Tight Brethren
Encyclopedia
Tight Brethren is a disparaging term sometimes used to identify Open Brethren assemblies within the Plymouth Brethren movement which hold to a conservative Gospel Hall Brethren
policy of reception to fellowship and Lord's Table, in contrast to the more open policy of the Loose Brethren
(another pejorative term used informally).
All nomenclature among Brethren is informal as they have refused any denominational names, and in particular the usage 'tight' is a colloquialism with no formal status.
Tight Brethren are also known as Closed-Open, Closed Brethren (a term more usually used of the Exclusive Brethren), Conservative Open Brethren or small 'e' exclusive. These terms primarily refer to the 'tight' manner in which they do not receive other Christians, who may not attend a Gospel Hall, to the fellowship of their assembly.
In this regard, Tight Brethren reflect the teaching of the 'Churches of God' or Needed Truth Brethren
that the basis of reception is assembly fellowship, rather than the biblical understanding of the "one body of Christ". Needed Truth teachings were dispersed throughout the Open Brethren
assemblies during the late nineteenth century.
The term Tight Brethren also has a wider application encompassing a conservative approach to church life and a greater regulation of church order than those assemblies deemed 'loose'. For example there may be an insistence on no interdenominational cooperation, no musical accompaniment, uncut hair for women, adherence to using 'thee' & 'thou' in prayer and use of the King James Bible; and retention of the evening gospel meeting. There is therefore a twofold dimension: it means an adherence to those practices according to what the Reformed churches call the regulative principle
- only those practices expressly commanded by Scripture should be allowed; and in addition there is also a diachronic
dimension - as some assemblies change (e.g. introduce new types of services or change the translation used), then the conservative ones will adhere to the older practices, even though Scripture does not expressly legislate for them.
In the UK 'tight' Brethren are strongly represented in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they are also strong among North American Open Brethren. In the USA, Canada and UK they generally call their meeting places Gospel Halls and should not be confused with Exclusive Brethren
, who separated from the Open Brethren
in 1848.
"While professing to be as “open” as ever, we cannot disguise the fact that in the course of the last twenty years a steady tightening process has been at work."
Historian Neil Dickson comments:-
"He [William Shaw] dated the period during which a sharper ecclesiastical definition emerged to the twenty years after the mid-1870s, almost exactly the time of his association with the Brethren. As the excitements of the revivals died down, there was a move towards greater uniformity and regulation of church order within Scottish assemblies. It was, Shaw stated in the colloquial jargon of the time, a process of ‘tightening’. Those who effected it were concerned with its opposite, ‘looseness’, a range of practices that they maintained fell short of biblical standards and which they wished to eliminate."
Dickson quotes Thomas McLaren, one of the leaders of the 'Churches of God':-
"There were other issues apart from those relating to intercommunion which troubled the emerging party. Thomas McLaren (son of the Home and Foreign Mission Funds founder) later confessed to the embarrassment he had felt when someone would list the diversity of practices in the Open Brethren: “Oh, the meeting at A— have a harmonium. The meeting at B— receives any Christian to ‘the table’. The meeting a C— will admit an unbaptised believer. The meeting at D— are not so strait-laced towards the sects. The meeting at E— allows women to minister. The meeting at F— allows friends from the sects to minister among them.” ... Even if these were not practised in his assembly (or were common in general), McLaren had felt guilty of such ‘loose’ practices by association."
In Peter Cousins's 'The Brethren' (1982) he made up the fictitious South Street Gospel Hall and Westbrook Chapel, describing them as 'tight' and 'loose' assemblies. The account illustrates the diversity of the Open Brethren.
FF Bruce in his autobiography wrote:-
"Some people employ a vocabulary which does not commend itself to me, and make a distinction between 'tight' and 'loose' brethren'... I have tried to be a bridge-builder within the Brethren movement as well as elsewhere."
Gospel Hall Brethren
The Gospel Hall Brethren are an aggregate of independent and autonomous Christian fellowships at different locations, which are networked together through a set of shared Biblical doctrines and practices...
policy of reception to fellowship and Lord's Table, in contrast to the more open policy of the Loose Brethren
Loose Brethren
Loose Brethren is a disparaging term sometimes used to identify the Open Brethren assemblies within the Plymouth Brethren movement which hold to a more open policy of reception to Communion , in contrast to the more conservative and often more traditional Gospel Hall Brethren .These assemblies are...
(another pejorative term used informally).
All nomenclature among Brethren is informal as they have refused any denominational names, and in particular the usage 'tight' is a colloquialism with no formal status.
Tight Brethren are also known as Closed-Open, Closed Brethren (a term more usually used of the Exclusive Brethren), Conservative Open Brethren or small 'e' exclusive. These terms primarily refer to the 'tight' manner in which they do not receive other Christians, who may not attend a Gospel Hall, to the fellowship of their assembly.
In this regard, Tight Brethren reflect the teaching of the 'Churches of God' or Needed Truth Brethren
Needed Truth Brethren
Needed Truth Brethren, as they are sometimes known, call themselves, “The Churches of God in the Fellowship of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ". This is their official legal title, however other Christians might classify them as a very conservative form of Brethrenism, connexional in nature;...
that the basis of reception is assembly fellowship, rather than the biblical understanding of the "one body of Christ". Needed Truth teachings were dispersed throughout the Open Brethren
Open Brethren
The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
assemblies during the late nineteenth century.
The term Tight Brethren also has a wider application encompassing a conservative approach to church life and a greater regulation of church order than those assemblies deemed 'loose'. For example there may be an insistence on no interdenominational cooperation, no musical accompaniment, uncut hair for women, adherence to using 'thee' & 'thou' in prayer and use of the King James Bible; and retention of the evening gospel meeting. There is therefore a twofold dimension: it means an adherence to those practices according to what the Reformed churches call the regulative principle
Regulative principle of worship
The regulative principle of worship is a teaching shared by some Calvinists and Anabaptists on how the Bible orders public worship. The substance of the doctrine regarding worship is that God institutes in the Scriptures everything he requires for worship in the Church and that everything else is...
- only those practices expressly commanded by Scripture should be allowed; and in addition there is also a diachronic
Diachronic
Diachronic or Diachronous,from the Greek word Διαχρονικός , is a term for something happening over time. It is used in several fields of research.*Diachronic linguistics : see Historical linguistics...
dimension - as some assemblies change (e.g. introduce new types of services or change the translation used), then the conservative ones will adhere to the older practices, even though Scripture does not expressly legislate for them.
In the UK 'tight' Brethren are strongly represented in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they are also strong among North American Open Brethren. In the USA, Canada and UK they generally call their meeting places Gospel Halls and should not be confused with Exclusive Brethren
Exclusive Brethren
The Exclusive Brethren are a subset of the Christian evangelical movement generally described as the Plymouth Brethren. They are distinguished from the Open Brethren from whom they separated in 1848....
, who separated from the Open Brethren
Open Brethren
The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
in 1848.
History
The editor of The Believer's Treasury, William Shaw, stated in an article entitled 'Fellowship among saints' (10 February 1895 edition, page 19):-"While professing to be as “open” as ever, we cannot disguise the fact that in the course of the last twenty years a steady tightening process has been at work."
Historian Neil Dickson comments:-
"He [William Shaw] dated the period during which a sharper ecclesiastical definition emerged to the twenty years after the mid-1870s, almost exactly the time of his association with the Brethren. As the excitements of the revivals died down, there was a move towards greater uniformity and regulation of church order within Scottish assemblies. It was, Shaw stated in the colloquial jargon of the time, a process of ‘tightening’. Those who effected it were concerned with its opposite, ‘looseness’, a range of practices that they maintained fell short of biblical standards and which they wished to eliminate."
Dickson quotes Thomas McLaren, one of the leaders of the 'Churches of God':-
"There were other issues apart from those relating to intercommunion which troubled the emerging party. Thomas McLaren (son of the Home and Foreign Mission Funds founder) later confessed to the embarrassment he had felt when someone would list the diversity of practices in the Open Brethren: “Oh, the meeting at A— have a harmonium. The meeting at B— receives any Christian to ‘the table’. The meeting a C— will admit an unbaptised believer. The meeting at D— are not so strait-laced towards the sects. The meeting at E— allows women to minister. The meeting at F— allows friends from the sects to minister among them.” ... Even if these were not practised in his assembly (or were common in general), McLaren had felt guilty of such ‘loose’ practices by association."
In Peter Cousins's 'The Brethren' (1982) he made up the fictitious South Street Gospel Hall and Westbrook Chapel, describing them as 'tight' and 'loose' assemblies. The account illustrates the diversity of the Open Brethren.
FF Bruce in his autobiography wrote:-
"Some people employ a vocabulary which does not commend itself to me, and make a distinction between 'tight' and 'loose' brethren'... I have tried to be a bridge-builder within the Brethren movement as well as elsewhere."
See also
- Open BrethrenOpen BrethrenThe Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren or "Plymouth Brethren", are a group of Protestant Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement...
- Gospel Hall BrethrenGospel Hall BrethrenThe Gospel Hall Brethren are an aggregate of independent and autonomous Christian fellowships at different locations, which are networked together through a set of shared Biblical doctrines and practices...
- Loose BrethrenLoose BrethrenLoose Brethren is a disparaging term sometimes used to identify the Open Brethren assemblies within the Plymouth Brethren movement which hold to a more open policy of reception to Communion , in contrast to the more conservative and often more traditional Gospel Hall Brethren .These assemblies are...
- Needed Truth BrethrenNeeded Truth BrethrenNeeded Truth Brethren, as they are sometimes known, call themselves, “The Churches of God in the Fellowship of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ". This is their official legal title, however other Christians might classify them as a very conservative form of Brethrenism, connexional in nature;...