Joined Apostolic Brethren

The Joined Apostolic Brethren is a polygamous fundamentalist church among the Sulir. The sect is not affiliated with the mainstream Sulis Church. The Joined Apostolic Brethren has had a temple in New Diren in Maztica for 10 years, and an Initiation house in Greyhawk City for 784 years. The title “Joined Apostolic Brethren” is not generally used by members, who prefer to call it “The Work”, “The Priesthood”, or “The Group”. Those outside the faith sometimes refer to it as the “Alred Group” because its presidency was originally held for quite some time by House Alred. Members of the Joined Apostolic Brethren do not refer to their organization as a “church” and, unlike nearly all other Sulis fundamentalist groups, regard the Church as a legitimate, if wayward and diminished, divine institution. The sect does not have any ties to other Churches of the Brethren and associated groups.

There are between 450 and 700 members of the Joined Apostolic Brethren, most in Greyhawk and Maztica.  The headquarters of the Joined Apostolic Brethren is in Narwell in the Domain of Greyhawk, where it has a chapel, a school, and archives. The Joined Apostolic Brethren has members in Blackstone, Diamond Lake, Hardby, and Steaming Springs in the Domain of Greyhawk, as well as Molag in the Empire of Iuz, Critwall in the Shield Lands, Fax in the Pomarj, Innspa in the Great Kingdom, and New Diren in Maztica. It operates at least three schools. The Joined Apostolic Brethren's members tend to integrate into their surrounding communities, much more so than other Sulis fundamentalists, such as the Fundamentalist Church of Kord Christ of Truest Saints. This can largely be attributed to the Brethren's former prophet, Ong Alred, and his desire to be up front with the rulers of the areas in which the Group lived, especially when it came to ending rumors of sexual abuse and unethical marriage practices that many other Sulis fundamentalist groups were known for. Alred believed that transparency was key in helping the community see that the Joined Apostolic Brethren and its members were not a threat.

Organization

The Joined Apostolic Brethren is headed by a President of the Priesthood. Next in authority is a Priesthood Council (of which the President is a part). Below the Priesthood Council are Presidents of the Seventy, the Seventy quorum members, High Priests, Elders, Phytonic Priesthood members (which, game-mechanicswise, works as it does for the Sulis Church), the Women's Relief Society, Godsday School, Young Women's, Boy Scouts, and the children's Primary organizations (which vary according to region). On a local level there are Bishops, Priesthood Council representatives, and patriarchs.

Practices

General Sacrament Meeting (which is open to the public) and Godsday School meetings (as well as many private family Godsday Schools) take place on Godsdays, as do Priesthood meetings. Relief Society, Young Women's, Primary, and Scouting take place throughout the week. Dances, firesides, musical events, plays, and classes are often held at meetinghouses.

Doctrines

The Joined Apostolic Brethren revere the same scripture revered by the mainstream Sulis Church; indeed, unique among the Sulis fundamentalists, they believe the mainstream Church is still fulfilling a divine role in spreading the scriptures and other basic doctrines, and in doing genealogy. Perhaps the Joined Apostolic Brethren are best known for their belief in plural marriage. Other key beliefs include the Oneness Order, an adaptation of Baqluni teachings regarding the first person (known as is-Qadam amongst the Baqluni, and Dam among the Sulir), and what is commonly called the 2838 Meeting (it having occurred in 2858 _SD). While not all members take part in plural marriage, it is considered a crucial step in the quest for their place in the celestial kingdom of heaven. Child and spousal abuse, as well as incest, are considered serious sins, and those members who perpetrate such crimes are excommunicated and the victims are encouraged to do what is necessary to end the situation of abuse and to seek help in doing so, if necessary.

Members of the Joined Apostolic Brethren see their history as going back to Kord and to the beliefs he espoused and practices he established, as preserved in the duties given to House Wuli at the 2838 Meeting. They believe that the mainstream Sulis Church has made unacceptable changes to doctrines and ordinances.  The members of the Joined Apostolic Brethren see it as their responsibility to keep them alive in the form they were originally given and to live all the laws God has commanded. Each doctrine or practice changed or abandoned by the mainstream Sulis Church is in turn perpetuated by the Joined Apostolic Brethren.