Gloriavale members criticise leaders
Two members of Gloriavale walked out in secret to raise serious allegations against the community leaders of control, long work hours and mental abuse.
If you are a male who believes they were employed by Springbank/Gloriavale, you may be eligible for compensation. Please click here to be informed of the process.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”
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.
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.
Two members of Gloriavale walked out in secret to raise serious allegations against the community leaders of control, long work hours and mental abuse.
Today the Employment Court met to hear from ex-Gloriavale residents Levi Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Hosea Courage, who were plaintiffs in this case.
Chief Judge Inglis hears the final witnesses (from Gloriavale and from MBIE) and reserves her judgement. Court is adjourned and we begin the wait to hear the final verdict.