Priesthood of all Believers

The brethren are extremely interested to maintain this important feature of the faith. The Lord Jesus said, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and ye are all brethren." Matthew 23.8 All believers, men and women, are priests before God, which means they have free access to God without intermediaries Hebrews 4.16 and 1 Peter 2.9. Furthermore, the brethren try to respect the tenet that the Holy Spirit will use whomsoever He chooses to make known his truth (see 1 Corinthians 12.11). This extends to all aspects of assembly activities, breaking of bread, prayer, brother’s meetings and conferences. A wholesome balance exists between those in the Lord’s work and local brethren who are gifted. There is no hierarchy or clerical class subjugating the rank and file. "Ye are all brethren"

Historically, reunited brethren have long tried to follow a simple principle, "association with evil defiles." One of the early writers among brethren, J. N. Darby, wrote a tract early in his ministry, "Separation From Evil, God’s Principle of Unity". There he stated, "Separation from evil is the necessary consequence of the presence of the Spirit of God under all circumstances as to conduct and fellowship." His has shown that those who maintained this principle have had to separate from beloved brethren when some began to walk away from the truth.

Recent difficulties in Europe (especially Holland, where teaching came in that was contrary to the Word of God) called for a long season of grief and humbling before God, which led to decisive action on the part of many. The result? Painful separations from those who led God’s people astray as well as those who followed them. This was accomplished by means of prayer and obedience to the Word over a period of many, many months.

Reunited Brethren are tenacious as to the Fundamentals of the Christian faith. They are sound in the doctrines inspiration, salvation by grace through faith alone. They are dispensational [Pretribulational and Premillenial]. They are Trinitarian and hold to the eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ as well as his true humanity and full deity. They maintain the security of the believer in Christ and exhibit moderate views on the sovereignty of God. Doctrine is not an end but a means to an end, that the affections of the saints toward Christ might be fully expressed.

Church Ground

A to the truth of the Church of God, they gather unto the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 18,20) on the ground of the One body of Christ, since "there is one body "Ephesians 4,4. One writer put it this way, "Christians assuming any other relationship than this with one another, associating themselves together on any other principle than this, are therefore sectarian. They form another tie than that which God has formed, and by which He binds all His children of this dispensation together."

United brethren reject Central oversight as well as Independence of local assemblies as being unscriptural practices.