Boys Brigade in Northern Ireland decides to split from GB and Republic of Ireland

The decision was taken at an AGM of the organisation in Lisburn last night.

The News Letter understands the decision was prompted in part by financial and doctrinal matters.

In August the News Letter reported that the Northern Irish wing of the organisation was reportedly considering breaking from the main bulk of the movement in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

It is understood two of the issues were how funds from NI were being used and different emphases on the centrality of the Christian faith outside of NI.

The BB in Northern Ireland issued a statement to the News Letter.

“The Northern Ireland District of The Boys’ Brigade has decided to establish a different relationship with BBUK & ROI,” it said.

“The AGM voted by clear majority (88.5% to 11.5%) to enter negotiations with the stated aim of becoming a separate autonomous body by mutual agreement.

“The Northern Ireland District seeks to retain close co-operation with the wider organisation as both pursue their shared Christian mission.

“We will make no further comment on this decision until negotiations on a new relationship have concluded.”

The spokeswoman declined to address any questions or make any further comment.

However one NI BB source said this morning: “This is not driven by a desire to impose a conservative position on the BB. It’s driven by a desire to ensure the position of each denomination is respected, whether that denomination is conservative or liberal. Some issues are matters for the church, not for BB.”

In response The Boys’ Brigade UK and RoI issued the following statement to the News Letter: “We are saddened by the decision reached by the NI District AGM, but will work together with colleagues in Northern Ireland to reach a conclusion in the best interests of all parties.”

Rev Dez Johnston, the President of The Boys’ Brigade UK and RoI added, “I know that much prayer and discernment has went in to this decision and we will seek the best outcome for God’s kingdom in Northern Ireland.”

A BB NI document leaked last month appeared to detail reasons why the region wished to split from GB and the Republic of Ireland.

“The environment in Great Britain is culturally different to that in NI, especially regarding the relationship with the church,” it said. “A core component of the object of the Boys’ Brigade is ‘Advancing Christ’s Kingdom’, however, the implementation of this object is not clearly defined in the five-year strategy for BB UK & RoI. The new vision, mission and values of BB UK and RoI appear to be receiving greater effort, promotion and exposure than the object of the Boys’ Brigade. The Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland does not hold doctrinal positions but respects those held by every denomination with which we partner. If BB UK and RoI does not respect those positions, the very existence of the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland is at risk.”

However, the document, leaked to the BBC, did not say what “doctrinal positions” were in dispute. It also said the NI brigade sends substantially more money to GB than it receives back and has “no meaningful say” in how that money is spent. It added: “There is a risk from the direct impact of policies being introduced by BB UK and RoI that have had no local input and could damage Boys’ Brigade in NI,” it said. It also said that “specific needs” of BB companies in NI are “consistently not considered” in initiatives.

The vice chair of the BB Executive in the UK, David Aubrey QC, wrote to its NI President David Blevins, to express concerns that the split could be “detrimental to the movement as a whole”. But in an email to BB leaders reported by the BBC last month, Mr Blevins said the UK was “mistaken” if it thought that NI “would never vote for autonomy” but that it was “not too late” to respect regional differences.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland said it did not see the issue affecting its close relationship with the BB.

“Like other churches, PCI has a longstanding and close relationship with the Boys’ Brigade (BB), which is one of the biggest Christian youth organisations on these islands,” it said. “We do not anticipate that the decisions taken by the BB in Northern Ireland at its AGM will change that mutually beneficial relationship. We will of course follow the practical outworking of the Northern Ireland District’s decision and no doubt will be involved in discussions at the appropriate time. We also commend the clarity of the Northern Ireland District in their focus upon their aim of ‘Advancing Christ’s Kingdom amongst boys’.

“Currently, and going into the future, each week hundreds of volunteer BB leaders play an important part in the life of our local congregations. Boys from the ages of five to 18, many of whom have no other connection with the church, enjoy a programme of activities that support their personal development and help them to explore the Christian faith. We have no doubt this will continue to be the case for the Northern Ireland District moving forward.”

It is understood that there are around 270 BB companies in Northern Ireland of which two-thirds are in Presbyterian congregations, but that the BB partners with nine different denominations in NI as a whole.

The Methodist Church in Ireland said it would not be offering a comment until it reads the final report on this matter from the Boys’ Brigade Northern Ireland District.

From the Triennial Statistics, the Methodist spokesman added, the denomination has 21 Boys’ Brigade companies in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland. A spokesman for the Church of Ireland also declined to comment, saying the split was a matter for the Boys’ Brigade.

The BB was founded in Glasgow in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, a businessman, military officer, and Presbyterian. It describes itself as “the first voluntary uniformed youth movement in the world” and currently has some 1,200 companies.