Editor's note: This story is part four of a five-part series examining the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, its beliefs, practices and its role in the North Dakota town of Neche, population 344. NECHE, N.D.
— As former accountant turned “universal leader” Bruce D. Hales prepares the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church for the theoretical Rapture, his family and church members are buying up luxury properties and expanding homes around the world. From Neche, North Dakota, to Sydney, Australia, the Brethren — an isolated yet global religious group with about 54,000 members — has poured millions of dollars into grand estates, according to data obtained by Forum News Service.
In tiny Neche, population 344, the Brethren are bankrolling home and office expansions and massive houses. Additional lavish spending by Brethren members in Australia was the subject of an investigative report by The Age , a leading Australian newspaper. The developments are new as Brethren members once preferred to live frugally, according to former members.
The church and their members now have a large financial stake in businesses, government contracts and real estate and are collectively worth about $65 billion, according to one source. “Money in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has replaced faith in Jesus Christ,” said Cheryl Bawtinheimer Hope, a former Brethren member. An ongoing financial investigation in Australia and scrutiny of the Brethren elsewhere prompted Forum News Service.