A Christian Church in Australia is in the center of a political “witch hunt” by a left-wing federal committee, led by an even more left-wing Committee Chair, because many of their parishioners dared to back conservatives during their last election.
How has this happened, and why should Americans care?
The Church at the center of this is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church – a small but mainstream Church with 55,000 members around the world, including 7,000 in North America.
During the last Australian election in 2025, some members of the Church exercised their democratic rights by supporting candidates who aligned with their conservative Christian values, against the incumbent left-wing government.
In its prior term, the left-wing government implemented a series of socialist policies such as giving sweeping powers to unions, legislating punishing emissions reduction targets, and a failed and expensive referendum to enshrine a “Voice to Parliament” for their indigenous population.
Ultimately the Government was returned, but the actions of the Brethren have now attracted the ire of the victorious and vicious left-wing Labor Party, which is using its control of the Australian Parliament to prosecute the notion that Church members’ support for the conservatives amounted to “electoral interference”.
In their sights is the church’s senior leader, Mr Bruce Hales, who has provided spiritual guidance on living a life guided by Christian values and principles since 2002.
But, as the Church has put on record, he didn’t have anything to do with the election.
He did not campaign, he did not donate, he did not volunteer for a single candidate. He did not ask, guide or instruct his parishioners to do anything in the election.
Despite this, the Committee reviewing the election – known as the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters – has threatened the elder Hales with a subpoena, demanding he "show up and fess up” for why some members of his Church chose to support conservative candidates.
A multi-denominational Christian coalition, Freedom for Faith, has seen the danger of this action.
They have warned the committee that religious leaders are not "responsible for the political choices, associations or conduct of those who share their faith."
The fact that this has even needed to be said is deeply concerning.
Those persecuting the Church claim that this isn't about faith at all. They are pointing to accusations of bad behavior at polling places.
But if individuals broke the law, they should prosecute those individuals in a court, with evidence, due process, and the presumption of innocence. That is how a fair and just society works.
It should be the antithesis of any Christian country (or any democracy) to weaponize a parliamentary committee and proclaim Christians as engaging in electoral interference for voting in line with their values.
What’s more, according to reporting in The Australian, the same Committee has been redacting evidence about the conduct of left-wing Labor, the Greens, the independents.
Conservative lawmakers are even arguing that there are “clear inconsistencies” in how evidence is being handled.
Now, even the Committee's own deputy chair admits "the pendulum had swung too far" and that the process is now "disguising" the truth rather than exposing it.
As one conservative Australian MP put it, it’s a “hyper-partisan witch-hunt” against the Church.
President Trump told the United Nations that "Christians are being persecuted all over the world." You would think that he would be referring to some authoritarian regime in South America or Asia - but perhaps surprisingly, this now also applies to Australia.
But why should Americans care about some obscure Committee hearing in a tiny country on the other side of the Pacific?
It matters because the political forces behind this attack on religious freedom can be found here in America.
It matters because the polling – if you can believe it – suggests the Democrats may take back the House or the Senate at the midterms – which would give them the same powers over our Committees and key instruments of state here.
What is tolerated in Australia’s capital, (a place called Canberra, that most Australians avoid wherever possible), today could be a blueprint for the Democrats in seats of power across America tomorrow.
The family of Mr. Bruce Hales issued a warning that we should take notice of: "While it might be our Christian religion being targeted today, our deep concern is we won't be the last." And the church itself has said “if this starts with us, it won’t end with us.”
The Church also said that it is "incredibly disappointing that Australian Christians need to look overseas to America for leadership on religious freedom."
As American Christians who value religious freedom, we shouldn’t look away.
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