Impact

If you worked at Springbank/Gloriavale and are interested in knowing how these rulings might assist you to get some compensation, fill in the form on this page asap and your details will be passed through to Brian Henry’s legal team. They will be in touch.

Sept 2021 – Three ex-Gloriavale young men file in court for a declaration of “Employee”

Gloriavale is described as a self-sustaining Christian Community with its residents living what might be referred to as a communal lifestyle. It is made up of a Trust, a Partnership, a nominee company, a holding company, and a number of limited liability trading companies to operate a variety of commercial enterprises, including a honey making plant and a dairy farm.

Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage were born into the Community and carried out work starting from the age of six. All three of them left Gloriavale and sought a declaration that they were employees when performing work for the Community.

The Gloriavale defendants denied that the plaintiffs were employees. They claimed that any work undertaken between the ages of six and 14 was chores or work required by their parents; that work undertaken when they were 15 was part of their schooling; and that work undertaken from 16 years of age was done on a voluntary basis. There was no intention to enter into an employment relationship at any stage. The judge approved an urgent fixture.

Feb/March 2022 – Court case heard over AVL due to Covid

The hearing lasted three weeks and involved 8 former Gloriavale members (Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim, Levi Courage, Zion Pilgrim, John Ready, Sharon Ready,Virginia Courage and Faithful Disciple), and 4 current Gloriavale members (Peter Righteous, Serenity Valor, Charity Christian and John Helpful. Mark Christian did not appear as expected). The Government witnesses included Hannah Crampton and Richard Lewis from MBIE.

10 May 2022 – Court Ruling, Plaintiffs Win

In her  58-page judgement Chief Judge Christina Inglis made declarations that Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage were employees from the age of six through to when they left the Gloriavale Community.

Read a summarised version of the court judgement on the Daily Vale.

The plaintiffs also claimed that the Labour Inspector breached their statutory duties. This aspect of the claim centred on a report of the Labour Inspector, concluding that people working in Gloriavale were volunteers. This part of the case will be heard when the first part of the claim has been resolved. The Judge has reserved her judgment on “who is the employer”.

Read the Media Statement the court released.

Jan 2024 – Who will ensure the plaintiffs get paid?

The two parties tried mediation late 2023, but it failed.  (Through the rest of 2022 and 2023 the lawyers were also working with the Pilgrim Girls to seek a similar declaration of employee status. This paused the progress on the Courage proceedings). In January 2024, the plaintiffs filed their wage arrear claims with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA). Their job is to settle employment related disputes. They also then immediately requested for the case to be removed back to the Employment Court to complete the process. Click here for more details. The lawyers argued it was a complex case and it would speed up the process for the same judge to work it out based on the evidence accepted in court. No, poor or untrue record-keeping is problematic for this case.

But this attempt failed, with the ERA saying they were the best placed agency to deal with the issues the ERA commented,

“In his decision, ERA member David Beck said the authority had dealt with similar matters where there were no records kept, and that there was no urgency in this case because it had taken a long time to get to this point”

Click here for more details.

August 2024 – Who will hear the “Time Bar” argument and who will decide how much they get paid?

On 25 July 2024 Judge Christina Inglis heard the Courage and Pilgrim plaintiffs (applicants) and defendants (respondents) arguments for or against the Employment Court finishing off the cases to ensure the Boys and Girls way is paved for payments of lost wages, instead of keeping it with the Employment Relations Authority. The leavers’ lawyers arguments were based on the desire to safeguard the plaintiffs from having to give further evidence about their work life at Gloriavale. They also highlighted the difficulties with producing time-sheets, and they argued that the ERA was not going to be capable of determining the time bar issue. (Gloriavale had indicated they would be seeking the courts assistance to set in stone as 6 year time restriction for backpay, while the plaintiffs maintain the exceptional circumstances of their work and life in Gloriavale meant there should be no restrictions on back pay.)

On 7 August 2024 the judge ruled that both the time bar issue and the remuneration issue be completed in the Employment Court and removed from the ERA.

Read the Judgment here

September 2024 – MBIE files proceedings against Gloriavale on behalf of leavers (Courage and Pilgrim plaintiffs) for wage arrears, and penalties

November 2024 – Boys Employer named as the Overseeing Shepherd

On 21 November Judge Christina Inglis determined that the principal employer of the young men was the Overseeing Shepherd. She also noted this was the case regardless of the identity of the individual holding the role at the time, stating that,

“From the inception of the Gloriavale Community until his death on 15 May 2018, the Overseeing Shepherd was Hopeful Christian and, from that date, Howard Temple.”

She also commented that the plaintiffs my well have been simultaneously employed by other entities within the Gloriavale structure (jointly or otherwise), but that issue cannot be resolved at this stage in the proceedings, but may come into play in the next stage when dealing with compensation issues.

Read the Judgment here

November 2024 – Gloriavale ordered to pay legal costs

27 November 2024 Judge Christina Inglis awards $274,427.75 + GST + Disbursements and Expenses be paid by Gloriavale to the plaintiffs for legal costs. (This is a fraction of the real costs of the legal expenses, had the lawyers been charging a fair fee). It is understood that Gloriavale’s legal fees to defend the case were more than $1 million.

Read the Judgment here

November 2025 – Time Bar / Limitation Period Hearing

The 26–27 November 2025 hearing was a preliminary Employment Court hearing about whether the Pilgrim and Courage claims could still proceed despite statutory time limits.

The Court was dealing with four related proceedings: the former Gloriavale workers’ claims for wage arrears, holiday pay, breach of contract and personal grievances, and the Labour Inspector’s separate claims for declarations of breach, compensation and pecuniary penalties. The main questions were which claims were time-barred, whether transitional limitation provisions applied, and whether the four proceedings should be consolidated before the substantive hearing.

A major issue was when the limitation clock started and stopped. For the leavers, the Court considered when their wage claims became reasonably discoverable and when proceedings had effectively commenced. For the Labour Inspector, the Gloriavale defendants argued MBIE had waited too long to bring its enforcement claims.

March 2026 – Gloriavale Leavers vs MBIE – Judicial Review of the Labour Inspectorate’s 2017 and 2021 Reviews

During 16 – 18 March 2026 the Employment Court scrutinised the Labour Inspectorate’s failure to intervene in Gloriavale both in 2017 and 2021 despite overwhelming evidence. They accused inspectors of turning a blind eye to modern slavery and child exploitation. The Crown defended the agency, arguing that community members were viewed as religious volunteers at the time and that intervention had to be balanced against their communal lifestyle. Ultimately, internal records proved devastating for the Crown, revealing that the inspectorate had ignored explicit legal advice from Crown Law to investigate deeper, choosing instead to prematurely close its files and leave vulnerable children and adults unprotected.

More details on the Daily Vale here.

May 2026 – Time Bar and Limitation Period Judgement

• A Win for the Leavers: The court ruled that the nine former Gloriavale members could fully pursue their wage arrears and breach of contract claims. The judge decided that standard statutory limitation periods did not begin until the members actually left the commune and experienced life in the outside world, creating a fair exception due to their unique, isolated upbringing. She also welcomed their personal grievances claims as they were also outside of the limitation period.
• A Loss for the Labour Inspectorate: The judge dismissed all parallel compensation claims brought by the Labour Inspectorate, ruling that the state watchdog missed the legal clock. The court noted the inspectorate possessed actual knowledge of exploitation at Gloriavale by July 2017 but unreasonably delayed filing formal enforcement proceedings until September 2024.

Read more about it on the Daily Vale here

August 2026 – Gloriavale Leavers Succeed at Judicial Review

• • Excluding Child Labour: Inspectors knowingly shut their eyes to child exploitation and deliberately left children out of their inquiries.
  • Misunderstanding Powers: The watchdog failed to comprehend its statutory duty to enforce minimum employment standards and protect vulnerable workers.
  • Irrelevant Considerations: The agency inappropriately allowed concerns about disrupting Gloriavale’s communal lifestyle to dictate its enforcement choices.
  • Failing to Test Evidence: Investigators accepted the leadership’s claims at face value without looking into obvious signs of coercion, control, and duress.
  • Ignoring Crown Law Advice: The inspectorate disregarded explicit warnings from Crown Law to pursue deeper lines of inquiry, choosing instead to close the files prematurely.

Read more about it here on the Daily Vale

How Did We Get Here? A Detailed Background

• Gloriavale partakes in three documentaries (funded by NZ on Air). A World Apart 2014, Life and Death 2015, A Woman’s Place 2016.
• During these years people started leaving Gloriavale in numbers not seen before. They were upset by the one-sided view of Gloriavale that was shown in these documentaries and a few leavers were interviewed for Sunday, Campbell Live and other print media during April 2015. (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-leaders-close-in-as-members-talk-of-leaving/4SWTFGHTQOHYCNUD5K6QPGZF3I/?c_id=1&objectid=11436686)
• The Police had concerns about what they were hearing and ask the Charities Services to Investigate. Concerns ranged from financial irregularity, enforced marriage, physical and sexual abuse, forced separation of families and a controlling environment.
• After interviewing more than 18 former members the issues widened to include financial practices relating to members’ wages, financial practices set up to facilitate theft/fraud, funds being used for non-charitable purposes. Mismanagement in the form on conflicts of interest management, Coercion to hand over assets to the Trust, those that leave the community do so with no assets, Members of Gloriavale are forced to sign contracts with no informed consent, marriages taking place without consent of both parties, abandonment of members that poses a risk to their well-being, manipulation of members through their belief system, separating family members as a form of punishment, unsafe health and labour practices.
• Charities Services suggested a Joint Agency was required and Police, MSD, Oranga Tamariki, etc were involved to ensure the ongoing care and welfare of the people and especially the children. Charities Services passed some information to the Police to consider allegations of offending.
• Charities Services also requested MBIE (Labour Inspectorate) to look at the issues regarding workplace health and safety, and long working hours. (they were not part of the joint agency)
• Charities Services Investigation report was completed in 2016. It acknowledged the Trust had engaged in patterns of activity that were mentioned in the Act’s definition of serious wrong-doing. Read the report here: https://www.scribd.com/document/344645661/Gloriavale-Charity-Services-Investigation
• However, Charities Services did not give a formal warning to Gloriavale, choosing instead to work with the Trust to become compliant. Under pressure Gloriavale promised to make changes and to them seemed to offer a “high level of cooperation” with the Charities Services. They added three external trustees onto their board. They selected a lawyer, who was known to work for them, a man who owned Mitre Ten and another local businessman.
• Charities Services requested the Labour Inspectorate to look into the allegations of long working hours and health and safety issues.
• In 2017 MBIE (Stu Lumsden) completed a desktop review of the Charities Services interview notes, and did not interview any ex-members. He made the comment in the report “My conclusion, on balance, is that members of the Gloriavale community are not employees. Therefore, whilst some general concerns remain evident, it is recommended that the Labour Inspectorate does not proceed to a full investigation, and that no further action should be taken at this point.” (Read the report here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ur5kw51arpqadw/MBIE%20-%20Desktop%20Review%20by%20Stu%20Lumsden%202017.pdf?dl=0)
• The report was buried and no one who left Gloriavale ever knew about this report.
• Over 2017 – 2019, Gloriavale wrote new policies, which leavers followed closely, knowing that Gloriavale had no intention of implanting the changes they promised to the Charities Services. Over the next few years, leavers say things got worse on the ground at Gloriavale (more control than ever). They spoke openly about their concerns and the group that became the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust recorded the complaints and sent them on to Police and Charities Services across this time period.
• In Dec 2019, On behalf of 35 leavers (representing 79 recent leavers), the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust called for a new Charities Investigation in December 2019. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122250979/gloriavale-leavers-calling-for-new-investigation-into-community
• Their request was declined in August 2020 – after weighing up a lot of material that had been given to them. By now Operations Minneapolis had begun into sexual offending in the commune. (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122624445/charities-services-declines-calls-to-reinvestigate-gloriavale)
• In September 2020 lawyers working for leavers filed a Civil Action against Gloriavale, seeking to remove the Trustees. (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122862433/gloriavale-leaver-launches-high-court-civil-proceedings-against-leaders) https://www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz/articles/statement-of-claim-made-public-for-first-time-as-civil-case-taken-against-gloriavale/
• That same week in Sept two men who were current residents of Gloriavale came out of the bush on the condition of anonymity and spoke to News Hub and spoke about their working conditions and life inside Gloriavale. (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/current-gloriavale-members-sneak-out-to-openly-criticise-leaders.html?fbclid=IwAR1yKBwaTH0gX7SNe0PMhMGJVeJ16rUM33N0_6Y1YtOBN9TgeyuoGvoQqwQ)
• Newshub reporter, Michael Morrah, followed up and uncovered the 2017 MBIE report.
• MP Andrew Little orders a review after seeing the critical MBIE report (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/10/andrew-little-orders-major-review-into-gloriavale-practices-after-seeing-critical-2017-report.html?fbclid=IwAR13r5skA2rekjQJU9SW–1B3OFy_O-gNEW4FkYry1u09sTv8b7hjjDP9Ng)
• Sept 2020 Worksafe went into Gloriavale but insider said they were warned about the upcoming visit and they made attempts to tidy up their practices and ensure everything looked good for the inspectors. (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/worksafe-investigating-gloriavale-over-current-members-claims-of-punishing-work-hours.html?fbclid=IwAR0BtcHe1D90aLz0ZAB_6nET5r0_MYKa2AW641MLedXkUJcD-bQev4xjmn0)
• October 2020 MBIE says it will not open an investigation into Gloriavale, standing by its claims that the workers were not employees and they have no jurisdiction. They invite ex-mebers to come forward to help them reassess. (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122948819/no-action-to-be-taken-against-gloriavale-by-labour-inspectorate-as-workers-deemed-volunteers?fbclid=IwAR3Ykc35ndFK4aQtRUm2PCU14QffEK5PPSAgaCtGsBWQFEqyqR6BssAfgwQ)
• The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust, along with ex-members and the media called for a full investigation into Gloriavale’s workplace practices and allegations of exploitation.
• MBIE opens a “Pre-investigation” towards the end of 2020. This involved interviews with around 13 leavers. They also interviewed people inside Gloriavale, who were told by leadership to tell the inspectors that they were volunteers and not employees. The issue sat with Crown Law for many months.
• After 9 months, on 23 July 2021, MBIE came back with a decision. They determined that on the balance of probabilities if they were to take Gloriavale to court over this issue, they would not have a 100% chance of winning, and so they declined to proceed to a full investigation. MBIE remained convinced that the people at Gloriavale were not employees and because of this they had no jurisdiction. https://www.employment.govt.nz/about/news-and-updates/labour-inspectorate-concludes-inquiry-gloriavale/
• By early August the leavers’ legal team, Brian Henry, Dennis Gates and Steve Patterson requested the case be passed to them.
• The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust advocated for the leavers and insisted MBIE was wrong in its analysis and that they had all the classic signs of exploited employees.
• The leavers were upset and made noise in the media. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/427724/gloriavale-leavers-petition-government-plan-to-protest?fbclid=IwAR1l7J1TQRtMPaxEEGKtK8IORW5onFSpXLhVUhxD4O1b4vsyKWZtuhkRX_A
• Ex-members and supporters protest outside the Leaders Debate: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122995748/gloriavale-leavers-launch-petition-and-protests-to-get-government-inquiry?fbclid=IwAR2_d-AKhn8K6tS4lAFtr0HezZT1J8D96uMMMZEsnrIyO_svpc1-BYmyzHw
• By Sept 2020 the legal team filed in the Employment Court for an urgent hearing, which was granted to them. They requested the court find three young ex-Gloriavale men as employees as employees and not volunteers. The legal team decided to bring the Attorney General into the case as Defendant #1 because they failed to protect the interests of the alleged exploited workers, and Gloriavale entities and leadership team were Defendants #2. (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/workers-or-volunteers-gloriavale-leavers-take-employment-fight-to-court/6DU3LWLYHZOEZPD7L654ZBPKZI/)
• 21 Feb – 4 March 2022 – Court hearing runs AVL link (due to Covid)
• During March 2022, before the Boys’ case was complete, the leavers’ legal team filed a new set of proceedings against the Attorney General and Gloriavale, stating the young ladies who worked at Gloriavale were employees and not volunteers. This case was called Pilgrim v Attorney General. There are six plaintiffs. The case will be heard later this year. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/employment-court-grants-another-group-of-ex-gloriavale-members-urgent-hearing/XLC6X53UHQUAV5DOVW3OAAWDGE/
• Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust calls for a reinvestigation by the Charities Services on the basis of evidence given in the court. This is declined. They say they will wait for the judgement.
• Judge ruled on 10 May 2022 that the three plaintiffs were employees from the age of six years old. They are entitled to compensation. (Read the Judgement Here: https://www.employmentcourt.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Decisions/2022-NZEmpC-77-Courage-Ors-v-Attorney-General-Ors-Judgment.pdf)
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/employment-court-rules-gloriavale-members-were-employees-from-age-6-undertook-laborious-often-dangerous-work-not-chores/Y765MNKEGTL6QD74BHEOD34OCM/
• There are two more stages of the case yet to be determined. Stage Two: The judge needs to state who the employers were. Stage Two: The Govt will be in the stand answering why they failed to recognise the employment status of the plaintiffs.
• MBIE recognises that the court ruling applies not just to the three plaintiffs, but to any other young men in s similar situation, either those who have left Gloriavale, or those who still remain.
• Charities Services finally announces an investigation into Gloriavale after the ruling of Chief Judge Inglis in the Courage v Attorney General Employment Court case in May 2022. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128606746/charities-services-open-new-investigation-into-gloriavales-charitable-status-following-employment-court-decision
• Gloriavale chooses not to appeal the Employment Court ruling.
• 3 June 2022 – The Attorney General makes an application to the court to share court documents with Government agencies. The Application stated “The judgment identified a range of issues which may be of interest to these agencies and which the Attorney-General considers ought appropriately to be drawn to their attention to facilitate further investigation.” The agencies which the Attorney-General wishes to provide the above documents to are: New Zealand Police, Ministry for Children, WorkSafe, Ministry of Social Development, Charities Service, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Health,, Ministry of Education, The Education Review Office, and New Zealand Qualifications Association.
• https://www.employmentcourt.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Decisions/2022-NZEmpC-98-Courage-Ors-v-A-G-Ors-Interlocutory-Judgment-No-12.pdf
• June/July/Aug 2022 – Various businesses choose to stop conducting business with Gloriavale under mounting pressure – in particular those associated with the Meal Plant and the Dairy industry. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128729583/gloriavale-factory-loses-meat-company-contract-and-a-workers-third-degree-burns-spark-a-worksafe-investigation
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128627522/westland-dairy-could-cancel-gloriavales-milk-supply-contract-following-evidence-of-child-labour-and-worker-exploitation
• Gloriavale heads to court to seek an application for an injunction which will force Westland Milk to pick up their milk until the case can be heard. In court they claim that no underage workers were used on farms since 2017 (a patently false statement).
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-milk-row-no-child-labour-used-on-farms-for-at-least-five-years-court-hears/O3W7ZCEXV5HSCDXVJGI3HICYPA/
• BNZ Bank tried to shut down Gloriavale bank accounts – but is paused by a court injunction. Recent court ruling has paved the way for an appeal of this decision. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/gloriavale-suffers-setback-in-battle-with-bnz-to-maintain-access-to-banking-services/WENQQ3BPGJHB5GKTQA4JVDVNSI/
• July 2024 – Plaintiffs win their special leave to have the proceedings removed into the Employment Court. All time bar decisions and wage claims will be determined here.
• September 2024 – MBIE brings proceedings against Gloriavale to help recover the leavers (plaintiffs) wage arrear claims, and also seeks to fine Gloriavale for their failures.
• 21 November 2024 – Judge finds that the employer is the Overseeing Shepherd (the role and the individual occupying it at the time). She doesn’t rule out the prospect of multiple employers (relating to other structures), but will deal with those issues as they arise.
• 26/27 November 2025 – Time Bar and Limitation Periods Hearing for both Leavers and MBIE
• 26 March 2026 – Judicial review hearing in Christchurch Employment Court – Judge Inglis. GV leavers vs MBIE to overturn the 2017 and 2021 Labour Inspectorate Reports into Gloriavale
• 28 May 2026 – Judgment delivered for the Time Bar / Limitation periods hearing. A win for leavers, and a loss for the Labour Inspectorate who was deemed to be out of time to bring enforcement action against Gloriavale.
• 12 August 2026 – Judge Inglis rules the Labour Inspectorate made serious legal errors during their 2017 and 2021 investigations into Gloriavale. There will be a further hearing to determine remedies.

The Timeline