I’m interested in the Plymouth Brethren Movement, particularly the Open Brethren variety, and I’d like to know what their stance on women in the ministry is.
Given that they are a conservative denomination, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are complementarians, but given that each congregation is independent and that the Open Brethren are more, well, “Open” and in line with modern Evangelicalism, there might be some congregations that hold an egalitarian stance.
Does anyone have any personal experience with them, or know what their stance is?
Yes I was in the Open Brethren for years. I can only say what the were like when I was with them I left them in 1976 when we moved to a town where the only Brethren although supposed to be open were not really. Just before we moved the assembly as they call their meeting houses, held their annual conference and I attended and was invited with my wife to stay for refreshments afterwards. My wife did not attend the meeting but looked around the town, but we all stayed for refreshments. We got chatting to a couple on the opposite side of the table, and one of the members who was serving, came to our table. The man we were speaking with said "Fred this family are soon moving to this town." Fred said "Oh Yes" and walked away. No other members of that church spoke to us. We never attended there.
The Brethren hold their "Breaking of Bread" service every Sunday morning, and every male member was entitled to take part and give ministry or announce a hymn. Most had unaccompanied singing to enable members to concentrate on the communion service. To "Break Bread you would expect to be a baptised member or bring a letter of commendation from the elders of a like minded assembly.
No women were allowed to preach, or teach. That was while we were there.
I cannot say for sure but I think it is mostly different now. Several had changed their name to Evangelical Church, and I know two that now call themselves Christian Fellowship.
The Evening service was a Gospel service. And usually the preacher was a visiting Brother from a like minded church.
In my current town there were two Gospel Halls, one changed to an Evangelical Church but now is a Christian Fellowship the other got down to three members and is now closed down. They were less open I believe and someone told me they were Kelleyite.
They were responsible for adopting and spreading the Pre Tribulation Rapture teaching in the UK and eventually throughout the world. This teaching was mainly confined to the Brethren and the Catholic Apostolic Church till late into the 19th century.
When they began, they were Calvinist but I never heard anything like Calvinism preached there.