Before you partner with the Rapid Relief Team, read what has been published.

RRT describes itself as a charity that provides catering and practical support at community events and emergencies. On its own website, it states that it was established in 2013 by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) and describes itself as an initiative of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

In November 2024, ABC News reported that SA Health (South Australia) said it will no longer be partnering with this organisation, referring to RRT, which the ABC described as run by Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members. The ABC report did not give a reason for SA Health’s decision. According to the same report, RRT said it had held several events with SA Health since 2020.

In 2022, the UK Fire Brigades Union adopted a conference policy on fire-ground catering that names RRT. It notes that RRT was established by Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) and states: Research into PBCC reveals that they operate policies that exclude Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people from their membership and that they have actively campaigned against LGBT equality. The policy calls on union officials to raise their concerns with fire and rescue services that use volunteer organisations for this role.

In Canada, PressProgress reported in June 2021, based on internal emails obtained through freedom of information, that the Winnipeg Police Service partnered with RRT on a food-box programme in November and December 2020, publicised it on its social media channels, and was repeatedly asked by the group for publicity, including maximum exposure for one event. The report states that the church’s affiliation, mentioned in a backgrounder RRT supplied, was not included in the police’s press release. The police told PressProgress that RRT approached the WPS to offer the kits and we accepted the donation as we were aware of community need. RRT did not respond to requests for comment.

In August 2018, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that RRT had launched a drought relief appeal promising to deliver 100 per cent of every dollar to the farmer, and that, according to the charity’s accounts, nearly half of its 2016/2017 donations for earlier causes had been spent on employees, with significant further sums spent on marketing. RRT has published its own response to reporting by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2012, the Charity Commission for England and Wales refused to register the Preston Down Trust, a Plymouth Brethren meeting-hall trust, on the ground that it had not shown it was established for the public benefit. The trust appealed. In January 2014, the Commission registered the trust with a varied trust deed, after accepting commitments to changes in religious practice and wider social engagement.

In 2021, RNZ reported on former members who said the church’s practices had separated them from their families. One former member told RNZ: they have destroyed our family. Another said: It’s a complete myth to say it’s the individual’s choice.

The church disputes this characterisation. A PBCC spokesperson told RNZ: we are sad if someone leaves us, but wish them all of the best.

In September 2015, The Times reported on a leaked transcript of a church meeting held in Surrey that June. According to the report, the church’s leader, Bruce Hales, was asked how to help a 25-year-old man who was thinking of leaving, and said: He might as well get a shot of — what’s the best thing to kill you quickly . . . cyanide? No, not cyanide. Rems. Arsenic. The Times reported that he went on to say he was not advocating suicide in the slightest degree, and that a church spokesman said the comments had been taken out of context.

In January 2005, the St. Petersburg Times reported that a committee backed by members of the Exclusive Brethren (the church’s former name) spent more than $500,000 on advertising supporting George W. Bush and Mel Martinez in Florida.

In Australia, the Australian Electoral Commission referred questions about the funding of 2004 election advertising linked to church members to the Australian Federal Police. The AFP concluded that the funds came from legitimate business transactions and that no further disclosure was required.

Rapid Relief Team (RRT) Limited is suing Cheryl Bawtinheimer, a former church member who hosts the “Get A Life” podcast, which is critical of the church, for copyright infringement in US federal court. According to published reporting, the claim concerns RRT’s “Cookie the Kookaburra” mascot logo, which appeared in some of her YouTube videos about RRT. The complaint seeks an injunction, damages and the destruction of materials featuring the image.

The parties’ positions. Ms Bawtinheimer has said the lawsuit has all the hallmarks of a SLAPP-style action, that is, a suit intended to silence criticism. A law professor writing on a legal blog has expressed the opinion that the case is an example of copyright silencing. The PBCC states that the action was brought by RRT relating to a copyright breach, that it is not an attempt to silence anyone, and that RRT offered to tell the court the matter was resolved, without costs to her, if she removed or edited the videos in which the logo appears.

The PBCC and RRT have responded publicly to critical reporting. The PBCC described an ABC Four Corners investigation as inaccurate, biased and sensationalist. RRT has published its own response to reporting by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. Readers are encouraged to read these responses alongside the reporting.