Plymouth Brethren Christian Church

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) is an evangelical Christian denomination in the Exclusive Brethren tradition, a branch of the Plymouth Brethren originating in the 19th century.

The PBCC has a global presence, with about 50,000 members based across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the Americas. Members see the Bible as their Scripture and the denomination teaches the doctrine of nonconformity to the world—aiming to live apart from what they see as the moral corruption in mainstream society.

The Brethren movement originated among evangelical Protestants in Ireland and England in the 1820s. John Nelson Darby was one of its early leaders, and the movement became associated with Plymouth after Darby began meeting there with others who had separated from the Church of England. In 1848, the movement divided into the Open Brethren and Exclusive Brethren, the latter adopting more restrictive rules concerning membership and relations with people outside the fellowship. The PBCC as it exists today took clearer shape in the mid-20th century, particularly under the leadership of James Taylor Sr and his son James Taylor Jr. It is now led by Bruce Hales, an Australian businessman based in Sydney. The group holds daily worship meetings, adheres to strict moral codes, and restricts social interaction with those outside the fellowship.

Several organisations are closely associated with the PBCC, including the Rapid Relief Team, Universal Business Team (UBT), and OneSchool Global (OSG).