From Cult to Hope: Experts and former members to speak in Timaru

| Timaru Herald | Rachel Comer |

Australasia’s first cult conference has had a spin-off for Timaru with an international expert and Gloriavale leavers to speak on the long-lasting impact of breaking free.

From Cult To Hope, the first event of its kind in the region, will be held on November 2 and 4, and is a collaborative initiative between the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust and Te Rito South Canterbury, and is supported by the Olive Leaf Network.

Leavers’ Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said the sessions had come about following the recent Decult conference in Christchurch, which she attended, where there were a host of international experts.

“The experts have made themselves available so we thought we would make the most of them being here,’’ Gregory said.

Saturday’s session would be hosted by the trust, with a panel of former Gloriavale members discussing the characteristics of a religious cult, Gloriavale’s doctrines and beliefs and the impact it had on their lives, and their recovery.

Gregory said the session would be suitable for those who want to understand former cultists.

“It will look at the impacts and how people can support those people and it will be looking to give hope for recovery.’’

She said former cultists from other groups may also find the session helpful for what happened in their own group.

“There are always so many similarities,’’ she said.

Gregory hoped the sessions would give people a better understanding of leavers and give the leavers hope that they could rebuild their lives to be people who felt valued.

“Cult leavers are a unique group of people and most people leaving say they do not feel understood.’’

A private session would be held in the afternoon, she said.

On Monday, Dr Gillie Jenkinson, a renowned UK cult clinician and therapist, would host a training session on cultic harm, its impacts and recovery.

It would be a good opportunity for counsellors and others to better help those who have left a cult, she said.

Gregory said both sessions were open to the public and she encouraged community members to attend to get a better understanding of what those who left Gloriavale faced.

Special sessions will be held for former Gloriavale members, with childcare provided.

Dozens of families have fled Gloriavale, on the West Coast, with many making their way to settle in South Canterbury.

In November 2019, the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust was launched by a group of Timaru trustees. Until then the Gregorys, other volunteers, church members, former Gloriavale families and the public footed the bill for the ongoing financial support of former members who chose to resettle in the region.

It had been a busy few weeks for the trust running an event at Parliament with MPs and various social agency representatives, speaking of the long-term harm leavers faced.

“It’s been a couple of weeks of shining the light,’’ she said.