A Christian sect founded by Jimmy Roberts in 1971. They travel around North America (primarily the United States) in loose, nomadic groups, following a simple, unmaterialistic lifestyle similar to the one that Jesus Christ led during his Palestinian and Galilean ministries. They hold no regular jobs, wear simple clothing, and own little or no property. They lack a clear hierarchal organization, though within the sect, junior members are usually deferential to those with seniority, and men typically take leadership roles rather than womenm. They do little active prosetylizing, though they are willing to talk to and accept anyone interested in joining them, and their most receptive audiences tend to be students and counter-culture groups.
The Brethren are prime targets for persecution because of their extremely pacifist nature and set of beliefs incongruent with popular American philosophy (hence the slur, "Garbage Eaters," referring to their occasional resort to living off leftover food scraps). Since many of their members are young (especially students), and since members liquidate their worldly property upon joining and (for the most part) cut off ties with their families, many family members feel snubbed and thus make extreme efforts to "retrieve" and "deprogram" their children. Thus the Brethern are typically somewhat secretive about their exact locations to avoid anti-cult bounty hunters sent to kidnap those who have joined.