James Taylor Jr. (1899–1970) was the religious leader of the

Raven-Taylor-Hales Brethren The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) also known as Raven Brethren or Taylorites is a Christian denomination currently led by Australian businessman Bruce Hales. The group is a subset of the Exclusive Brethren, a Plymouth Brethren group ...

Background

Taylor was the son of Irish linen merchant

James Taylor Sr James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

(1870–1953), leader of the Raven Exclusive Brethren from about 1908 until his death. After a period of six years during which leadership was in question, Taylor Jr. took over in 1959.Reachout Trust article
detailing some Brethren history James Taylor Jr. lived in New York and was married with several children.

Influence

Taylor emphasised biblical teachings on separation from the world to his followers. He encouraged his members not to eat with non-members. Membership of professional bodies was also discouraged. Under his teaching the Raven-Taylor Exclusives commenced "Breaking Bread" (the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...

) on Sunday at 6 am. His teachings and conduct were the source of much public interest in the UK. This resulted in: * The consolidation of his position among a large section of his followers. * The secession of many of his Scottish assemblies, others in Britain and beyond. * The weakening of other

Plymouth Brethren The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasize ...

groups, both "Open,"

Glanton Glanton is a small rural village, in the county of Northumberland, England. Agriculture dominates the surrounding area. Governance Glanton is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed. As a district, it is a part of the unita ...

and Kelly Brethren, as they moved away from any appearance of the "separate" features of Taylorism. His "separatist" pronouncements were maintained by his successors and followers. His hardline approach resulted in interrogations within the sect, abuse and suicides.

Controversy

In 1970 Taylor was staying with a Brethren family in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

. He sexually assaulted some of the women in the house, slept with one of them and appeared drunk. He then spoke at the annual Meeting and appeared to be "suffering from alcoholic dementia". His speech was incoherent and

scatological In medicine and biology, scatology or coprology is the study of feces. Scatological studies allow one to determine a wide range of biological information about a creature, including its diet (and thus where it has been), health and diseases su ...

. His supporters said that this had been done to test members' loyalty. Many people left the Exclusive Brethren as a result of his behaviour. He died the same year of an illness related to alcohol.

Successor

Taylor was succeeded as leader of the Exclusive Brethren by

James H Symington James Harvey Symington (1913–1987) Neche, North Dakota, USA was a member of a little known Christian Church based in his town. He was the Universal leader of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Biography Symington was born to Lyle and Id ...

, an American from

Neche, North Dakota Neche ( ) is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. It sits on the banks of the Pembina River. The population was 344 at the 2020 census. History Neche was laid out in 1882. The name is said to come from the Ojibwe word ''nid ...

References

External links

*
The "Brethren" Since 1870
by W. R. Dronsfield. {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, James Jr. 1899 births 1970 deaths 20th-century evangelicals American Christian religious leaders American evangelicals American Plymouth Brethren