As an example of the Spin Doctor’s art, the following paper recently produced by Jackson Wells (the Exclusive Brethren Public Relations firm) is textbook quality. There are many other examples of ‘lipstick on the pig‘ publicly available, ranging from ‘Living Our Beliefs’ (purportedly) by Bruce D. Hales, to virtually every Planning Application that the Exclusive Brethren submit for their fortress-style Meeting Rooms and very private schools.

Jackson Wells seem proud of their unusual client – quite probably the only ‘christian church’ to have published a web site where the only means of contact is the telephone number of their expensive public relations firm! For those who were brought up in or know the truth regarding the Exclusive Brethren cult, ‘Into the Light: understanding the Exclusive Brethren‘ by Jackson Well’s Ben Haslem is easily recognized as an outrageous example of whitewash. However, the principle of spin-doctoring has a purpose – it is designed to seed the possibility of doubt.

Today we reproduce the Jackson Wells paper. Tomorrow, we publish a letter to Jackson Wells written by an ex-member of the cult – a letter that has remained understandably unanswered.

Into the Light: understanding the Exclusive Brethren

by Benjamin Haslem

Jackson Wells

April 2009

In early 2007, senior members of the Exclusive Brethren Christian Fellowship approached Jackson Wells seeking assistance dealing with a sudden and intense increase in media interest in their small Christian church.

The media scrutiny was driven by unsuccessful attempts on the part of Greens Senator Bob Brown to hold a Parliamentary inquiry into the Brethren, which has about 13,000 members in Australia.

It was alleged by the Greens that the Brethren had breached Australian electoral laws, although subsequent investigations by the Australian Electoral Commission and Australian Federal Police led to no action being taken against the Church or any of its members. Not that this silenced the critics.

During this time, a number of outrageous and false claims were levelled at the Church by several media outlets  mostly tabloid – and a handful of disaffected former Church members.

The allegations ranged from the serious – that the Church was a cult, that it covered up cases of abuse, that it deliberately and systematically broke up families, that it ran its own schools to indoctrinate children to the silly that it banned the use of computers and had a disproportionate level of influence over then Prime Minister John Howard.

The Brethren did not ask Jackson Wells to spin them to a better life or to protect them against legitimate criticism. What dismayed and worried them was that they were being accused of activity that was immoral, sometimes criminal and which ran counter to the tenets of Christianity.

At the heart of Jackson Wells’ strategy to assist the Brethren was to increase the Church’s engagement with the wider community, mainly through the media.

We wanted to explain the Church’s beliefs and its members’ lifestyle, demythologize falsehoods and misunderstandings, and show the connectedness of the Church to the community .

Brethren members interact closely with the non-Brethren community everyday. They employ mostly non-Brethren people in their businesses, their customers and suppliers are mostly non-Brethren and teachers in their schools do not belong to the Church.

However, the Brethren adhere to a doctrine of separation which prevents members from socialising with people with whom they cannot share Holy Communion.

Brethren consider sitting down to a meal to be Holy Communion, so they cannot share a meal with people outside their fellowship. Nor do Brethren members join associations such as golf clubs or vote in elections.

The Church does not seek to impose its views on others nor does it believe that other people are beyond the pail.[sic] In a political and social sense, the Brethren are conservative and happy to be described as such.

It is fair to say that the Brethrens initial steps into the media spotlight were tentative.

However, in September 2008, Church elder Daniel Hales gave a number of extensive media interviews to The Australian, ABC Radio National and Australian Associated Press explaining the Brethren’s beliefs and activities.

At a local level, a number of Brethren have developed good working relationships with journalists on suburban papers and local Church members respond immediately to issues that crop up in their own neighbourhoods.

This has been complemented by the unprompted actions of non-Brethren neighbours, customers, suppliers and employees in writing to newspapers or contacting journalists to defend a group of people they consider to be hard-working, honest and decent folk.

The Brethren Church still has some way to travel in gaining an accurate public understanding of the lifestyle of its members. The mythology and inaccurate reporting about its beliefs and practices are well entrenched. Also, being a small group with what is in some respects an unusual lifestyle, the Church is an easy target.

Jackson Wells’ association with a Church whose members are hard working, decent Australians has shown us that intolerance and sectarianism still prevail in some sections of our society, a society which prides itself on giving people a fair go but which, from time to time, can act very unfairly indeed.

Ben Haslem

Jackson Wells

Source: Into the Light

Further information:

Peebs.Net Forum – ‘Jackson Wells – In the dark over the Exclusive Brethren’

Jackson Wells – website

Jackson Wells – Other Clients

Jackson Wells – Into the Light: understanding the Exclusive Brethren