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Para Church Organizations: Are They Scriptural, R P Samuel, New Delhi: Self Published, 2006, 70P
There is no end to the rise [and fall] of denominations and non-denominations, and each one discovers some truths, is blind to others, and prefers to adopt an alarmist attitude towards the others. At times these truths or half-truths can become the pivot around which the whole movement revolves, in spite of whether this 'truth' deserves that much attention or not.
This book has been authored by a person well-known in the circles known as the Christian Brethren or Plymouth Brethren in India. The PB are a modern reform-movement which has over 2200 churches in India, each on "autonomous" from the other. The movement is just over a century old in India, but its contribution in the fields of evangelism, missions, Christian hymns, expository teaching, theology, and apologetics has been far out of proportion of its size or numbers. One often feels that the Brethren are born theologians, at least in India.
One of the vexing problems the Plymouth Brethren face is what they call as "Para Church Organizations". Label any ministry as a PCO, and it will immediately become an untouchable and outcast among the Indian Brethren. Yet the Indian Brethren have numerous Para Church Organizations among them.
The author has tried to take a sane view of the subject in the light of the Scriptures and also in the light of the practices common among the Brethren in India and abroad. In the light of that survey he has established that the Brethren need to drop their alarmist attitude towards these ministries and should embrace a Biblically more sound outlook. The author is to be commended for expressing himself boldly over a topic which can lead others in the same group to question his commitment to denominational [or Biblical] loyalty.
The book in 7 brief chapters has been able to do the job fairly well. It will be a good read for people from this movement. Others might at times be baffled because what is a serious issue among the Brethren is a non issue among them.
The book can only be called a seminal publication, meant for the lay leaders. A more exhaustive book that analyzes the Biblical and historical background at a deeper level would be helpful for Brethren worldwide. Perhaps the second edition of this book might rise to that level.
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