Devotion: The Gloriavale Story (2026) – Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust

Devotion: The Gloriavale Story

Devotion: The Gloriavale Story (released internationally as Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal) is a three-part documentary series exploring the isolated and controversial Christian community of Gloriavale on the South Island of New Zealand. Directed and produced with rare inside access by Dame Julie Christie, the series contrasts decades of severe abuse scandals and legal convictions with interviews from current members defending their way of life.

The series is structured across three episodes:

Episode 1: In Search of Truth — traces Gloriavale’s origins through founder Neville Cooper (known within the community as “Hopeful Christian”), and how a movement built on obedience and shared living gradually hardened into a system of control.
Episode 2: Sins of the Father — covers the police raid on the community and the founder’s fall from power.
Episode 3: The Choices We Make — follows the leadership crisis after the founder’s death, as Gloriavale’s new leadership faces continued scrutiny and allegations.

Unlike some earlier documentaries on Gloriavale, Devotion makes a point of including extended interviews with current members who defend the community and reject the “cult” label, alongside former members who describe a very different experience. The series doesn’t shy away from the community’s documented history of abuse: according to the series, at least 14 members of the community have been convicted of sexual or physical offending over the past 30 years.

Content warning: the series addresses sexual and physical abuse directly and in detail, along with the community’s patriarchal structure, arranged marriages, and strict control over members’ personal lives.

Watch the Series Here

Documentaries like Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal can be controversial and former members often have a lot to say after something like this airs. So what did they think? Unsolicited, more than twenty leavers connected with the GLST to express their thoughts about the doco, while others responded to media interviews. So we’ve captured their views and have categorised them below for your ease of reading. They show fascinating insight from people who are thoroughly familiar with the Gloriavale frame of thinking. What did they think? What was missing? What was whitewashed? Has Gloriavale changed enough? Was the doco balanced? What were the consistent themes that came across? And what do they want the doco makers to know?