|isbn=0-646-39763-X|pages=11–13|edition=40th Anniversary Commemorative Volume|author-link=The Man, the Vision and the Mission: The Life of Gnanamuthu Dixon James|editor=Jonathan James and Malcolm Tan|chapter=One|year=2000}}</ref>

===Political influence===
Some of the more conservative assemblies discourage political involvement, sometimes to the extent of judging anyone in fellowship who opts to exercise their voting rights in democratic, free elections. This teaching is based on the premise that the Bible teaches that Christians are citizens of heaven, only sojourners here on earth, and therefore ought not to become involved in activities which could be deemed as being too worldly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.preciousseed.org/search_articles.php?search_phrase=my+responsibility+to+civil+authorities |title=Precious Seed |publisher=Precious Seed |access-date=2010-10-24 |archive-date=8 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208081821/http://www.preciousseed.org/search_articles.php?search_phrase=my+responsibility+to+civil+authorities |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some have claimed that the movement, with its upper-class roots, lacks compassion for the plight of the underprivileged, alleging, example, that it was left to non-Brethren like [[William Wilberforce]], [[Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury|Lord Shaftesbury]], and other politically active Christians to work toward the abolition of slavery and toward improving the welfare of factory children in the nineteenth century. Many Brethren, however, see this as unfair criticism and point to [[George Müller|George Müller's]] ministry caring for homeless orphans and also to the sacrifices of its missionaries such as [[Anthony Norris Groves]]. It is more reasonable, they claim, to state that the Brethren are more concerned with people's spiritual needs than with their physical condition. However, where physical help is given, it tends to be given directly and not through secular organisations.

In some parts of the world, this aversion to political involvement is no longer widely held. At least two members of the [[Parliament of New Zealand|New Zealand Parliament]] have belonged to the Open Brethren: [[Owen Jennings]], an elder of the [[Karamea]] assembly (for the [[ACT New Zealand]] Party), and [[Joe Hawke]]<ref name="Windsor Community Church">{{cite web |url=http://123.255.47.32:8080/church/Publications/Sermons/141214.pdf |title=Te Rongopai - Christianity & Colonial Complications |publisher=Windsor Community Church |date=2014-12-14 |access-date=2015-05-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524174620/http://123.255.47.32:8080/church/Publications/Sermons/141214.pdf |archive-date=2015-05-24 }}</ref> (for the [[New Zealand Labour Party]]). Both served from 1996 to 2002. In Canada, [[Cam Guthrie]], a member of Lakeside Church, a Brethren-rooted<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brethrenmatch.com/index.php/blog/396-bible-chapels-in-ontario-gospel-halls-in-ontario-brethren-assemblies-in-ontario |title=Bible Chapels in Ontario |publisher=Brethrenmatch.com|access-date=2015-05-25}}</ref> [[megachurch]],<ref name="canadianchristianity.com">{{cite web|url=http://canadianchristianity.com/ottawawatch-suicide-elder-abuse-2664/ |title=OttawaWatch: Suicide and elder abuse |publisher=CANADIAN CHRISTIANITY YOUR NATIONAL CHRISTIAN NEWS & MINISTRY SOURCE |date=2011-11-22 |access-date=2015-05-25}}</ref> was elected Mayor of [[Guelph]], [[Ontario]], in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guelph.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/mayors-office/ |title=Mayor's Office |publisher=City of Guelph|access-date=2015-05-25}}</ref> [[Frank Valeriote]], the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] [[Parliament of Canada|Member of Parliament]] for the riding of [[Guelph (federal electoral district)|Guelph]], also attends Lakeside Church, even though he identifies as [[Roman Catholic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/2010/100513ottawa.html |author=Lloyd Mackey |title=OttawaWatch: The British Experience |publisher=CANADIAN CHRISTIANITY YOUR NATIONAL CHRISTIAN NEWS & MINISTRY SOURCE |date=2010-05-13 |access-date=2015-05-25 |archive-date=24 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524180225/http://canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/2010/100513ottawa.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>