🧍♂️ What’s happening
Reports from multiple outlets, including the Sydney Morning Herald, say Brethren church members have been seen volunteering at early voting sites in marginal seats — handing out flyers for Liberal and National candidates.
Volunteers from across the political spectrum witnessed individuals they believe to be members of the church volunteering for the Coalition.
Independent MP Andrew Gee told the ABC he believed around 24 volunteers followed him between polling booths.
🚫 No official link
The Brethren and the Coalition denied any formal arrangement.
The church’s website says: Individual members may take an interest in politics and decide to support an individual politician or particular campaign… [but] they do not represent the Church’s view.
A spokesperson for the church told News Corp that they “had nothing to do with the call”, but said there has been a “significant upswing” in “individual members” volunteering.
⛪️ What is the Exclusive Brethren?
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, also known as the Exclusive Brethren, is a highly conservative Christian group.
Around 15,000 members in Australia; 50,000+ globally.
Women often follow traditional gender roles — dressing modestly and sometimes wearing head coverings.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are not accepted. Scripture cited by the church describes homosexual acts as “worthy of death.”.
Members don’t vote in political elections — the church’s website doesn’t cite a reason, but it states scripture says “there is no authority except from God”.
🏘️ Politics on the down-low?
Despite their non-voting stance, media has reported members have volunteered in significant numbers.
Bruce Hales, the global leader of the church, lives in Sydney.
His son was seen handing out Liberal how-to-vote cards in Bennelong.
According to the ABC, members have been coached on how to respond to questions about their beliefs while campaigning.
🗣️ What they’re saying
Church: No directive from leadership. Just individual members getting involved.
Coalition: All faiths welcome. Volunteers are a vital part of democracy.
Peter Dutton: “We’re a volunteer-based organisation … I’d encourage [people of faith] to do that. We have people of, I suspect, every religious type supporting us.”
📌 The bottom line
The Brethren insist there’s no church-wide political agenda. But the sheer volume of member involvement — in a group that officially shuns politics — is raising eyebrows across the country.