EXCLUSIVE BRETHREN LEADER DEAD

 In our March/April 1996 TACL we reported, in good faith - based on a number of different reports, the death of John Hales, the world leader of the Exclusive Brethren.   We were rather premature on that occasion, and published an acknowledgment of our error in the May/June issue of TACL that year.   In spite of serious ill-health at the time, John Hales rallied and managed to live quite a deal longer than apparent expectations.   His son also had to wait a bit longer to take over as the ‘Elect Vessel’.

 This time we haven’t made a mistake! John Stephen Hales (JSH), considered the ‘Elect Vessel’, the ‘universal leader’, the ‘Man of God’,   ‘the embodiment of the Holy Spirit’ of the Taylorite Exclusive Brethren, died in Sydney, New South Wales (Australia), early on Saturday evening, the 12th of January, 2002. He was buried on Tuesday, the 15th of January. His wife, Helen Dietrich, died about a month earlier. Three Hales’ sons and one daughter survive their parents.

One son, Bruce David Hales (BDH), appears to be the new ‘Elect Vessel’ and ‘Universal Leader’.  He has apparently already been to South and North America, Britain and Europe, to cement his position and authority within the movement.

John Hales was born in 1922 and eventually became an accountant.  While active and in lower leadership roles in the Taylorite Exclusive Brethren Hales kicked out and let back in to fellowship several times, between 1965 and 1987, during the reigns of  ‘Elect Vessels’ James Taylor, Jr. and James    H Symington. Following the death of James Symington in 1987, Hales managed to become the international leader of the Exclusive Brethren, and continued in that role until his death this past January.