Berean Christadelphians
Encyclopedia
The Berean Christadelphians are a Christian denomination that separated from the main Christadelphian denomination in the 1920s, withdrawing congregational fellowship
in the process. They are not to be confused with the Christian denomination known as the 'Berean Fellowship', whose beliefs are radically different and who have no historical connection to the Berean Christadelphians.
of the London Clapham ecclesia with government departments in pleas for the movement's recognition as conscientious objectors during the First World War, Jannaway and other South London brethren took issue with the discovery that two members at Birmingham Temperance Hall ecclesia (so known after the location of their rented rooms) were serving as special constables. This issue was doubly sensitive since Birmingham Temperance Hall was the ecclesia of Charles Curwen Walker
who had succeeded Robert Roberts
as editor of The Christadelphian Magazine on his death in 1898. In his study of the Christadelphians Bryan R. Wilson
suggests that Walker had deferred to Jannaway during the war, and at the end of war as Birmingham returned to its former informal status of primus inter pares
, the London brethren resented this. The Birmingham Temperance Hall meeting did eventually "disfellowship" the two special constables, after opposition from two Arranging Brethren of the ecclesia, A. Davis and T. Pearce, who signalled disagreement by abstaining in the final vote on the issue. The Clapham brethren then demanded of Birmingham Temperance Hall ecclesia that they also "disfellowship" A. Davis and T. Pearce for abstaining in the vote. This the brethren at Birmingham were unwilling to do, so London Clapham issued a letter "disfellowshipping" Birmingham, and more significantly any ecclesia in Britain that would not do likewise.
In 1924 the Clapham meeting split between two groups led by Frank G. Jannaway and his older brother Arthur T. Jannaway over whether the Matt.5:32 "exceptive clause" allowed divorce in cases of adultery. Those allowing the exception, led by Arthur, formed the "Family Journal" fellowship at Clapham Common Ecclesia, but did not seek to return to the main body of Christadelphians.
In 1942 most of the British Berean Christadelphians separated from North American Berean Christadelphians to form the Dawn Christadelphians – taking a stricter line than North American Bereans on divorce and remarriage. A substantial part of this group reverted to the main body of Christadelphians
in 1993–1994.
The Berean Magazine had commenced publication in 1924. Following the division in Britain Frank Jannaway became involved in the dispute in the U.S. and in 1925 published a booklet against Strickler and supporting Smallwood. As a result of the disagreement a majority of Amended Christadelphians
in North America withdrew from the main body and allied themselves with London Clapham as the Berean Fellowship. In July 1927 Frank Jannaway circulated worldwide a letter The Christadelphians Then and Now appealing for ecclesias to "stand aside from" (excommunicate) Birmingham and all who would not.
This schism held to the formation of a doctrine
of congregational fellowship which required entire ecclesias (congregations), to withdraw from any other ecclesia in fellowship with individuals or ecclesias in error. In 1892 Frank Jannaway had already authored an article Ecclesial Fellowship, published in the Christadelphian, where he presented his own ideas on fellowship in contrast to the more accommodating attitude being taken by some of the London Christadelphians towards the then current problem with John Andrew
.
in 1932), In doing so this large group of Bereans abandoned their insistence on the Berean understanding of the atonement and fellowship. This reunion, together with the attrition resulting from schisms within the Berean Christadelphian Fellowship (mentioned above), has caused Berean Christadelphian numbers to decline.
Berean Christadelphians currently number:
A leading writer in the Texas Berean community was G.V. "Rene" Growcott, editor of The Berean after 1977.
and Robert Roberts
(two early Christadelphians whose writings were influential in the formative years of the movement), and also believe that true Christadelphians are those who learn the gospel from the writings of these men rather than personal study of the Bible. They are also differentiated by a number of doctrinal differences (listed after this paragraph). Some of these doctrines are shared with some of the "Unamended Fellowship"
(but not the majority Christadelphian group known as the "Central Fellowship"), particularly beliefs on the atonement and what the Bible
teaches about human nature
(referred to commonly as 'the flesh'). Some of these doctrines are beliefs which the original Berean Christadelphians held in 1923, whilst others are later developments. A number of these beliefs are not held by any other Christadelphian fellowship, which the Berean Christadelphians take as indicative that they hold the correct understanding of the gospel.
The following is a list of beliefs which differentiate the Bereans from mainstream Christadelphians:
The Berean attitude to the writings of John Thomas and Robert Roberts is almost unique, though shared by a few in the Unamended fellowship, and some in the Central fellowship. They believe that the Bible should be interpreted according to the writings of these two early Christadelphians (to whom they refer as "the Pioneers"), and that all Scripture must be harmonized with the interpretations in these writings. Whilst denying that they believe either man was inspired, some do state both men were raised up by God, and that John Thomas in particular was specifically chosen by God as being unique among men on the earth in his day.
Please refer to online Berean Christadelphian archives for evidence of the Berean Christadelphian use of the phrase Brother Thomas, Bro. Thomas and other such references number in the thousands in the Berean Magazine.
Bereans often use a method of Biblical interpretation which is highly anagogical, with a heavy emphasis on typology and conjectural exposition. This is the method used commonly by early Christian expositors such as Origen and Augustine, and Berean exposition often resembles that of Origen in its appeal to anagogue and typology. Whilst this method of exposition is also found in the main Christadelphian community, it does not predominate there as it does among the Bereans. Again, whilst in the main Christadelphian community it is used as a method of illustrating existing doctrines taught explicitly by the Bible, in the Berean community it is frequently used as the foundation of doctrines not revealed explicitly in the Bible but which the Bereans view as 'first principles', foundation doctrines which are necessary for salvation. Literal events described in the Bible are commonly declared to be typological of later events, and there is much speculation over the identity of the 'anti-type'. Discussions of this kind of exposition sometimes take place on online forums in a 'Mars Hill' format, in which conjectural exposition is proposed and encouraged. Conclusions are generally accepted without challenge, and rarely disputed. It is considered unnecessary to provide evidence for such conjectures, since this method of exposition is itself considered 'Scriptural', and is assumed to produce accurate results.
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
in the process. They are not to be confused with the Christian denomination known as the 'Berean Fellowship', whose beliefs are radically different and who have no historical connection to the Berean Christadelphians.
History
In Britain the initial cause of the 1923 schism resulting in the formation of the Berean Christadelphians was concerning service in the police. Following the leading role taken by Frank G. JannawayFrank Jannaway
F. G. Jannaway was an English Christadelphian writer on Jewish settlement in Palestine, and notable for his role in the conscientious objector tribunals of World War I.Frank George Jannaway was born in Kensington, Brompton in 1859...
of the London Clapham ecclesia with government departments in pleas for the movement's recognition as conscientious objectors during the First World War, Jannaway and other South London brethren took issue with the discovery that two members at Birmingham Temperance Hall ecclesia (so known after the location of their rented rooms) were serving as special constables. This issue was doubly sensitive since Birmingham Temperance Hall was the ecclesia of Charles Curwen Walker
Charles Curwen Walker
Charles Curwen Walker was a Christadelphian writer and editor of The Christadelphian Magazine from 1898 to 1937.-Life:C. C. Walker was born near Diss, Depwade Rural District, Norfolk on February 18, 1856, son of a landowner. His middle name "Curwen" indicates his descent from the aristocratic...
who had succeeded Robert Roberts
Robert Roberts
-Politicians:*Robert W. Roberts , U.S. Representative from Mississippi*Robert Roberts , Australian politician for East Toowoomba between 1912 and 1934*Bob Roberts -Sportsmen:...
as editor of The Christadelphian Magazine on his death in 1898. In his study of the Christadelphians Bryan R. Wilson
Bryan R. Wilson
Bryan Ronald Wilson, , was Reader Emeritus in Sociology at the University of Oxford and President of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion 1971-75.-Academic life:...
suggests that Walker had deferred to Jannaway during the war, and at the end of war as Birmingham returned to its former informal status of primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
, the London brethren resented this. The Birmingham Temperance Hall meeting did eventually "disfellowship" the two special constables, after opposition from two Arranging Brethren of the ecclesia, A. Davis and T. Pearce, who signalled disagreement by abstaining in the final vote on the issue. The Clapham brethren then demanded of Birmingham Temperance Hall ecclesia that they also "disfellowship" A. Davis and T. Pearce for abstaining in the vote. This the brethren at Birmingham were unwilling to do, so London Clapham issued a letter "disfellowshipping" Birmingham, and more significantly any ecclesia in Britain that would not do likewise.
In 1924 the Clapham meeting split between two groups led by Frank G. Jannaway and his older brother Arthur T. Jannaway over whether the Matt.5:32 "exceptive clause" allowed divorce in cases of adultery. Those allowing the exception, led by Arthur, formed the "Family Journal" fellowship at Clapham Common Ecclesia, but did not seek to return to the main body of Christadelphians.
In 1942 most of the British Berean Christadelphians separated from North American Berean Christadelphians to form the Dawn Christadelphians – taking a stricter line than North American Bereans on divorce and remarriage. A substantial part of this group reverted to the main body of Christadelphians
Christadelphians
Christadelphians is a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century...
in 1993–1994.
North America
Prior to the developing dispute in Britain over special constables, in America another dispute had been simmering concerning the atonement. In 1913 Allen Strickler of Buffalo had written articles which were found by William Smallwood of Toronto and some others to contain a "substitution" theory of Christ’s death. C.C. Walker and Birmingham were unwilling to take sides and with two ecclesias at Buffalo, both claiming to follow the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith, Walker stated "We are not aware that the ecclesias named are at variance with us" although the two ecclesias did not fellowship each other.The Berean Magazine had commenced publication in 1924. Following the division in Britain Frank Jannaway became involved in the dispute in the U.S. and in 1925 published a booklet against Strickler and supporting Smallwood. As a result of the disagreement a majority of Amended Christadelphians
Amended Christadelphians
This article refers to a distinction that is today only directly relevant in North America. For more complete information on Christadelphians please see the main article...
in North America withdrew from the main body and allied themselves with London Clapham as the Berean Fellowship. In July 1927 Frank Jannaway circulated worldwide a letter The Christadelphians Then and Now appealing for ecclesias to "stand aside from" (excommunicate) Birmingham and all who would not.
This schism held to the formation of a doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
of congregational fellowship which required entire ecclesias (congregations), to withdraw from any other ecclesia in fellowship with individuals or ecclesias in error. In 1892 Frank Jannaway had already authored an article Ecclesial Fellowship, published in the Christadelphian, where he presented his own ideas on fellowship in contrast to the more accommodating attitude being taken by some of the London Christadelphians towards the then current problem with John Andrew
Unamended Christadelphians
The Unamended Christadelphians are a "fellowship" within the broader Christadelphian movement worldwide, found only in the United States and Canada. They are, like all Christadelphians, millennialist and non-Trinitarian...
.
Subdivisions among Bereans
This position radicalised the Berean Christadelphian fellowship, and has contributed to a number of other schisms from the Berean Christadelphian fellowship itself. The first in 1926 was the Family Journal schism, where Frank Jannaway and his brother Arthur parted ways. Later the Dawn schism, the Four Point schism, and the Antipas schism).Reunion in America
In 1952 the majority of the Berean Christadelphian Fellowship rejoined the main "Central" body of Christadelphians ("Temperance Hall" was now known as the "Central Fellowship", since Birmingham Central had ceased renting rooms at Temperance HallBirmingham Law Society
The Birmingham Law Society is a professional association of solicitors, barristers and legal executives based in Birmingham, England. It is the oldest such organisation in England and Wales, and the largest except for the national Law Society of England and Wales.-History:The society was founded on...
in 1932), In doing so this large group of Bereans abandoned their insistence on the Berean understanding of the atonement and fellowship. This reunion, together with the attrition resulting from schisms within the Berean Christadelphian Fellowship (mentioned above), has caused Berean Christadelphian numbers to decline.
Continuing Bereans
The remainder of the Bereans continued as a separate community, primarily in Texas.Berean Christadelphians currently number:
- North America – 200 members
- Kenya – 100
- Nigeria - 30
- Wales – 20
A leading writer in the Texas Berean community was G.V. "Rene" Growcott, editor of The Berean after 1977.
Distinguishing characteristics
Over time the Berean Christadelphians have developed a culture which differentiates them radically from mainstream Christadelphians. For example, Berean Christadelphians believe that true Christadelphians are those who agree with the beliefs of John ThomasJohn Thomas (Christadelphian)
Dr. John Thomas was the founder of the Christadelphian movement, a Restorationist religion with doctrines similar in part to some 16th century Antitrinitarian Rationalist Socinians and the 16th century Swiss-German pacifist Anabaptists.-Early life:John Thomas M.D., born in Hoxton Square, Hackney,...
and Robert Roberts
Robert Roberts (Christadelphian)
Robert Roberts is the man generally considered to have continued the work of organising and establishing the Christadelphian movement founded by Dr. John Thomas...
(two early Christadelphians whose writings were influential in the formative years of the movement), and also believe that true Christadelphians are those who learn the gospel from the writings of these men rather than personal study of the Bible. They are also differentiated by a number of doctrinal differences (listed after this paragraph). Some of these doctrines are shared with some of the "Unamended Fellowship"
Unamended Christadelphians
The Unamended Christadelphians are a "fellowship" within the broader Christadelphian movement worldwide, found only in the United States and Canada. They are, like all Christadelphians, millennialist and non-Trinitarian...
(but not the majority Christadelphian group known as the "Central Fellowship"), particularly beliefs on the atonement and what the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
teaches about human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
(referred to commonly as 'the flesh'). Some of these doctrines are beliefs which the original Berean Christadelphians held in 1923, whilst others are later developments. A number of these beliefs are not held by any other Christadelphian fellowship, which the Berean Christadelphians take as indicative that they hold the correct understanding of the gospel.
The following is a list of beliefs which differentiate the Bereans from mainstream Christadelphians:
- The Berean position on congregational fellowship (described above)
- That sin is a physical substance which is the cause of moral transgression, disease and death
- That babies die because they are made of this physical substance which is sin (and so inherit the wages of sin)
- That although the Bible uses the word 'sin' in two different senses, it always refers to only one thing and not two separate things since sin and the cause of sin are one and the same
- That God treats both sin and the cause of sin in the same way
- That Jesus, through his miraculous birth and divine parentage, was enabled to resist sin to an extent normal human beings are incapable
- That Jesus earned the wages of sin
- That John ThomasJohn Thomas (Christadelphian)Dr. John Thomas was the founder of the Christadelphian movement, a Restorationist religion with doctrines similar in part to some 16th century Antitrinitarian Rationalist Socinians and the 16th century Swiss-German pacifist Anabaptists.-Early life:John Thomas M.D., born in Hoxton Square, Hackney,...
(founder of the Christadelphian movement), was raised up by God to restore the Truth to the earth, and was chosen by God because of his unique fitness to the task - That God requires a sacrifice for "sinful nature", and that Christ therefore had to make a sacrifice both for his sinful nature and for the sinful nature of humanity
- That human nature is physically defiled by sin even before personal transgression has taken place
- That even without personal transgression, man is an abomination unto His Creator and has need for redemption through the shedding of blood
- That those who do not value the writings of the "Pioneers" (John ThomasJohn Thomas (Christadelphian)Dr. John Thomas was the founder of the Christadelphian movement, a Restorationist religion with doctrines similar in part to some 16th century Antitrinitarian Rationalist Socinians and the 16th century Swiss-German pacifist Anabaptists.-Early life:John Thomas M.D., born in Hoxton Square, Hackney,...
and Robert RobertsRobert Roberts-Politicians:*Robert W. Roberts , U.S. Representative from Mississippi*Robert Roberts , Australian politician for East Toowoomba between 1912 and 1934*Bob Roberts -Sportsmen:...
, early Christadelphians who were influential in the formative years of the movement), are on their way back to "the apostasy" - That the true body of believers is to be identified by how closely the adhere to the teachings of the 'Pioneers'
- That the "Pioneers" should be the first reference for any interpretation of Scripture, and are authoritative in their interpretation of Scripture
The Berean attitude to the writings of John Thomas and Robert Roberts is almost unique, though shared by a few in the Unamended fellowship, and some in the Central fellowship. They believe that the Bible should be interpreted according to the writings of these two early Christadelphians (to whom they refer as "the Pioneers"), and that all Scripture must be harmonized with the interpretations in these writings. Whilst denying that they believe either man was inspired, some do state both men were raised up by God, and that John Thomas in particular was specifically chosen by God as being unique among men on the earth in his day.
Other characteristics
For reasons which are unclear, many Bereans refer to John Thomas as 'Doctor Thomas' rather than 'Brother Thomas' (as male members of the Christadephians usually are). Bereans doubt that the Bible alone is sufficient to teach the gospel, believing that the writings of either John Thomas or Robert Roberts are not only necessary but vital for a correct understanding of the Scriptures (considering the writings of John Thomas and Robert Roberts authoritative expositions of the Bible), and it is taught that neglect of the regular reading of these writings is 'to put our own salvation at risk!'. Bereans are typically suspicious of interpreting the Bible without the aid of the writings of John Thomas and Robert Roberts. The writings of John Thomas and Robert Roberts are considered authoritative expositions in the Berean fellowship, and Bereans will often quote them in discussion of Biblical issues instead of quoting the Bible.Please refer to online Berean Christadelphian archives for evidence of the Berean Christadelphian use of the phrase Brother Thomas, Bro. Thomas and other such references number in the thousands in the Berean Magazine.
Bereans often use a method of Biblical interpretation which is highly anagogical, with a heavy emphasis on typology and conjectural exposition. This is the method used commonly by early Christian expositors such as Origen and Augustine, and Berean exposition often resembles that of Origen in its appeal to anagogue and typology. Whilst this method of exposition is also found in the main Christadelphian community, it does not predominate there as it does among the Bereans. Again, whilst in the main Christadelphian community it is used as a method of illustrating existing doctrines taught explicitly by the Bible, in the Berean community it is frequently used as the foundation of doctrines not revealed explicitly in the Bible but which the Bereans view as 'first principles', foundation doctrines which are necessary for salvation. Literal events described in the Bible are commonly declared to be typological of later events, and there is much speculation over the identity of the 'anti-type'. Discussions of this kind of exposition sometimes take place on online forums in a 'Mars Hill' format, in which conjectural exposition is proposed and encouraged. Conclusions are generally accepted without challenge, and rarely disputed. It is considered unnecessary to provide evidence for such conjectures, since this method of exposition is itself considered 'Scriptural', and is assumed to produce accurate results.