View source for John W. Bryant

{{short description|Mormon fundamentalist leader}}
{{For|the U.S. representative from Texas|John Wiley Bryant}}

'''John W. Bryant''' (born 1946) is an American [[Mormon fundamentalism|Mormon fundamentalist]]. He was the founder and first leader of a sect that is today known as the Church of the New Covenant in Christ now headquartered near [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]], [[Oregon]].<ref name = Melton/><ref name = Shields>Steven L. Shields (1990). ''Divergent Paths of the Restoration'' (Los Angeles: Restoration Press) p. 197.</ref>

==Conversion to Mormonism==
In 1964, Bryant was [[Baptism|baptized]] into [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church).<ref name = Melton>[[J. Gordon Melton]] (1996, 5th ed.). ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' (Detroit, Mich.: Gale) p. 569</ref> As a member of the LDS Church, he served as a [[Mormon missionary|missionary]] in Japan.<ref name = Melton/> In the early 1970s, Bryant became convinced that the LDS Church had unjustifiably [[1890 Manifesto|abandoned]] [[plural marriage]] and joined the [[Apostolic United Brethren]] (AUB) in [[Utah]], led by [[Rulon C. Allred]].<ref name = Melton/>

==Leader of polygamous sect==
Beginning in 1974, Bryant began to state that he was receiving [[Revelation (Latter Day Saints)|revelations]] from [[Jesus]].<ref name = Melton/> He claimed that "[[Disciple whom Jesus loved|John the Beloved]]" had visited him as an [[angel]] and instructed him to form an "Order of the Ancients".<ref name = Melton/> In 1975, Bryant claimed he was taken in vision to the [[City of Enoch]], where AUB founder [[Joseph White Musser]] and [[Latter Day Saint movement]] founder [[Joseph Smith]] ordained him to the [[President of the Church|presidency of the church]] and the [[Melchizedek priesthood (Latter Day Saints)|high priesthood]].<ref name = Melton/> At this time, Bryant claimed to be the "[[One Mighty and Strong]]" prophesied of in the [[Doctrine and Covenants]].<ref>Ogden Kraut (1991). ''The One Mighty and Strong'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Pioneer Press) pp. 91–99.</ref> In 1975, he founded a church as the Church of Christ Patriarchal, which later was renamed the Evangelical Church of Christ.<ref name = Melton/> In 1979, Bryant's group established a communal settlement at the Fair Haven Ranch near [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]].<ref name = Melton/> During his time as a leader of the group, Bryant had six wives<ref name = Melton/> and taught his sect about drug experimentation and heterosexual and homosexual group sex.<ref name = Krakauer>[[Jon Krakauer]] (2004). ''[[Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith]]'' (New York, Anchor: {{ISBN|978-1-4000-3280-8}}) pp. 154–155.</ref><ref name = VanWagoner>Richard S. Van Wagoner (1989, 2d ed.). ''Mormon Polygamy: A History'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books) pp. 214–216.</ref> According to sources, sect members had sexual relations during the group's [[Temple (Latter Day Saints)|temple]] ceremonies.<ref name = VanWagoner/><ref name = Hales>Brian C. Hales (2007). ''Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations After the Manifesto'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, {{ISBN|978-1-58958-035-0}}) p. 477, fn. 61.</ref><ref>John R. Llewellyn (2004). ''Polygamy Under Attack: From Tom Green to Brian David Mitchell'' (Phoenix, Arizona: Agreka Books, {{ISBN|978-1-888106-76-3}}) p. 61.</ref> In 1981, the group lost the Fair Haven Ranch when they were unable to keep up on mortgage payments.<ref name = Melton/> As a result, Bryant, five of his six wives, and some of the members of the group relocated to [[Marion County, Oregon]], near Salem.<ref name = Melton/>

==Reorganization of church==
By the mid-1980s, over 100 members of Bryant's church had moved into the Salem area.<ref name = Melton/> When the church attempted to convert a barn on the farm to a church building, it was blocked by neighborhood protests.<ref name = Melton/> Ultimately, Bryant left the Evangelical Church of Christ due to internal and external difficulties and it soon disintegrated.<ref name = Melton/> However, in 1985, Bryant reorganized the church into the Church of the New Covenant in Christ, with a membership of approximately 120 families.<ref name = Melton/>

==Teachings==
As head of the Church of the New Covenant in Christ, Bryant has highlighted what he views as a challenge to Mormon fundamentalism: Bryant argues that Mormon fundamentalists have neglected Jesus in favor of a focus on polygamy and male patriarchy.<ref name = Melton/><ref name = King>Marsha King, "Changing beliefs led family to rearrange plural union", ''[[Seattle Times]]'', 1985-10-13.</ref> Bryant's own experience of being "[[Born again (Christianity)|born again]]" after his move to Salem prompted him to change the name of his church from the "Evangelical Church of Christ" to the "Church of the New Covenant in Christ".<ref name = Melton/> Bryant abandoned teaching plural marriage, vowed to take no more wives, and reoriented his family life away from its previous patriarchal structure.<ref name = Melton/><ref name = King/> However, Bryant remained married to his wives in an attempt to prevent the break-up of his family.<ref name = Melton/><ref name = King/>

==Notes==
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{{MFleaders}}
{{LDS sects/Mormon fundamentalist|ABUsects=yes}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Mormon missionaries]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saint leaders]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:American Mormon missionaries in Japan]]
[[Category:Angelic visionaries]]
[[Category:Converts to Mormonism]]
[[Category:LGBTQ and Mormonism]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint movement in Oregon]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mormon fundamentalist leaders]]
[[Category:People from Salem, Oregon]]