Plymouth Brethren Church Denies Funding Far-Right Election Stunts Amid Parliamentary Probe
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has launched a vigorous defense against accusations that it orchestrated a clandestine campaign to disrupt the 2025 federal election, categorically denying claims that it paid far-right influencers to stage stunts targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other government officials.
The controversy follows a high-profile report by Nine newspapers alleging that the church—formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren—provided financial backing to activists, including Laurence McIntyre, to disrupt Labor Party campaign events. McIntyre, who was captured on video heckling the Prime Minister, has been previously linked to neo-Nazi figures and reportedly served as an organizer for an anti-immigration “March for Australia” rally in 2025.
“A Complete Lie”
Appearing before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday, Lloyd Grimshaw, a director at the Brethren church, dismissed the media allegations as a “complete lie.” He stated, “My church did not make any donations or support in any way political parties or third parties who were involved in the election.”
Grimshaw challenged the validity of the reports, arguing they lacked any evidentiary threshold. “As I recall, this story doesn’t point to one amount of money, one detailed transaction, one quote, one communication between my church, or even an individual member of my church, and one politician or political party, or third party,” he told the committee.
While acknowledging that some church members participated in the election as volunteers, Grimshaw insisted these activities were private, individual decisions driven by personal economic concerns or support for local candidates, rather than church-mandated strategy. He denied that the church had facilitated travel or funding for volunteers, stating, “I can confirm that the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church did not participate in the 2025 election campaign in any way, shape, or form.”
Tensions Over “Collective Guilt”
The inquiry into the 2025 election has become a flashpoint for broader political tensions. The Labor-chaired committee recently produced an interim report characterizing the democratic process as being “under assault” by third-party groups, specifically naming the Brethren and the right-wing lobby group Advance.
Opposition members, however, have decried the committee’s focus as a “hyper-partisan witch-hunt.” Nationals leader Matt Canavan accused the government of weaponizing the inquiry and launching a “war on those of religious faith.”
“I find these attacks on people of faith in our country completely unbecoming of an Australian government,” Canavan told News 24. “What I saw this morning at this committee is an attempt to apply collective guilt to people of a certain religious faith.”
Defending Religious Participation
Grimshaw also took aim at the Prime Minister’s previous characterization of the church as a “cult,” labeling the rhetoric “hurtful” and “completely untrue.” He emphasized that the church encourages positive engagement with all members of parliament as a matter of principle.
Addressing concerns regarding the involvement of high-ranking church officials, including director Mark MacKenzie, Grimshaw argued that holding a leadership position within a church should not strip an individual of their right to participate in the democratic process.
“What’s the issue with someone that happens to be a director of an entity doing a perfectly legitimate, normal, democratic thing in their own private capacity?” Grimshaw asked. “Why is it being conflated as representing that entity?”
As the inquiry continues, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church maintains that while its members are active in public life, the organization itself remains entirely removed from the machinery of political campaigning.
