Latest News
Gloriavale leaders refuse to apologise to former member
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | Gloriavale leaders have refused to deliver a personal apology to a former member for abuse at the Christian community, despite publicly offering to say sorry to victims who ask for one. Leavers say that’s exposed their pledge as a PR stunt, as Jean Edwards reports.…
Leaving a cult with Theophila Pratt (Part 1)
: | Cult Chat | Podcast | Theophila Pratt, author of “Unveiled – A Story of Surviving Gloriavale” joins the team for our first of three episodes about leaving cults. This compelling conversation explores the immediate challenges, discusses identity construction, and the difficulties of finding people to help along the way.…
Gloriavale Unveiled with Theophila Pratt
: | Untidy | 1:01:17 | In this episode of Untidy, Matilda and Hannah speak with Theophila Pratt, a Gloriavale cult survivor, qualified paediatric occupational therapist, author, and fierce advocate for freedom and healing. Theo, formerly known as Honey Faithful, grew up in Gloriavale, an isolated and highly controlled Christian community…
Debanking: The New Risk in Finance
: | Wealth Morning | Simon Angelo | When I was working offshore, each day, I would walk past the entrance of Coutts Private Bank in Jersey. It was a reminder of the exclusive banking options some wealthy islanders enjoyed. Coutts has been providing banking services since 1692. It is the…
Heaven and Hell: The Dark Truth Behind NZ’s Centrepoint & Gloriavale Cults
: | Award Ceremony and More | Step inside two of New Zealand’s most notorious communities—Centrepoint and Gloriavale. This video explores the disturbing realities behind their promises of utopia, revealing stories of control, manipulation, and abuse from those who lived through it. Featuring survivor testimonies and documentary footage from Heaven and…
Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult Audiobook by Lilia Tarawa
: | Hot Audiobook | Listen to this audiobook in full for free on https://hotaudiobook.com ID: 553152 Title: Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult Author: Lilia Tarawa Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen Format: Unabridged Length: 09:10:49 Language: English Release date: 12-14-21 Publisher: Tantor Media Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Biography &…
Gloriavale members showcase art in Greymouth exhibition
: | NZ_Herald | Imogen Brophy | Artworks by members of West Coast religious community Gloriavale have taken centre stage at Greymouth’s Left Bank Art Gallery. The collection, named Glorious Artworks, includes paintings, drawings, and model aeroplanes, says community leader Peter Righteous. A photographer himself, Righteous says the artwork was created…
Zion & Gloriana’s Story: A Journey from Control to Christ
: | Sanctuary | Dave Mann | What happens when faith collides with freedom? Dave Mann, from Shining Light Trust shares the emotional and spiritual journey of a couple who left Gloriavale—and found Christ anew. Their story, now a @nzshinetv documentary, is one of healing, forgiveness, and a deeper, freer walk…
Gloriavale artists showcase talent in new exhibition
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale community members are showcasing their artistic talents in a new exhibition at Greymouth’s Left Bank Gallery. Organiser, community leader and photographer Peter Righteous said the exhibition, named Glorious Artworks, includes paintings, charcoal drawings, landscape photographs, model aircraft and chessboards with hand-made wooden…
Gloriavale reports $860k deficit, finds new bank after being dumped by BNZ
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale has posted a deficit of more than $860,000 and has a new bank after being dumped by BNZ – although which bank has taken on the controversial West Coast community remains a mystery. In December, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of…
Gloriavale finds alternative to BNZ
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |[Subscription Only] Gloriavale has found a new bank, after BNZ won a court case to discontinue services. The Court of Appeal cleared the way for the Australian-owned bank to close Gloriavale’s accounts in December. That includes the Christian community’s businesses and some of the largest dairy farms…
REAPs explore Coast
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only | Almost 100 representatives from all around New Zealand have spent the past few days on the West Coast for the REAP Aotearoa national conference. The conference was co-hosted by BullerREAP and WestREAP, with delegates being united under the theme ‘community, connection and culture’.…
Pressures tell on Gloriavale finances
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |[Subscription Only] After six years of surplus, the under-pressure Gloriavale Christian Community has reported a deficit of over $800,000. For the year ended July 2024, it reported one full-time employee and 22 volunteers. A surplus of $3.4 million two years ago dropped to $766,000…
Gloriavale Art on Show
: | Greymouth Star | Arianna Stewart |[Subscription Only] Artists from the Gloriavale Christian Community are excited to mount their first exhibition ‘Glorious Artworks’ at the Left Bank Art Gallery in Greymouth. “The idea is that we want to always be keeping in mind with our art that we glorify God,”…
Time to scrape away Gloriavale’s pretence of a ‘Christian community’
: | The Press | Dennis Gates | Dennis Gates is a lawyer from Cambridge who was involved in the early litigation against Gloriavale. OPINION: It’s two years since the Employment Court ruled that a group of Gloriavale women were employees not volunteers, and a year since the TV documentary Escaping Utopia revealed that…
An atheist on why churches should remain tax-free
: | RNZ | Sharon Brettkelly | The government is set to review charities’ tax-free status, which sees churches avoid paying income tax. An atheist professor says changing the laws would be devastating for New Zealand. If the thousands of churches in New Zealand paid income tax, the government’s coffers would…
Ministry quiet on India Gloriavale
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |[Subscription Only] A year after a television documentary looked into Gloriavale’s outpost in India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is declining to say what action it took. In the TVNZ ‘docuseries’, Escaping Utopia, former Gloriavale members travelled to India and met a member who moved…
Extract: Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale, by Theophila Pratt
: | Kete | Theophila Pratt was born Honey Faithful in Gloriavale, the fundamentalist Christian community that has been at the centre of decades of allegations of sexual and physical assualt, and workplace exploitation. Raised in this isolated community, where a small contingent of men held all the power, Theo found…
Gloriavale
: | Downie Stewart | The Christian Church Community Trust and associated entities (commonly known as Gloriavale) has received a great deal of media attention. In particular, various allegations have been made that its leaders: For many years, Gloriavale has banked with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ). In July 2022,…
Gloriavale population falls while 100 babies born, census shows
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale has the youngest population, highest birth rate, and lowest median income in the country, census data shows. The Gloriavale Christian Community at Lake Haupiri on the West Coast has its own statistical area in the census data. Other census data shows the median…
Gloriavale on Waitangi Day
: | Newsroom | Theophila Pratt | ‘Gloriavale must have been one of the most racist places in New Zealand, especially if you were Māori’, writes a former member Every Waitangi Day, the choir used to go and sing at the Grey District Waitangi Day Picnic at Dixon Park in Greymouth.…
Gloriavale survivor Theophila Pratt talks life on the outside with Paula Bennett – Ask Me Anything
: | New Zealand Herald | Paula Bennett | Even though she had always had her doubts about Gloriavale, it took Theophila Pratt until she was 18 to finally leave the community behind. But when her mum dropped her off at a bus stop in Greymouth, Pratt didn’t even know what…
Gloriavale survivor Theophila Pratt shares her story of resilience
: | NZ Herald | Paula Bennett | iHeart | This week, Paula’s guest is Theophila Pratt. Born Honey Faithful in the Christian community of Gloriavale, Theophila never fit in, changing her name at 16 and eventually leaving at 18. She has shared her story in a new book, Unveiled, in…
How Theophila reclaimed her life after Gloriavale
: | Woman’s Day | Judy Bailey | Theophila Pratt grew up in the cult, denied a childhood and a voice because of her gender. But since graduating from uni, she’s using those dark times to fuel her dream of helping others. Theophila Pratt is reclaiming her life – fighting back…
Gloriavale women trapped in India still under investigation
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A woman who is fighting for her sister trapped in Gloriavale’s Indian community without access to her passport says the battle is still a “work in progress” Theophilia Pratt’s sister Precious is one of five women who were born in Gloriavale on the…
Young Gloriavale man died in accidental ‘blacking out’, coroner rules
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A 20-year-old Gloriavale man died after an accidental blackout, with brain damage from workplace toxins preventing his recovery, a coroner has found. Sincere Standtrue died in Christchurch Hospital on November 2, 2018, nine days after being found unresponsive in the community’s paint shop.…
Rose Standtrue’s Statement re Coroners Report On Death Of Gloriavale Man, Sincere Standtrue
: | Scoop | Red PR | “My brother was a kind and loving person. He had a beautiful soul and a kind heart. He always looked after his younger siblings. Sincere was taken too soon and we miss him every day. The Coroner held back the investigation of the timeline…
Coroner: Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue’s sudden death result of ‘blacking out game’
: | NZ Herald | Anna Leask | A coroner has ruled that the sudden death of young Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue was an accident – caused by “blacking himself out” – and not a suicide. But his sister – who escaped Gloriavale – has criticised the findings and process, as well as the police…Sincere Standtrue inquest: Gloriavale man’s death was result of ‘blacking out’, coroner finds
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Warning: This story discusses suicide and sexual abuse. A young Gloriavale man’s death was the result of a tragic accident after experimenting with “blacking out”, while his ability to recover was affected by brain damage caused by exposure to solvents, a coroner has found.…
BNZ v Gloriavale: Contractual discretions to be exercised for a proper purpose
: | ENYO Law | Chris Boswell | Introduction In a recent judgment, the New Zealand Court of Appeal (“the Court”) has signaled a possible change of approach in relation to the exercise of contractual discretions.[1] Previously, the Court had proceeded on the assumption that the “default rule”, that a contractual…
Leaving Gloriavale
: | Greymouth Star |Subscription Only A former Gloriavale woman who was put on a bus at just 16 when she left the Christian community at Lake Haupiri has written a book about her experiences. Unveiled — A Life of Surviving Gloriavale by Theophila Pratt, is out this month. Named Honey…
The Dark Truth of Gloriavale: A New Zealand Cult
: | Mystery Shack | Step inside one of the world’s most secretive and controversial religious communities—Gloriavale. Hidden deep in New Zealand’s remote wilderness, this isolated Christian sect has faced shocking allegations of control, manipulation, and abuse. But how did it all begin? And why do people stay? In this deep…Book Extract: Unveiled
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only When I got off the bus, I stood there looking around, not knowing where to go next with my giant 100-year-old suitcase. As I struggled through the doors into the airport, a man came up behind me and offered me a trolley, then he…
Gloriavale ERO report due
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only The new Education Review Office (ERO) report on Gloriavale School should be out later this term. In 2023, ERO issued a highly critical report and determined the school did not meet many of the criteria for registration as a private school. It has been undertaking a…
An Arranged Marriage! – Zion and Gloriana’s Gloriavale story
: | Hope Project NZ | After 25 years in their arranged marriage at Gloriavale, while Zion and Gloriana still loved each other very much, they realised they could no longer agree with the vows they once made. Born into the reclusive Gloriavale community in New Zealand, Zion and Gloriana entered…Book details life inside Gloriavale
: | Chris Harrowell | Eastern Times | A former member of the high-profile New Zealand sect Gloriavale has written a book about her life and she’s launching it at an event in rural east Auckland. Theophila Pratt, who was named Honey Faithful at birth, was born and raised in the…
Former member Theophila reveals what life is really like for women inside Gloriavale
: | Woman’s Day | Sophie Neville | Now a qualified occupational therapist, Theophila Pratt is lifting the lid on sexual abuse and exploitation in the secretive cult. From the outside, Theophila Pratt and Kevin MacIver look much like any other young Kiwi couple. They love pottering about the home they…
Surviving Gloriavale: Former member Theophila Pratt on life inside closed community
: | The Post | Theophila Pratt | When people find out Theophila Pratt was once a member of Gloriavale they often ask, why did you choose that life? In her new memoir, Unveiled, she explains that living in the isolated community was never a choice, and in this extract, how…
Gloriavale Escapee Answers Questions from Instagram!
: | Dom Harvey Podcast | 27 year old Theo Pratt spent the first 18 years of her life in the Gloriavale cult. When she left as a young adult, she turned her back on everything she’d ever known since birth. When I announced on Instagram that Theo was joining me…
Unveiled: Theophila Pratt’s story of surviving Gloriavale
: | RNZ | Nine to Noon | At age 18 Theophila Pratt was dropped at a bus stop in Greymouth – bound ultimately for a place called Auckland, that she’d heard of, but couldn’t place on a map. As her mother drove away, she told Theo the decision she’d just made…
Gloriavale Survivor – Exposing Abuse & Cult in India, Consequences of Leaving
: | The Dom Harvey Podcast | At just 18 years old, Theo Pratt made the terrifying decision to leave the Gloriavale cult and everything she’d ever known—her family, her home, her entire way of life- absolutely everything she had known since birth. She was dropped at a bus stop with…
De-banking restrictions back on the table?
: | Bell Gully | Tim Fitzgerald, Julian Brown & Tristan Hutchinson | Parliament is to consider a Bill that would prohibit banks from refusing to provide services to customers, or treating customers less favourably than would otherwise be the case, based on environmental, social, or governance considerations, including the industry…
Duncan Webb: Labour MP for Christchurch Central
: | Facebook | Today I popped down to Timaru to meet with the team at Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust. The work they do is extensive, broad and incredibly important. From supporting leavers into accommodation and work to supplying them with counselling, driving lessons and educational courses, the Trust works hard…
“How Cults Control Women”, Recover From Coercive Control
: | Recover from Coercive Control | Renee Spencer| Patriarchy is a powerful tool for control, and cults know it. In this video, we break down how patriarchal structures are weaponised in cults to suppress, manipulate, and control women-using the infamous Gloriavale community as a case study. Gloriavale, a reclusive Christian…
Debanking in New Zealand: Lessons from Gloriavale
: | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Richard Gordon; Alex Church | In this episode, Litigation Partner, Richard Gordon talks to Senior Associate, Alex Church, about the outcome of a recent Court of Appeal case, Bank of New Zealand v The Christian Church Community Trust and others, commonly known as the Gloriavale case. Together they discuss the implications…
Co-founder of ‘Real Handmaid’s Tale’ cult reveals disgusting reason he decided to quit the community
: | Lad Bible | Michael Slavin | The new BBC documentary Escaping Utopia has detailed what it was like inside the Gloriavale cult Warning: The following article contains discussion of child sex abuse that some readers may find disturbing The co-founder of a cult described as the ‘real Handmaid’s Tale’ has…
Forget The Handmaid’s Tale, this real-life Kiwi cult is even creepier
: | Daily Mail | Christopher Stevens | Liz Gregory likes to call herself ‘the Devil’. A committed Christian, she has devoted her life to helping refugees from a cult, whose leaders regard her as the embodiment of Satan. With an infectious laugh, Liz holds up her fingers to her forehead…
‘Real Handmaid’s tale’ community that forced young girls to watch their parents have sex
: | Lad Bible | Michael Slavin | The community has been exposed in a new documentary called Escaping Utopia Warning: The following article contains discussion of child sex abuse that some readers may find disturbing A cult community which horrifically forced young girls to watch their parents having sex has…
Hell on Earth
: | The Irish Sun | Jim Mahoney | We were made to watch our parents have sex & abused from 7 in cult run by ‘shepherds’ who performed sick marriage ‘prep’ Far from being a promised Utopia, Gloriavale was set up by a sex offender who systematically abused the children.…
Escaping Utopia, review: a refreshingly old-fashioned documentary about a disturbing cult
: | The Telegraph | Anita Singh | Netflix transformed the documentary genre so profoundly that it feels unusual to come across something made in the old style. Escaping Utopia (BBC Two) doesn’t have glossy cinematography or a dramatic soundtrack or people talking directly into the camera. It is not edited in the…
Escaping Utopia review – there’s so much terrible detail about this cult it barely fits into the show
: | The Guardian | Lucy Mangan | Escapers from the Gloriavale sect open up about living in constant fear of damnation, its abuse of women – and a landmark court case brought by female ex-members Hello and welcome to another entrant in the popular television genre Do Try to Be…
Constraints on the exercise of contractual powers
: | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Constraints on contractual powers have long been a topic of debate that has received surprisingly little academic attention in New Zealand. However, this area has recently garnered increased attention due to several recent cases in New Zealand’s courts. We discuss the current state of constraints on the…
Life as a teen after leaving Gloriavale
: | TVNZ | “At about 10 years old, I imagined life outside Gloriavale would look sad and I wouldn’t have any friends … but that’s not true at all.” Angel Pilgrim was 13 years old when she left Gloriavale with her 12 siblings and parents. Now she’s 17, living in…
Court of Appeal rules Gloriavale’s challenges to BNZ decision to close its account are not seriously arguable
: | Hesketh Henry | Stephanie Corban | Background BNZ made the decision to close the accounts of 16 entities associated with the Gloriavale Christian Community following a decision by senior management that this action was appropriate given the BNZ’s internal human rights policy. BNZ gave notice to Gloriavale. The various…
Gloriavale member sentenced to four years two months in jail for sexual offending against girls
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | A former Gloriavale member who was sexually abused in the Christian community when she was 13 years old has told her abuser he stole her childhood and her innocence. Gloriavale man Fervent Ben-Canaan was jailed for four years and two months in the Christchurch…
Gloriavale workers packed jars until their hands bled to meet illegal honey order
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | As a teenager in Gloriavale, Levi Courage worked up to 70 hours a week filling jars of honey until his hands bled so they could be illegally exported to Vietnam. The honey, from Gloriavale company Forest Gold Honey, was exported using forged government…
Gloriavale leader and contractor in court for ‘stupid’ honey fraud
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Those involved in a Gloriavale honey company were “running around like headless chickens” as they committed $200,000 worth of fraud, a judge says. Forest Gold Honey, its director, two employees and an external contractor were accused of falsifying two export health certificates for more…
Former members of Gloriavale come to terms with apology
: | RNZ | Paddy Gower | Former members of the Gloriavale Christian Community are coming to terms with an apology for delivered to those who suffered “pain and suffering” at the commune. Gloriavale leaver John Ready spoke to Paddy Gower.…
Former Gloriavale members reject apology from leader regarding historic abuse
: | RNZ | Samantha Gee | Former Gloriavale members say an apology from the community’s leaders is insincere and they have concerns abuse will continue at the West Coast community. Last July, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historic Abuse in Care requested Gloriavale publicly apologise to former members for the neglect…
‘Insincere’: Former Gloriavale member voices disapproval with leader’s apology
: | NewstalkZB | A Gloriavale leaver has outlined his ‘livid’ reaction to yesterday’s apology from community leader Howard Temple. The Royal Commission of Inquiry requested an apology, after establishing a pattern of abuse. Temple thanked those who’d reported it – and accepted the Commission’s Safety of Care recommendation. But former…
Gloriavale leader makes public apology for historic abuse
: | RNZ | A Gloriavale leader has made a public apology to the community’s many victims for the historic abuse they suffered. It comes after the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historic Abuse in Care requested Gloriavale apologise to its members, last July. Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple delivered an apology…
Gloriavale’s apology for historical abuse labelled ‘pathetic’ by leavers
: | Stuff | Shilpy Arora| A West Coast fundamentalist Christian community has offered “deepest apologies” after admitting historic abuse occurred to people in their care over four decades. Gloriavale leaders on Sunday said they were “deeply sorry” after the Royal Commission of Inquiry found abuse took place in the church community…
Gloriavale apologises to survivors for historic abuse in community
: | 1News Reporters | Gloriavale leaders say they are “deeply sorry” for historic abuse that took place within the community and has apologised to survivors, saying it failed to provide a safe and supportive environment. An apology letter issued by Howard Temple on behalf of the West Coast commune’s leaders…
Gloriavale leader issues public apology to community’s many victims for historic abuse
: | NZ Herald | Anna Leask | Gloriavale’s leader has made a public apology for any “pain and suffering” experienced by its members. He offered thanks to all members who have reported abuse to New Zealand’s authorities – acknowledging previous leaders breached their trust and did not keep them safe. The apology was…
Ex-Gloriavale member left feeling sick after leader’s public apology | Stuff.co.nz
: | Stuff | A former member of Gloriavale says an apology from leader Howard Temple for historic sexual abuse in the community made him feel physically sick. Temple told Gloriavale members he was sorry for their pain and suffering and admitted past leaders didn’t keep them safe. The public apology…
Gloriavale’s past, present and future explored in documentary series
: | The Front Page | Chelsea Daniels | While The Front Page is on summer break, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest news stories and top-rated episodes from the podcast in 2024. For over 50 years, the secretive Christian community of Gloriavale has fascinated New…Does Gloriavale have a future?
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | The conservative West Coast Christian community has had a bad year. It was slated, among others, in the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care’s final report; yet more of its members appeared in court on sexual, physical assault and fraud charges; and this…
De-banking in the spotlight – Court of Appeal clarifies law related to the exercise of a contractual discretion
: | Buddle Findlay | Bridie McKinnon, Jacey McGrath | In its recent decision of Bank of New Zealand v The Christian Church Community Trust & Ors, the Court of Appeal has clarified the New Zealand position on whether standards of reasonableness will apply to decisions made in the exercise of a contracting…
MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ Sarah Salmond & Alex Church explain what the recent BNZ v Gloriavale judgment means
: | Interest.Co | Sarah Salmond & Alex Church | What happened? The Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in Bank of New Zealand v The Christian Church Community Trust & Ors [2024] NZCA 645 (BNZ v Gloriavale) clarifies and aligns the legal framework governing the termination of banking relationships in New Zealand, which is commonly…
Former Gloriavale man dies in suspected suicide at West Coast hotel
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A 20-year-old man who grew up in the Gloriavale community has died in a suspected suicide. It is the third such death of a young man from the Gloriavale Christian Community since 2018. The man, who had left the community, died at the Paroa Hotel…
Former Gloriavale teenager found dead in suspected suicide at West Coast hotel
: | NZ Herald | A teenager who grew up inside Gloriavale Christian Community has died in a suspected suicide at a West Coast hotel. The 18-year-old man who had left the community was found dead at Greymouth’s Paroa Hotel at 2.30pm on Sunday. A police spokesperson said the sudden death was not being treated as…Gloriavale CEO says court backing BNZ to close accounts won’t be end of the community
: | NZ Herald | Jenée Tibshraeny | Gloriavale is adamant it will continue to operate, even if BNZ closes its accounts. “It will not be the end of the community,” Phil Jamieson, the chief executive of the trust behind the exclusive religious community, told the Herald. The Court of Appeal on…
BNZ court ruling against Gloriavale. What do Leavers think?
: | Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust | Gloriavale lost its bid to keep its bank accounts open with BNZ. They have fought this issue in the courts for two years after BNZ indicated it wanted to shut their accounts after a 2022 Employment Court ruling found Gloriavale had been involved in…Debanking made easier
: | Lexology | Simpson Grierson | Banks with unwelcome customers will take heart from the recent decision of the Court of Appeal on the debanking of Gloriavale and its related entities. The decision encouraged a literal interpretation of bank terms and conditions which allowed a bank to exit a customer…
12-year-old suffered significant hearing loss after being hit in the head with grubber at Gloriavale dairy farm, court hears
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A 12-year-old boy has experienced significant hearing loss and “inescapable” ringing in his ears since he was hit in the head with a grubber 10 years ago while working at a Gloriavale dairy farm, a court has heard. Gloriavale man Moses Benjamin was…
MPI drops allegations of fraud against Gloriavale honey company after liquidation
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A Gloriavale honey company and its director accused of forging documents to illegally export New Zealand honey to Vietnam have had all their charges dropped after the business went into liquidation. West Coast honey producer Forest Gold Honey, owned by Christian Partners Nominee…
Gloriavale’s banking loss: ‘This is a case of consequences for poor behaviour’
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Gloriavale is being held accountable for poor behaviour with its loss in its fight to keep banking with BNZ, the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust says. BNZ has been given the green light to cut its ties with Gloriavale, with the Court of Appeal disposing of…
Our Handling of Gloriavale is a National Shame
: | Newstalk ZB | John MacDonald | Audio Transcript as follows: Surely this is the final straw for Gloriavale. Or, more to the point, surely it’s the final straw for the Government. Because it is absolutely shameful that it still exists. This final straw, by the way, is…
Banks aren’t the moral police
: | RNZ | Heather du Plessis-Allan | Yesterday a long running court case came to an end – at least for now. BNZ has won permission to shut down Gloriavale’s bank accounts. Now I actually feel quite uncomfortable about this. I’m no fan of Gloriavale – I’d like to see…Court gives BNZ greenlight to shut Gloriavale’s bank accounts in move that could end the community
: | NZ Herald | Jenée Tibshraeny| The Court of Appeal has delivered a blistering judgment that could see Gloriavale wind up its operations. It’s decided to dispose of an injunction that prevented BNZ from closing the exclusive religious community’s accounts. BNZ can now close the accounts related to Gloriavale’s various…
Court of Appeal clears way for BNZ to close Gloriavale’s bank accounts
: | RNZ | Business | The Court of Appeal has cleared the way for BNZ to close Gloriavale’s bank accounts after successfully appealing an injunction preventing the closures. BNZ wants to terminate its 40-year banking relationship with the reclusive Christian sect, arguing the community breached the bank’s human rights policy after an…Gloriavale loses fight to keep banking with BNZ
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | Gloriavale has lost its fight to keep banking with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) after two years of legal disputes. In July 2022, BNZ gave notice of its intention to terminate its banking relationship with various companies and entities associated with the Christian…BNZ To Close All Gloriavale Bank Accounts: Lawyer Calls On Government To Act Now
: | Scoop | Press Release: Ali Jones | The lawyer heading the legal team representing Gloriavale leavers says the Government needs to act now to protect the victims of the leaders. With an appeal court decision on Monday supporting the Bank of New Zealand’s decision in May to close all…
Court gives BNZ greenlight to shut Gloriavale’s bank accounts
: | Business Desk | Subscription Only | The Court of Appeal has delivered a blistering judgment that could see Gloriavale wind up its operations. The court has upheld an appeal from the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), deciding to dispose of an injunction that had required the bank to keep…
Gloriavale’s existence at risk if bank accounts close, court told
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | BNZ is allowed to use its human rights policy to stop providing banking for Gloriavale – a move the isolated settlement’s leaders say will put their community’s existence at risk. The bank’s decision to close Gloriavale’s accounts followed an Employment Court ruling in May…Gloriavale-owned Forest Gold Honey in liquidation owing more than $1m
: | NZ Herald | A manuka honey manufacturer owned by the Gloriavale Christian Community is in liquidation owing more than $1 million. Brenton Hunt of Insolvency Matters was appointed liquidator of Forest Gold Honey Limited on November 27. According to Companies Office records, Alpine Health Manufacturing New Zealand Ltd owns…
Forest Gold Honey in liquidation
: | The Press | Sinead Gill | A West Coast honey producer owes over $1 million after weaker than anticipated sales and failing to find trained staff. Forest Gold Honey is insolvent and has voluntarily entered liquidation, according to a report published by Christchurch liquidator Brenton Hunt on December 3.…
Court orders Gloriavale leader to pay former members
: | RNZ | Morning Report | The Employment Court has ordered Gloriavale’s leader to pay six former members more than $274,000 in legal costs. Barrister Brian Henry spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Listen at the above link.…
Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd ordered to pay former members $274,000 in legal costs
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd has been ordered to pay six former members who were found to have been Christian community employees more than $274,000 in legal costs. In July 2023, the Employment Court’s chief judge found the women worked extremely hard under punishing conditions for years preparing…
Gloriavale Christian Community’s honey operation in liquidation
: | Business Desk | Gregor Thompson |Subscription Only A mānuka honey manufacturer operated by the Gloriavale Christian Community has entered liquidation. Insolvency Matters’ Brenton Hunt was appointed as liquidator of a company called Forest Gold Honey on Nov 27. He told BusinessDesk he understood Forest Gold was operated by Gloriavale…
Gloriavale-Linked Manuka Honey Producer Enters Liquidation
: | Kapitales | Highlights: Manufacturer’s Liquidation Forest Gold Honey, a mānuka honey producer linked to the Gloriavale Christian Community, has entered liquidation. On November 27, Brenton Hunt of Insolvency Matters was appointed as the liquidator. According to Hunt, the company was operated by members of the Gloriavale community. Ownership StructureForest…
Overseeing shepherd found to be men’s employer in Gloriavale court case
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Former Gloriavale leavers can now seek compensation after the Employment Court found Gloriavale’s overseeing shepherd was their employer when they worked in the community. Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage successfully proved in the Employment Court in May 2022 that they were employees when…
Former Gloriavale members want compensation following court ruling
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | A former Gloriavale member wants to be paid for his years of work in the West Coast commune to end what he calls exploitative practices against residents. Hosea Courage spoke to 1News as the Employment Court made a new ruling that could pave the…
Gloriavale’s leader was employer of children working there, court rules
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd was the employer of three men who worked long hours from the age of six at the West Coast Christian community, the Employment Court has found. Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage were found to have been Gloriavale employees, rather than…
New Zealand government’s shameful modern slavery shutdown
: | The Daily Blog | Ian Powell – Guest Blog | Slaves had existed in both ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. However, the word ‘slavery’ has a subsequent Latin origin, ‘sclava’, meaning “Slavonic captive in reference to the 9th-century slavery of Slavonic people. Over time it came to mean…New Zealand’s Shameful Modern Slavery Shutdown
: | Scoop Independent News | Ian Powell | Slaves had existed in both ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. However, the word ‘slavery’ has a subsequent Latin origin, ‘sclava’, meaning “Slavonic captive in reference to the 9th-century slavery of Slavonic people. Over time it came to mean anyone in captivity,…
Letter: The next abuse apology will be for Gloriavale
: | NZ Herald | D. J. Gates | What about the abuse at Gloriavale? The Government’s recent Abuse in Care apology rings hollow to those in Gloriavale who continue to live under a regime that enforces misogyny, deliberately entraps its young in the remote central West Coast, miseducates its people and is facing a crisis among its…Consular officials contact Gloriavale’s Indian community
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |[Subscription Only] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says consular officials have been in touch with the Gloriavale Christian Community outpost in India. In the recent TVNZ ‘docuseries’, Escaping Utopia, former Gloriavale members travelled to India and met a member who moved there…
The case for reading books about animals wearing clothes
: | The Spinoff | Claire Mabey | In light of Gloriavale’s reluctant acceptance of Winnie-the-Pooh, Claire Mabey argues in favour of the wider canon of anthropomorphic animal literature. There is nothing more bleak than the banning of books and the curtailment of reading. Control what people read and you control what…
Gloriavale ‘slavery’ claim on path to hearing
: | The Post | Wellington Court Reporter | Former Gloriavale members have begun refining their claim of “slavery“ as it heads towards a hearing of allegations that the Crown failed to protect them at the closed community. Four people ‒ Anna Courage, Pearl Valor, Gideon Benjamin and Hosea Courage ‒…
Abuse in care apology called PR stunt, ‘not genuine’ and ‘tokenistic’ by some survivors
: | RNZ | Lillian Hanly | Survivors of abuse in care arrived at Parliament today to hear the formal apology from the state which oversaw and inflicted harm on children. Public sector leaders from Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Health, New Zealand Police, and Ministry of Education also apologised, as did the…
AWLA Open letter to the Government – Gloriavale Christian Community
: | AWLA | Open Letter | AWLA has written an open letter to the Government urging it to take immediate action to address concerns for the health and safety of wāhine and tamariki residing in Gloriavale Christian Community. In December last year, the Government abandoned a Cabinet-mandated joint agency response…Gloriavale leader allegedly admits community ‘used forced labour’
: | The Press | A recording has emerged of what is believed to be Gloriavale leader Howard Temple allegedly admitting to the community that the Bill of Rights had been breached and that people had been forced to work. The video, leaked to ThreeNews, was recorded in 2022, shortly after some…‘God bless’ Winnie-the-Pooh: Gloriavale families cautioned against reading fairy tales, ‘feminist propaganda’
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Gloriavale families have been cautioned against reading fairy tales, books that celebrate Christmas and children’s stories depicting animals dressed in clothes, by a senior leader checking the community’s reading material. In an email sent to members last month and obtained by RNZ, Servant Peter…
Gloriavale’s banned children’s books: Senior leader’s email lays out rules
: | NZ Herald | Melissa Nightingale | Lord of the Rings, stories about Christmas and Easter, and nearly all books containing pictures of animals wearing clothes are on the list of reading material considered too “worldly” for Gloriavale’s children. An email leaked from the West Coast Christian community and sent to politicians…BNZ’s push to ditch Gloriavale would destroy the religious community, Court of Appeal hears
: | NZ Herald | Jenée Tibshraeny | Gloriavale’s viability is looking increasingly shaky as it faces the possibility of being de-banked. BNZ, which has been banking Gloriavale’s various businesses and entities for about 40 years, wants to shut the exclusive religious community’s accounts. It argues Gloriavale has breached its human…
BBC Picks Up New Zealand Cult Doc ‘Escaping Utopia’
: | Deadline | Max Goldbart, Jesse Whittock | The BBC has picked up a premium doc series on a group of people’s clandestine escape from a New Zealand cult. Escaping Utopia is a three-part investigation into Gloriavale Christian Community – New Zealand’s extreme religious cult – and the true stories of people attempting…
BNZ launches bid to close Gloriavale accounts
: | Newstalk ZB | Heather Du Plessis-Allan | BNZ is set to head back to court tomorrow as part of their ongoing legal dispute with Gloriavale. If the hearing goes well, the bank could get approval to close the accounts Gloriavale has with BNZ. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee…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…
Gloriavale children harmed by decades of government inaction – leavers
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Gloriavale leavers and their advocates have condemned what they say is 30 years of inaction by bureaucrats and politicians, warning the Christian community’s 400 children remain at risk of harm. Speaking at the Decult conference in Christchurch on Sunday, lawyer Dennis Gates also called…
Sisters donate to MS Craft Fair
: Sisters, Serene and Fairer Standfast, were busy selling delicious homemade baking to visitors of the annual MS Craft Fair on Saturday. All proceeds from their sales for the day was donated to Multiple Sclerosis West Coast, alongside the goods from each of the other Gloriavale stalls at the fair. The…Gloriavale leavers condemn government inaction
: | RNZ | Morning Report | Gloriavale leavers and their advocates have condemned what they say is 30 years of inaction by bureaucrats and politicians. Jean Edwards reports. Listen at the above link.…
Escaping Utopia – Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust – Decult
: | Banana Island Films | In this special episode of the Decult Takeover Series, I’m joined by Liz Gregory, the founder of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust, who plays a crucial role in helping survivors of the notorious Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand. Liz and her work are featured…
Changing the c-word: Cult survivors on sensationalism and stigma
: | RNZ | Anke Richter | Opinion – Cults are a hot topic – from Netflix to the High Court – but the stereotypes that come with them can hurt their victims. Survivor-focused reporting will be addressed at the upcoming Decult Conference in Christchurch. The Press recently ran the headline ‘Burger joint with cult-like following closes’. It took me…
Escaping Utopia – Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust – Decult
: | Banana Island Films | Interviewee in the new film Escaping Utopia – and founder of Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust joined me in the Decult Takeover series for the ramp up to Decult Cult Awareness Conference in Christchurch New Zealand. Get your live stream tickets now for the Decult Cult…
Government, faith-based groups miss Abuse In Care response guideline
: | RNZ | Tim Brown | The government and a vast majority of faith-based institutions have missed a key deadline recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. The commissioner’s first time-sensitive recommendation was that the government and faith-based institutions should publish responses to the inquiry’s reports…
Gloriavale escapee Pearl tells: ‘It was normal to be humiliated’
: | Woman’s Day | Jo Bailey | When Pearl Valor reflects on the key reasons that led to her and husband Paul breaking away from the reclusive Gloriavale community, one stands out above the rest: “We wanted to give our kids a better life than we had.” Almost three years…
Sect minister who has admitted child sex abuse was allowed to continue home meetings
: | RNZ | Amy Easton | Members of an underground sect probed by the FBI want to know how a man with a reputation for being a sexual predator was allowed to continue with the group’s home meetings. The former minister of the cult – known as the Two by…
Govt decision to not advance modern slavery law criticised
: | 1News | Reporters | The Government has been criticised for its decision not to advance modern slavery legislation by business and legal experts, sparking concern New Zealand will fall behind other countries by failing to act. In July last year, the Labour government announced a plan to make businesses…
Gloriavale man admits charges of indecent assault and acts against eight girls
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Warning: This story contains content some may find disturbing. A Gloriavale man who has admitted sexual offending against eight girls preyed upon some as they slept and touched them while they were caring for children or working at the Christian community. Fervent Ben-Canaan, 45, pleaded guilty…
Gloriavale man admits sexual offending against eight girls
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A Gloriavale man crept into girls’ bedrooms to touch them while they slept and grabbed them indecently while they worked in the community. Fervent Ben-Canaan, 45, was on trial for 23 charges of sexual offending against 10 victims. He pleaded guilty on the…
Trust finds his true calling after Gloriavale
: | Ashburton Courier | Susan Sandys | Designing and building furniture is helping Trust Stedfast of Ashburton move on from the pain of leaving loved ones behind. The 28-year-old, with his wife Cherish, left Gloriavale about six months ago after deciding they and their six children ‘‘needed some space’’. Trust…
Promoting safety and community resilience at Gloriavale
: | Greymouth Star | Continuing the early winter fire safety initiatives in the Grey Valley, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has been working with the Gloriavale Christian Community to talk about safety and community resilience to emergencies. Over two days in August, FENZ along with Hato Hone St John and West…
Damien Grant: Ability to participate in commercial life should not depend on public opinion
: | Stuff | Damien Grant is an Auckland business owner and a regular opinion contributor for Stuff, writing from a libertarian perspective. OPINION: I’ve been thinking about banks recently. Well. Bankers, more precisely. In my profession, I often encounter them in their natural habitat. A remarkably timid breed of failed accountants and nervous…
Teacher who hit children with ruler hopes to return to teaching in Gloriavale
: | The Press |Joanne Naish | Members of the Gloriavale Christian Community signed a commitment against corporal punishment eight years after it became illegal in New Zealand. The move was revealed in a New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal decision about a teacher who hit children with a ruler and hoped…
Ex-Gloriavale teacher who smacked children with ruler says she tried to change culture
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A former Gloriavale teacher who hit pupils with a ruler believes the school is still not safe for children. Victory Disciple was found guilty of serious misconduct but not censured or ordered to pay costs after the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found it had…Sincere Standtrue inquest: Former workmate describes capable but impulsive worker
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | A young Gloriavale man who was found unresponsive in the Christian community’s paint shop had spoken to his workmates only 20 minutes earlier, an inquest has heard. Sincere Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital, 10 days later. An inquest is being held to determine the…
The Christian Church Community Trust (Gloriavale) v BNZ
: | Ethos | Alex Penk| Case Note | “De-banking” involves a bank terminating a customer’s account and leaving them to find an alternative financial institution—if they can. Banks can close accounts for perfectly legitimate reasons, like bankruptcy, or where an account is used for criminal purposes, or there are insurmountable regulatory…Sincere Standtrue inquest: Desperate efforts made to save young Gloriavale man
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | An inquest has heard of desperate efforts to save a young Gloriavale man who was found unresponsive in the Christian community’s paint shop in 2018. Sincere Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital 10 days later. An inquest is being held in Greymouth to determine the…School under ERO watch
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |Subscription Only Education specialists have been working with Gloriavale School, with a fresh review due. The school needs to pass the review in order to keep its funding. The Education Review Office visited last October and found the private school was not providing an…
Sincere Standtrue inquest: Gloriavale member says young man ‘miserable’ before death
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | A former Gloriavale member has told the inquest into the death of a young member in 2018 that the 20-year-old was miserable at the Christian community. Sincere Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital 10 days after he was found unresponsive at Gloriavale’s paint shop, where…
New Zealand Uncovers Historic Abuse in Church-Run Institutions
: | Christianity Today | Isabel Ong | Survivors, advocates, and pastors call for “true repentance” among religious groups that ran schools and homes between 1950 and 1999. Over the next few years, Tagaloa began piecing together long-buried memories and came to recognize that she had been sexually abused between the ages of…
Inside NZ’s most Notorious Cults w/ Anke Richter
: | Rova | Duncan Garner | From Centrepoint to Gloriavale, some of our most notorious cults will be in the spotlight at ‘Decult’ – Australasia’s first cult awareness conference. It is taking place in Christchurch later this year – the brainchild of investigative journalist and author Anke Richter. Experts and…Sincere Standtrue inquest: ‘Sincere was relatively happy,’ his brother says
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Warning: This story discusses suicide. The brother of a Gloriavale man who died in 2018 has told an inquest he was not aware of his brother being badly bullied at the Christian community. Sincere Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital, 10 days after he was…Sincere Standtrue inquest: ‘Faith a barrier’ to Gloriavale member taking own life – workmate
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Warning: This story discusses suicide. A Gloriavale man has told an inquest that he does not believe a young member who died in 2018 took his own life. Sincere Standtrue died at Christchurch Hospital, 10 days after he was found unresponsive at the Christian…Gloriavale inquest: Mother who saw Sincere Standtrue minutes before fatal incident says there were ‘no alarm bells’
: | NZ Herald | Anna Leask | WARNING: This story deals with suicide. Please see below for help and crisis information. A Gloriavale mother of seven was the last to see Sincere Standtrue alive, interacting with him just 15 minutes before his sudden death. The woman told Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame that Standtrue seemed happy…Gloriavale: Sincere Standtrue ‘friendly, personable and happy’ before he died
: | 1News | Anna Sargent | Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about a Gloriavale man on the day he was found unresponsive in the Christian community in 2018, an inquest has heard. Sincere Standtrue, who was 20, died in hospital after being found unresponsive in Gloriavale’s paint shop where…
Sincere Standtrue inquest: Gloriavale leader denies seeing outright bullying
: | RNZ | Rachel Graham | One of the leaders of the Gloriavale Christian Community has told an inquest into the death of a young man in 2018 that he never saw any serious bullying of him. Sincere Standtrue, 20, was found unresponsive in Gloriavale’s paint shop where he worked,…
Gloriavale teacher jailed for 4 years for 40 years of crimes
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | Just Standfast was sentenced to four years imprisonment for the offending that took place over a 40 year period inside the secretive Christchurch community. Adam Burns was at the Greymouth District Court, and a warning some of the details in his report are distressing. Audio…
Teacher jailed for sex offences
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only | Offending over 40 years A former Gloriavale school teacher has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexual offending against 15 girls — five years after he was first convicted of sexually abusing a nine-year-old. In May, Just Standfast pleaded guilty to two charges…
Gloriavale teacher’s brazen sexual offending was never hidden – victim
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A woman sexually abused by her teacher at Gloriavale says her “heart is full of sorrow” for all the children who suffered brazen sexual abuse and brutal beatings in the isolated community. Just Standfast was sentenced by the Greymouth District Court on Friday…
Ex-Gloriavale teacher jailed for sexual, violent offending
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | A former Gloriavale teacher who abused or assaulted 21 victims has been sentenced to four years in prison. In May, Just Standfast pleaded guilty to two charges of sex violation by unlawful sexual connection against two girls aged seven and 14, 10 charges of…
Former Gloriavale teacher jailed for abuse, assault of children
: | RNZ | Adam Burns | Warning: This story contains content some readers may find distressing. A former Gloriavale teacher who abused and assaulted at least 20 children over a 40-year stretch has left a “terrible, tragic legacy”, a court has heard. Just Standfast was sentenced to four years imprisonment…Former Gloriavale teacher sexually or violently abused 20 children
: | Stuff | Joanne Naish | A former Gloriavale teacher who openly sexually abused children in his classroom has been sentenced to four years in prison for offending that spanned 40 years. Just Standfast was sentenced by Judge Quentin Hix in the Greymouth District Court on Friday for 23 charges…
Church institutions still not accountable for abuse — campaigners
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | Survivors of abuse in faith-based care are worried perpetrators and institutions won’t be held accountable despite the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse. The inquiry, which reported last month after a six-year investigation, found the moral authority of religious leaders had…Gloriavale’s appeal against women’s Employment Court case will be heard
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A group of former Gloriavale women have lost a Supreme Court bid to appeal their former leaders’ fight against a ruling that they were employees when they worked in the community. The Appeal Court granted the leaders leave to appeal the Employment Court…
Why New Zealand must move towards a modern slavery law
: | The Post | Senthil Nathan | OPINION: It took thousands of years for humans to evolve into civilised societies. The West only abolished slavery a few hundred years ago. In every case it took not just good will, passionate advocacy and even war. It took the law to make the…Govt still looking into Gloriavale India outpost
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | Various government agencies are still looking into the Gloriavale Christian Community’s outpost in India. In the TVNZ ‘docuseries’ Escaping Utopia, which screened in March, former Gloriavale members visited a lady who moved to India seven years ago and now has six children. She was among five women…
Teacher’s sexual and violent offending against students at Gloriavale school revealed
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A former Gloriavale teacher who was given credit for “previous impeccable good character” when he sexually abused a 9-year-old has now confessed to further offending against 20 children. Just Standfast has been convicted of sexual offending against 15 girls. He pleaded guilty in…
Government liable for Gloriavale redress, leavers group says
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A woman who claims she was enslaved at Gloriavale from birth says an apology without accountability is “pointless”. The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care’s final report recommended Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple issue a formal apology for neglect and abuse in Gloriavale. The inquiry…Gloriavale focus of abuse report
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | The Abuse in Care Royal Commission recommendations include steps that would prevent someone like Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian — who returned to lead the community after being jailed for sex offending — from ever happening again. The inquiry’s 3000-page final report, released yesterday, estimated 200,000…Abuse in Care inquiry: Immediate action needed to ensure safety of Gloriavale members and children
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards| The government has been urged to immediately do everything it can to ensure the safety of Gloriavale members and their children as a result of Royal Commission findings that leaders allowed physical and sexual abuse at the West Coast Christian community. The Overseeing Shepherd has also been called on…Immediate action needed at Gloriavale – Abuse in Care Inquiry
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care has urged the government to do everything it can to ensure the safety of Gloriavale members and their children. The inquiry found Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd and senior leaders at fault for allowing physical and sexual abuse at the…
Gloriavale Leavers Back in Court in Christchurch Today (Thurs 25 July)
: RedPR At 9.30am today Thursday July 25, a number of issues are back before the Employment Court in Christchurch. This hearing is set down for two days. Matters will be heard in Courtroom 13 on Level 2 in the Justice and Emergency Precinct, 20 Lichfield St. #1 On May 10,…
Abuse in Care inquiry final report made public, commissioners call for reform and redress
: | RNZ | Tim Brown | At least 200,000 people have been abused, and even more neglected, by the state and faith-based institutions since 1950. The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s 3000-page final report has been made public on Wednesday afternoon, laying bare the scale of failure of…
‘A national disgrace’: What the Abuse in Care report says
: | Otago Daily Times | Ric Stevens, Open Justice reporter | The abuse and neglect of hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders in the care of state- and faith-based institutions has been branded “a national disgrace”. The long-awaited report of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission, six years in the making, has been released…Former members file lawsuit against Gloriavale
: | RNZ | Midday Report | A support group for Gloriavale leavers says there will be an “underground murmuring” within the community today in the wake of news that former members are bringing a lawsuit against leaders with allegations of slavery. Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust manager Liz Gregory spoke to…
Born into slavery: Former Gloriavale members launch major multi-billion dollar lawsuit
: | Stuff | Juliet Speedy | A multi-million-dollar class action lawsuit has been filed against Gloriavale and five government agencies, by former members who claim they were held as slaves. As Senior reporter Juliet Speedy explains, the lawsuit could impact nearly a thousand past and present members of the Christian…Former members file multi-million-dollar slavery lawsuit
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | A multi-million-dollar class action lawsuit has been filed against Gloriavale and five government agencies by former members who claim they were held as slaves from birth by the Christian community’s leaders. Anna Courage, Pearl Valor, Gideon Benjamin and Hosea Courage are also seeking a…Woman born into Gloriavale vows to see it shut down
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | On a winter morning six years ago to the day, Anna Courage left Gloriavale, packed off to Australia and a totally foreign world. At 17 and deeply unhappy, the Christian community’s leaders sent her to live with grandparents she had never met. “It was…
Assault charges denied
: | Greymouth Star | A Gloriavale man and former teacher inside the Lake Haupiri Christian community has denied 14 charges of assaulting boys with blunt weapons. Vigilant Standtrue, 42, filed pleas of not guilty on all charges in the Greymouth District Court, electing a trial by jury. Name suppression lapsed…
Brian Henry: Lawyer on the former Gloriavale members planning to sue the Crown for negligence
: | RNZ | NewstalkZB | Several former Gloriavale workers are planning to sue the Crown for negligence. Members of the group have accused public servants of knowing about the slave labour within the community – and refusing to do anything about it. Lawyer Brian Henry says these public servants knew…Former Gloriavale members prepare to sue Government
: | The Post | Wellington Court Reporter | Former Gloriavale “slaves” are preparing to sue the Crown for not protecting them at the closed community. The case has yet to begin but the intended plaintiff wants details about an inter-departmental committee set up nine years ago to look at the…Police spend on Gloriavale ticks up
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills |Subscription Only Police have spent over a quarter of a million dollars on Gloriavale, and are one of just 10 Government agencies involved in the under-pressure community at Lake Haupiri. The Greymouth Star revealed last month the likes of the police, Health NZ and…BNZ to challenge Gloriavale over their use of banking services
: | RNZ | Jenee Tibshraeny | Gloriavale has taken a knock in its battle to maintain access to banking services. BNZ has been trying to close Gloriavale’s accounts for the last two years, and the Court of Appeal is allowing BNZ to challenge that injunction. NZ Herald Wellington business editor…
Gloriavale suffers setback in battle with BNZ to maintain access to banking services
: | NZ Herald | Jenée Tibshraeny | Gloriavale has taken a knock in its battle to maintain access to banking services. The Court of Appeal has allowed BNZ to challenge an interim injunction that requires the bank to keep Gloriavale’s accounts open until a trial determines whether BNZ can terminate its relationship with…Cults and control: Why do people fall for the tricks of cult recruiters?
: | The Press | Philip Mathews | Janja Lalich lives in northern California, across the bay from San Francisco. An ideal spot, you might think, for a specialist on cults. This is where some of the worst flourished. There was Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple and, further down the coast, Charles Manson’s Family and…Gloriavale leaver comes 2nd in national pie making contest
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | Lianna MacFarlane, a Gloriavale leaver speaks to Lisa Owen about coming second in an iconic national pie making contest after starting out as a cleaner in a Timaru baker and working her way up the night manager’s job.…
Gloriavale leaver’s recipe for success wins in pie awards
: | Timaru Herald | Rachel Comer | Gloriavale leaver Lianna MacFarlane started working as a cleaner at Timaru’s U-Bake three years ago. Now a baking apprentice at the popular South Canterbury bakery, she is also an award-winning pie maker, with her chicken and leek pie coming second at the recent…
Rosanna Overcomer, Part 3: Navigating Life & Faith Outside of Gloriavale
: | Outside of Sunday Podcast | In the final chapter of our conversation with Rosie from Gloriavale, we delve into the reconciling of her faith outside of the abusive cult. Rosie details her intense emotional struggles, including daily panic attacks, and the liberating feeling of finally being free, a year…
Gloriavale leaver discovers new life working at Timaru bakery
: | RNZ | A Gloriavale leaver has come second in an iconic national pie making contest after starting out as a cleaner in a Timaru bakery and working her way up to the night manager’s job. Lianna MacFarlane had not even made pies before her boss insisted that she should…
Rosanna Overcomer, Part 2: When Distorted Christianity Meets Biblical Truth
: | Outside of Sunday Podcast | In part 2 of our conversation with Rosie from Gloriavale, we’re diving deep into the truth of the practice of Christianity inside the reclusive sect. Rosie bravely shares about knowing at an early age that there was something very wrong within the community. In…
New Zealand cults hit the world stage
: | The Press | Phillip Matthews | Is New Zealand a little bit culty? That question will be asked at the International Cultic Studies Association conference in Barcelona, Spain, next month. That may not be how New Zealand likes to see itself on the world stage. Yet it indicates how…Cult Chat Wins At 2024 NZ Radio And Podcast Awards
: | Scoop Business | Plains FM 96.9 | Cult Chat has won Best Community Access Programme for 2024 at the NZ Radio and Podcast Awards announced in Auckland last night (6 June 2024). Christchurch-based co-host Dr. Caroline Ansley runs the Centrepoint Restoration Project and along with Lindy Jacomb from Olive Leaf Network…Rosanna Overcomer, Part 1: Childhood & Childbirth Inside Gloriavale
: | Outside of Sunday Podcast | Gloriavale is a reclusive and abusive ‘Christian’ community in the remote South Island of New Zealand. In the first part of our conversation with Rosanna Overcomer, who was born into the community, Rosie shares what her childhood looked like inside Gloriavale. We discuss schooling,…Police consider charging Gloriavale leaders over failing to act over sexual abuse
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Police are considering whether to criminally charge Gloriavale leaders with failing to protect children from sexual harm. Police became aware of intergenerational harmful sexual behaviour at the Gloriavale Christian Community in 2015, a Coroner has heard. Detective Senior Sergeant Kirsten Norton said Gloriavale’s…Gloriavale inquest: Family pays tribute to son, brother in court
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | The final video played in the inquest into a Gloriavale man’s death was a tribute to his life, compiled by his family. Sincere Standtrue died in Christchurch Hospital in November 2018, after being found unresponsive in the paint shop at Gloriavale Christian Community 10 days…Gloriavale inquest: Brother’s outbursts due to way he was controlled – witness
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | Warning: This story discusses suicide. A former Gloriavale member has told an inquest into her brother’s death that sometimes “it can feel easier to die” than to try and leave the West Coast Christian community. Sincere Standtrue, who was 20, was found unresponsive in Gloriavale’s paint…Sincere Standtrue’s Gloriavale inquest: Sister of man who died says leader did not want WorkSafe notified
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | A sister of Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue says a community leader told her family just hours after he was found unresponsive that he did not want WorkSafe involved. Rose Standtrue has given evidence at the Greymouth inquest into the 20-year-old’s death in Christchurch Hospital’s intensive care…Gloriavale inquest: Sincere Standtrue was bullied, mocked, shamed, beaten most of his life – sister
: | NZ Herald | Anna Leask | WARNING: This story deals with suicide. Please see below for help and crisis information. A coroner has been told a young Gloriavale man was bullied, mocked, beaten, excluded and “looked down on” before his sudden death. Sincere Standtrue was deaf and had other physical and…Gloriavale inquest: Man often bullied, shamed and isolated before death, sister says
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | Gloriavale man Sincere Standtrue was often isolated, shamed, bullied and beaten at the West Coast Christian community, his sister says. Rose Standtrue has given evidence at the Greymouth inquest into the 20-year-old’s death in Christchurch Hospital’s intensive care unit, 10 days after he was found unresponsive…Gloriavale inquest told man may have been a victim of harmful sexual behaviour
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | A senior police detective has told an inquest into the death of the Gloriavale man that it is believed he was subject to harmful sexual behaviour in the Christian community. Sincere Standtrue, who was 20, died in November 2018 following nine days in Christchurch Hospital’s intensive…
Toxicologist tells Gloriavale inquest he could not rule out possibility man was huffing paint
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | A toxicologist has told a court he cannot rule out the possibility that a Gloriavale man may have been huffing paint and other chemical fumes. Sincere Standtrue, who was 20, died in Christchurch Hospital following nine days in the intensive care unit in 2018.…Gloriavale inquest told paint shop workers ‘not adequately protected’
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | The first witness in the inquest into the death of a Gloriavale man says the community’s paint shop where he worked failed to consistently uphold health and safety standards. Sincere Standtrue died aged 20 in Christchurch Hospital in November 2018, following nine days of…Inquest into death of 20-year-old Gloriavale man opens
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A coroner’s inquest into the sudden death of a 20-year-old man in the Gloriavale Christian Community has opened in Greymouth. Sincere Standtrue died on November 2, 2018 in Christchurch Hospital. Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame opened the inquest in the Greymouth District Court on Monday by…Death of Gloriavale’s Sincere Standtrue: Coroner probes man’s sudden death in 2018
: | NZ Herald | Anna Leask | WARNING: This story deals with suicide. Please see below for help and crisis information. A coroner will hear from 52 witnesses about the death of a young man at Gloriavale as she determines whether he took his own life or died accidentally while practising a…Inquest underway into death of Gloriavale member Sincere Standtrue
: | RNZ | Niva Chittock | An inquest into the death of a 20-year-old Gloriavale man has begun today in Greymouth. Sincere Standtrue died in Christchurch Hospital in November 2018, the eldest in his family of 11 siblings. From the age of 15, he worked in the Christian community’s paint…Gloriavale man accused of multiple violent assaults on boys
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale man is facing 14 charges of assaulting four boys with blunt weapons. Vigilant Standtrue, 42, was granted interim name suppression at his first appearance in April. He previously taught at the school at the Gloriavale Christian Community and still lives there. He did not…
Rosie Overcomer, Former Gloriavale Member: “They Tried to Run My Husband Over”
: | The Dom Harvey Podcast | Rosie Overcomer was born and raised in Gloriavale. She left 11 years ago at the age of 26 with her husband Elijah and their 3 young children. Since then, they have had three more children and life looks very different to how it did…
Cult documentary will help provide resources for survivors
: | Sunday Star Times | Joanne Naish | Donations for a documentary on Australasia’s first cult awareness conference in Christchurch this year have reached more than half of the directors’ target in just two days. Christchurch film-makers Robyn Jordaan and Caleb MacDonald are crowdfunding to create a documentary about the Decult…Young Gloriavale sex offender a product of his environment
: | Timaru Herald | Doug Sail | The flawed upbringing of young people at the Gloriavale Christian Community has been highlighted as a young man has been spared convictions on sex charges involving children, all committed when he was aged 14 to 15. The man, who was also granted permanent…
Youth event lined up
: | Greymouth Star | Ariana Stewart | Subscription Only David Ready escaped Gloriavale. Twins, Tane Mahuta and Te Akaraupo Heke Pakeha, are survivors of family violence. Pania Tepaiho-Marsh started hunting for her own mental health and now leads hunting excursions for women in need. They are just three of the…10 govt agencies, six ministers watching Gloriavale
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | Subscription Only At least 10 government agencies and six cabinet ministers now have oversight of the under-pressure Gloriavale Christian Community at Lake Haupiri. The likes of the police, Health NZ and Oranga Tamariki have teams working at the 600-strong community each week. The…Gloriavale appeal allowed
: | Greymouth Star | Gloriavale Christian Community has been granted permission to appeal an Employment Court ruling that found girls were employees and entitled to minimum entitlements. Last year, the court ruled that six former Gloriavale women had actually been employees working under punishing conditions for years on end at…
Gloriavale granted leave to appeal employment case
: | 1News Reporters | The religious sect Gloriavale has won leave to appeal a key Employment Court decision over whether it needs to pay its followers. The commune has long argued its members are volunteers. But last year, it lost a case brought by six women, a judge finding they…
If Gloriavale members are not employees they are slaves, leaver says
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A Gloriavale leaver is calling for an end to “slavery” in the community with a challenge to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Pearl Valor was one of six women who successfully argued in the Employment Court that they were employees when they worked in the West…Gloriavale granted leave to appeal women’s Employment Case
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale leaders have been granted leave to appeal an Employment Court case that ruled a group of women were employees when they worked in the community. The leaders – Howard Temple, Stephen Steadfast, Samuel Valor, Faithful Pilgrim and Noah Hopeful – went to the Appeal…
‘The Truth’ 2×2 religious sect leaders tried for three years to get member to admit guilt – victim
: | Newshub| | RNZ | Amy Williams | Warning: This story discusses details of sexual abuse A New Zealand woman who as a child was sexually abused by a member of a secretive sect under investigation by the FBI says the religious group’s leaders spent three years trying to get the man…‘The Truth’ 2×2 religious sect confirms police investigation
: | RNZ | Amy Williams | Former members of a secretive sect under investigation by the FBI for historical child sexual abuse warn it is a highly controlling and insular group with many unwritten rules. The religious group has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, meets in…Inquiry into Gloriavale’s India sect
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | A cross-agency group is working to establish facts about the Gloriavale Christian Community’s outpost in India. In the recent TVNZ ‘docuseries’, Escaping Utopia, former Gloriavale members Theophila Pratt and Rosanna Overcomer travelled to India and met with Mr Pratt’s sister Precious. Precious moved…
A Christian Response to Gloriavale: Liz Gregory on Keeping the Faith
: | Radio Rhema | Interview with Liz Gregory | Escaping Utopia is a brand new docuseries that’s been released by TVNZ which uncovers New Zealand’s most extreme religious cult, Gloriavale, and the true stories of people attempting to break free. Liz Gregory, who is the manager of the Gloriavale Leavers…Gloriavale’s revenue drops $12m in a year, assets top $46m
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | The trust behind the remote Gloriavale Christian Community took a $12 million revenue hit last year, but its net assets remain stable at $46m. The West Coast religious community has come under fire in recent years after court findings of sexual and physical abuse,…
Have you forgotten Gloriavale already?
: | The Press | Dennis Gates | Dennis Gates is a lawyer and member of the legal team fighting for the people of Gloriavale. OPINION: It’s been a few weeks since TV’s Escaping Utopia brought the terrible thing that is Gloriavale into our living rooms once again. Is the outcry and horror still…
Gloriavale School planning to teach NZ curriculum, employ outsiders after damning report
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Gloriavale’s school will now use outsiders to teach the official New Zealand curriculum to its 139 school-aged children. Private schools do not have to teach the NZ curriculum and the Education Review Office (ERO) previously noted the school’s curriculum reflected the community’s Christian philosophy.…Gloriavale Christian School warned compliance plan not viable, says Ministry of Education
: | RNZ | Gloriavale Christian School on the West Coast has been warned its plan for how it will comply with Ministry of Education standards is not viable. In October, the Education Review Office put out a highly critical report, saying the school was not providing an adequate education for a private…Time put an end to the cancer of Gloriavale – Shane Te Pou
: | The New Zealand Herald | Shane Te Pou | OPINION: An hour out of Greymouth, in the foothills of the Southern Alps, there is a cancer. A community that lawyer Brian Henry calls a “sex cult cloaked in Christianity”. A place founded by a sex offender, who was jailed and then…
Gloriavale: Majority surveyed believe it is ‘essentially a cult’
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | A majority of New Zealanders surveyed believe closed Christian community Gloriavale is “essentially a cult” and should be shut down. That’s according to the a first-of-its-kind test of public opinion curated by Talbot Mills, which asked people what should happen to the controversial West…Gloriavale leavers seek court order after ERA says it will hear lost wages claim
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Two groups of former Gloriavale employees have failed in a bid to have their $5.2 million claim for compensation and lost earnings heard by the Employment Court. The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has decided it will hear the matter instead. However, they are…Gloriavale payments ‘challenging’
: | Greymouth Star | The Employment Court says working out how much money Gloriavale leavers are owed may be challenging. The court recently ruled that Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim, and Levi Courage were actually employees, clearing the way for them to pursue claims in the Employment Relations Authority for compensation,…
Gloriavale’s bid to bring in foreign workers labelled ‘bizarre and extraordinary’
: | Newshub | Michael Morrah | Check out the News Report Gloriavale, the Christian commune on the West Coast linked to claims of slave labour, is seeking formal approval to bring in workers from overseas. But a group supporting those who leave the community have called the request “extraordinary” and…
Gloriavale Visit With The Road To Healing Aotearoa
: | Answers Within | YouTube | A poignant visual representation to raise awareness of the victims who have suffered within the Gloriavale Community. Flags are placed on the driveway into Gloriavale, representing the survivors, the voiceless of Gloriavale. Official numbers released by Police indicate 400 offences with 3/4 of those…Hot Picks: Escaping Utopia
: | Broadcast | ‘As a contemporary cult story, this is unlike anything I have ever seen’ Distributor Fifth SeasonProducer Warner Bros International Television Production New ZealandLength 3 x 60 minutesBroadcaster TVNZ (New Zealand) Into the thriving sub-genre of documentaries about cults comes Escaping Utopia, a three-part exposé of the Gloriavale Christian Community, which operates on New Zealand’s South Island. Co-director Natalie Malcon is no…
Around the motu: Tim Brown in Christchurch
: | RNZ | Tim Brown | RNZ’s reporter in Christchurch Tim Brown discusses the latest revelations about Gloriavale, the controversy around SailGP and Hector’s dolphins, the intersection of the economy and environment; and the financial struggles of the Arts Centre.…Leavers’ trust planning for Gloriavale ‘ending’
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills| ‘Assets sold … and no remnant’ Some of the 250 people who have left Gloriavale over the past decade, have come up with a vision for how life there should be — and what should happen if it were to close, from protecting the…Former Gloriavale residents consider its future
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | After years of allegations of forced labour, slavery, and sexual and physical abuse, the future of Gloriavale is being considered by its former residents. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust has released a discussion document, where it asks what needs to happen if the West Coast…Gloriavale leavers outline hopes for reform or closure of the sect
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Leavers are calling for any closure of the Gloriavale community to be gradual and supported, with all assets sold and the proceeds given to residents and those who have left. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust has released a document written in consultation with…
Gloriavale: Leaders respond to suggestions community should close
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | A former Gloriavale resident believes the commune’s leadership is manipulative, and “the only option is to shut the place down for the sake of the kids”. Theo Pratt contributed to a discussion document put forward by the Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust, which asked ex-members what would happen…‘Bureaucracy’ rejected
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | The Government says another layer of bureaucracy is not needed at Gloriavale. It emerged recently that a Gloriavale West Coast Stakeholder Group, which included police, Work Safe NZ and Oranga Tamariki, had been disbanded. However, Gloriavale said last week it was working to…Gloriavale: Changes to government response could risk gains – ministers told
: | NZ Herald | Jean Edwards | Work to protect members of the Gloriavale Christian community from exploitation and abuse could lose momentum with the end of an all-of-government response, ministers have been told. The joint agency response was set up by the former Labour government in August 2022 to…Some Christian reflections on Gloriavale
: | NZ Christian Network | Dr Stuart Lange | The current TV series Escaping Utopia is somewhat sensationalist and has its own biases, but it has usefully highlighted some serious issues in the Gloriavale Christian Community. Many secular New Zealanders may wonder if Gloriavale is what all Christians are like.…Gloriavale still working with Govt
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only| ‘All members have bank accounts’ Gloriavale says it is still working with numerous agencies, and its priority is ensuring its children are well cared for. The community has been back in the spotlight this week, thanks to a new documentary on Tv One. It…Gloriavale leaders say changes are happening
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | The son of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian is calling on the Government to work with the victims, not just the leadership. The community’s leaders have issued a statement saying it is continuing to comply with key outcomes set by an all-of-Government taskforce which was…
Women and children ‘trapped’ in Gloriavale’s Indian community without access to passports
: New Zealand women are “trapped” in Gloriavale’s community in India without access to passports – and many of their children have no birth certificates. Police are looking into concerns about the welfare of women born in Gloriavale who now live in the community set up in India in about 2009…
A Gloriavale reunion years on: ‘She looked lifeless’
: | Stuff | Amberleigh Jack | RECAP: Fair warning, watch the final episode of Escaping Utopia when you can afford to spend the rest of the day emotionally wrecked. It’s in part three that a sojourn to India reveals Kiwi Gloriavale members “trapped” in the Indian chapter. They’re forgotten by the outside world…Authorities investigate allegations Gloriavale women trafficked to India
: | RNZ | Tim Brown | Authorities are investigating concerns from a leading human rights lawyer that women from Gloriavale were trafficked to India and entered coerced marriages. Last night on TVNZ’s docuseries, Escaping Utopia, former Gloriavale members Theophila Pratt and Rosanna Overcomer travelled to India and met with Pratt’s sister…Govt taken to court over delays in tackling Gloriavale abuse
: | RNZ | Ingrid Hipkiss | A leading lawyer is taking multiple government departments to court for delays in tackling abuse at the Christian Community of Gloriavale. Barrister Brian Henry has filed proceedings against Oranga Tamariki, the Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Social Development and Labour Inspectorate, after sending…
Ex- Gloriavale couple share their unique love story
: |Woman’s Day | Real Life |Profile: Jo Bailey Despite an extreme campaign to drive them apart, Rosie and Elijah Overcomer escaped to a new life together. It takes immense bravery to leave the confines of an insular, tightly knit community like Gloriavale. Especially when it’s the only life you’ve ever…
Escaping Utopia reveals ‘a whole other level of what the hell’ to Gloriavale
: | The Spinoff | Anke Richter | The new docuseries reveals shocking new information about the global expansion of the cult – which somehow still has charitable status in New Zealand. When I visited Gloriavale for the first time to endure their last concert – a Disney-style variety show with overtones of…Gloriavale’s commune in India comes to attention of NZ Police
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | Gloriavale’s commune in India has come to the attention of the New Zealand Police. The TVNZ documentary Escaping Utopia revealed the existence of the offshoot in a remote part of southern India, home to five Kiwi women, their husbands and children. In a statement…
Officials looking into allegations of human trafficking at Gloriavale sister community
: | Newshub | Michael Morrah | Police, Oranga Tamariki, and Immigration officials are looking into allegations of coerced marriages, rape and human trafficking at Gloriavale’s sister community in India. Investigations Correspondent Michael Morrah has more…New Zealand agencies assessing complaint of human trafficking, alleged rape at Gloriavale’s India commune
: | Newshub | Michael Morrah | Warning: The following article discusses sexual assault. Police, Oranga Tamariki, foreign affairs and Immigration officials are looking into concerns about human trafficking, coerced marriages and alleged rape at Gloriavale’s sister community in India. It comes after two former members of the West Coast commune…Authorities investigating whether women were trafficked from Gloriavale to India
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | A leading human rights lawyer says authorities are investigating whether women were trafficked from Gloriavale and entered into forced marriages in India. Last night on TVNZ’s docuseries, Escaping Utopia, former Gloriavale members Theophila Pratt and Rosanna Overcomer travelled to India and met with Ms Pratt’s…
“It certainly doesn’t align with my values”: Labour Leader finds Gloriavale ‘abhorrent’
: | Newstalk ZB | The leader of the Opposition says he finds the West Coast Christian community Gloriavale abhorrent. A new documentary series exploring the origins and controversies surrounding the secretive commune has begun airing on TVNZ. Some members have fled in recent years and several are taking Gloriavale to…India’s Gloriavale and the Kiwi women there
: | RNZ | The Detail | Gen McClure| Listen to RNZ The Gloriavale offshoot in India is home to Kiwi women and children. A former member of the sect says getting them out of there is urgent. When Theo Pratt saw her sister in India’s Gloriavale outpost last year, she…Government agencies accused of allowing abuse at Gloriavale to continue
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Four government agencies are being accused of knowingly allowing abuse to happen at Gloriavale, in High Court action brought by a leavers’ lawyer who describes the community as a “sex cult cloaked in Christianity”. Barrister Brian Henry has filed proceedings against Oranga Tamariki, the…
Gloriavale India is in the spotlight with new documentary
: | NZ Herald | Emma Gleason | In a covert visit captured by Escaping Utopia, two former members of Gloriavale – accompanied by an undercover camera crew – go inside the gates of the organisation’s Indian outpost. Gloriavale is lodged firming, infamously in the New Zealand psyche. By now Kiwis are very familiar…
Gloriavale: Lawyer files legal action against Govt agencies
: | 1News | Ryan Boswell | A lawyer representing Gloriavale leavers’ is taking legal action against Government departments, claiming they knowingly allowed abuse to occur at the West Coast commune. In a letter dated December 6 and released to 1News under the Official Information Act, lawyer Brian Henry wrote to…Gloriavale acknowledges ‘significant challenges’ as finances tank
: | NZ Herald | Matt Nippert | Controversial West Coast religious community Gloriavale has seen income slump as it grapples with legal challenges ranging from its school operations and employment practices to its banking facilities. The Christian Church Community Trust, the umbrella organisation under which the 500-strong West Coast community of Gloriavale operates,…
Escaping Utopia part 2: ‘She’s not safe here’
: | Stuff | Amberleigh Jack | RECAP: Before opening credits even begin to roll, part two of the new Gloriavale documentary hits with a brutal insight into lives within of the South Island Christian community. It’s a difficult, uncomfortable watch, that’s even tougher to turn away from. Through off-camera commentary, the viewer is…Gloriavale Christian sect members developed a distinct accent as a result of isolation, linguist says
: | NZ Herald | Lincoln Tan | Living in isolation in a closeted community has given members of the Gloriavale Christian sect an accent that is “unique and distinct”, a linguistic expert says. Gloriavale has been under the spotlight with a three-part documentary series called Escaping Utopiacurrently airing on TVNZ 1. There are about…
India’s Gloriavale and the Kiwi women there
: | RNZ| The Detail| The Gloriavale offshoot in India is home to Kiwi women and children. A former member of the sect says getting them out of there is urgent. Listen to Theo Pratt and Rosie Overcomer share insights from their visit to the Indian community. They are joined by…
Gloriavale leavers on why they spoke out in new doco series
: | 1 News Reporters | YouTube Link A group of Gloriavale leavers have explained why they decided to speak out in a new documentary released by TVNZ this week. Escaping Utopia is a three-part documentary speaking to leavers of the sect, giving unprecedented access to Gloriavale’s inner workings, the unravelling…Gloriavale members stuck in timewarp of 50 years ago
: | RNZ | First Up The director of a three-part Gloriavale documentary says members of the isolated West Coast community “live like life is frozen in an oppressive communist regime in the 1970s”. Justin Pemberton’s “Escaping Utopia” follows members of the community who want to escape and have escaped Gloriavale…Gloriavale doco shouldn’t be just ‘clickbait entertainment’
: | 1 News | Ryan Boswell | The psychological, physical, and emotional abuse at Gloriavale is “not just clickbait entertainment”, Liz Gregory from the Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust says. Escaping Utopia is a three-part documentary speaking to leavers of the sect, giving unprecedented access to Gloriavale’s inner workings, the unravelling of…Review: Escaping Utopia shines a new light on the true darkness of Gloriavale
: | The Spinoff | Tara Ward | TVNZ’s new documentary series about leaving the West Coast religious community isn’t an easy watch, but it’s a necessary one. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. Pilgrim Christian is driving along a gravel road in…
Gloriavale’s treatment of woman ‘disturbing’, says former MP after visit to community
: | NZ Herald | Rachel Maher | Former MP Catherine Delahunty has revealed her brush with the Gloriavale community left her “disturbed” and “heartbroken” for the women there. The ex-Green MP said during a 2015 visit to the West Coast Christian community she witnessed institutionalised misogyny that left women without…
Escaping Utopia: TVNZ’s Gloriavale documentary revisits the secretive community – The Front Page
: | NZ Herald | A new documentary has revisited the origins of the Gloriavale Christian Community, as ongoing legal challenges continue to threaten the secretive commune’s future. The first episode of Escaping Utopia aired on TVNZ 1 last night, with two more episodes to follow tonight and tomorrow. Series co-director Justin Pemberton…Gloriavale faces ‘death by a thousand cuts’ as investigators circle
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Hundreds of people have fled Gloriavale in recent years amid disturbing revelations of physical and sexual abuse against children, and allegations of slavery. Could the reclusive religious community collapse, and what impact would that have? Joanne Naish investigates. When Rosanna Overcomer and her…Escaping Utopia, gripping, brave and stranger than fiction
: | Stuff | Amberleigh Jack | RECAP: It’s all too easy to look at any situation where someone – especially women – appear oppressed, controlled or abused and think, “why don’t they just leave”? But the first part of the documentary series, Escaping Utopia, explores the planning that goes into the clandestine escapes from the…
Justin Pemberton: Escaping Utopia director explores the inner workings of Gloriavale through interviews with escapees
: | Newstalk ZB |The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Description The insular Greymouth community of Gloriavale has kept Kiwis enthralled as testimonies keep emerging. A new TVNZ documentary, Escaping Utopia, promises to unveil the stories of people who’ve left the community- and the struggles they’ve endured. Co-director Justin Pemberton says Gloriavale…Escaping Utopia: Gloriavale former member Theophila Pratt on what it’s really like to leave
: | NZ Herald | Emma Gleason | What’s it like to leave Gloriavale? A new TVNZ documentary, Escaping Utopia, seeks to answer that question and one former member, Theophila Pratt, tells the Herald what her exit was really like. “You were trying to save yourself all the time,” Theophila Pratt says of her…Leading NZ Lawyer Challenges The “Voyeurs Of New Zealand” As Gloriavale Is Back In The Public Eye Once Again
: | Scoop |Press Release |Dennis Gates Voyeurs of New Zealand, your next Gloriavale fix is here. Drip fed on TVNZ over three consecutive nights, Escaping Utopia brings into living rooms across the country, the desperate attempts to get away from the West Coast cult. Once again, the reality of life in Gloriavale…
Escaping Utopia: What it takes to break free from Gloriavale
: | RNZ | Saturday Morning | Around 600 people (including around 350 children) currently live at Gloriavale – a strict Christian community on the West Coast. Listen to the interview Escaping Utopia airs at 8.30pm on Sunday 24 March and continues Monday and Tuesday. Overcomer, who left Glorivale with her family in…
Gloriavale Doco – Escaping Utopia
: | More FM | The Breakfast Club | Escaping Utopia premieres on Sunday, March 24 at 8.30pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, and continues Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26. More Info Here www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz…Gloriavale Leavers put staff member on Coast
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | The Timaru-based Gloriavale Leavers Trust will base a staff member on the West Coast from next month. Kathryn Tuck lives near Gloriavale and the leavers’ trust says she has been instrumental in supporting many people inside and outside of Gloriavale for over eight…Government agencies’ Gloriavale response not being extended
: | RNZ | The formal all-of-government response to the Gloriavale Christian community on the South Island’s West Coast has come to an end. Nine agencies were involved in the group, including police, WorkSafe and Oranga Tamariki, led by the West Coast Regional Public Service Commissioner. It was established in August…
Less Govt oversight for Gloriavale community
: | 1 News | Ryan Boswell | Former Workplace Relations Minister Michael Wood wants an all-of-government response to the controversial Gloriavale community. He said the leadership of the sect has “not acted in a way that creates an environment of trust”. A previously mandated joint response ended last December. Ministry…
Former MP speaks out after Govt oversight end
: | 1 News | Ryan Boswell | The secretive commune of Gloriavale now has less official oversight, with a co-ordinated multi-agency response looking at issues raised by leavers, investigations and court cases no longer active. Now, the former Workplace Minister, Michael Wood, who helped oversee that work has spoken for…
Govt agencies no longer required to meet over Gloriavale concerns
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | Ten government agencies monitoring the Gloriavale community are no longer required to meet fortnightly. The all-of-Government response to the remote West Coast community, looking at issues raised by leavers, employment and education investigations and criminal court cases is no longer active since the end…
‘Devil’ blamed for sex offending
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription Only | A former Gloriavale “predator’’ found guilty of multiple historical sexual offences against girls and boys as young as six was yesterday jailed for 11 years and 10 months. A Greymouth District Court jury took two weeks late last year to find Jonathan Benjamin, 58, guilty…
Gloriavale: New testaments from cult survivors
: | The Listener | Russell Baillie | Subscription Only Escaping Utopia is another documentary about Gloriavale, the religious community that has attracted prying cameras for decades. But its makers say the three-part series finally tells the whole story. When Natalie Malcon made Heaven and Hell – The Centrepoint Story, her devastating award-winning…Jonathan Benjamin sentenced to more than 11 years’ jail for sexual offending against Gloriavale children
: | RNZ | Anna Sargent | Victims of a sexual predator in the Gloriavale Christian community who has now been jailed have described him as an opportunist who used the vulnerability of his victims to exploit them. Jonathan Benjamin was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court to 11 years and…Gloriavale man sentenced to 11 years for sexual offending
: | RNZ: Checkpoint | Victims of a predator in the Gloriavale Christian community have described him as an opportunist who used the vulnerability of his victims to exploit them. Jonathan Benjamin has been sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in prison for more than 20 charges of sexual offending…
Gloriavale man jailed for abusing nine children over more than three decades
: | The Press | Joanne Naish | A victim of child sex abuse in Gloriavale is calling for the Government to take action to protect children in the Christian community, saying the court has proved multiple times that it “isn’t a safe place”. Virginia Courage spoke after the sentencing of…Documentary series Escaping Utopia to reveal how former residents fled Gloriavale
: | Stuff | TV Guide | Local documentary Escaping Utopia explores the planning that goes into clandestine escapes from Gloriavale, with the help of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust. Screening across three nights, the series reveals new information from former and current members of the controversial religious community and seeks to…
Rosie Overcomer shares her story about growing up in Gloriavale
: | NZ Herald: Grace Odlum | When Rosie Overcomer looked at her newborn daughter’s face for the first time, she was overwhelmed with fear. She was afraid of her daughter having the same upbringing as she had, in a place where women weren’t valued as highly as men – Gloriavale,…Gloriavale docuseries to bring to light harrowing tales of escape
: | 1News Reporters | The isolated West Coast commune of Gloriavale will again come into sharp focus as former members’ desperate attempts to escape air on TVNZ later this month. Across three nights, Escaping Utopia will reveal the careful planning involved in clandestine escapes from the fundamentalist Christian sect –…
Gloriavale ‘expose’ to screen worldwide
: |Greymouth Star| Subscription Only | A new three-part investigation into Gloriavale will screen on TV One later this month. The brand-new docuseries — Escaping Utopia — is fronted by journalist Melanie Reid, who went undercover there in 1994. “I have done hundreds of television stories in the last two decades but this…TVNZ Screens Worldwide Premiere Of Gloriavale Docuseries, Escaping Utopia
: TVNZ Press Release: Scoop New Zealand’s most extreme religious cult, Gloriavale, and the true stories of people attempting to break free, are the subject of a brand-new docuseries – Escaping Utopia – screening this March on TVNZ. In a worldwide premiere, screening across three captivating nights, Escaping Utopia documents the intricate planning that goes…Gloriavale’s surplus declines
: | Greymouth Star |Subscription Only|Laura Mills Gloriavale’s charitable trust has reported a $766,000 surplus for the year. That is well down on a $3.4m surplus recorded last year, and $2.29m before that. Total income was $15.8m, compared to $27m last year. It had revenue of almost $16m, administration costs of $893,000…
Employment law – new Gloriavale case commentary
: Commentary on recent employment law decisions relating to the Gloriavale Christian Community is included in the latest updating of Employment Law (online ed, Thomson Reuters) on Westlaw New Zealand. Temple v Pilgrim (CA) In Temple v Pilgrim [2023] NZCA 631, an application for leave to appeal from an Employment Court decision that six female “Teams”…
Cell coverage comes to Gloriavale
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | Subscription Only The Gloriavale Christian Community is going to get a cellphone signal for the first time at its remote site inland of Nelson Creek. The Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) has applied to the Grey District Council to install a cell tower near Lake Haupiri.…School under ministry watch
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills The Ministry of Education says it is meeting regularly with the Gloriavale School staff following a highly critical Education Review Office report threw doubt on its registration as a private school. Gloriavale Christian School has a roll of 139. However, ERO said almost 20%…
Gloriavale leader on tight rein
: | Greymouth Star | Gloriavale Christian Community’s elderly spiritual leader Howard Temple, who is facing over 20 historic charges of sexual off ending, will be briefly allowed back at the community’s Lake Brunner satellite site this Sunday. An application to vary the 83-year-old’s bail conditions was filed with Judge Stephen…
Liz Gregory: General Manager of Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust: On The Landmark Court Case
: | Maree Buscke | Reality Check Radio | Liz Gregory, General Manager of Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust joins Maree Buscke to share the story of the Leavers’ landmark Employment Court case.…
Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust manager believes others will join group claim for compensation
: Heather du Plessis-Allan | Newstalk ZB | Listen to the interview by following the above link.…Former Gloriavale members seeking compensation believed to be in the millions
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A group of nine former Gloriavale members found to have been employees have lodged an Employment Relations Authority claim against the Christian community for lost wages and compensation believed to total $5.2 million. Supporters of the six women and three men are calling for…
‘Stealthful’ sex offending
: | Greymouth Star Online article | A 32-year-old Gloriavale father of seven was yesterday sentenced to home detention over “stealthful’’ sexual offending committed 16 years ago inside the isolated Christian community at Lake Haupiri. Ready Standtrue, who was born and raised at Gloriavale, was 16 and 17 years old when…
Gloriavale residents found to be employees – again
: Alison Maelzer and Kirby Kleingeld | HRD NZ | Intention of parties not determinative of relationship, says court The employment status of a worker is a concept that has long been contested and is challenging to determine for many, especially with flexible working arrangements and the so-called ‘gig economy’. An…
Gloriavale’s annus horribilis
: By Laura Mills | Greymouth Star: Article Online | 18 December 2023 The Gloriavale Christian Community has been under siege all year, with a raft of legal action ongoing into 2024. It is waiting to hear whether it has been granted leave to appeal an Employment Court decision, upheld last…‘Overseeing shepherd’ is the employer in Gloriavale case
: Joanne Naish | The Press | The Employment Court has ruled that a group of women who took a case against Gloriavaleleaders were employed by the Overseeing Shepherd. It means that former employees of the community can seek compensation and back payfrom the current Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple. Employment Court…
Court finds Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd was employer of former members
: Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd was the ultimate controlling force as the employer of six women who worked on the Christian community’s domestic teams, the Employment Court has found. Chief judge Christina Inglis found Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage…
Gloriavale ‘Overseeing Shepherd’ is the employer of workers – Employment Court ruling
: Anna Leask | NZ Herald | The Employment Court has formally recognised that the “Overseeing Shepherd” of Gloriavale was the boss of six women who worked at the secretive Christian commune. And the person in that role is “liable to account for any alleged breaches” against the women. Earlier this year the…
Court rules Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd is employer
: 1News | Video | The Employment Court has formally recognised the “Overseeing Shepherd” of Gloriavale was the boss of six women who worked at the secretive Christian commune, making the person in that role “liable to account for any alleged breaches” against the women. Listen to the News Report here:…
Man damages pink church
: | Greymouth Star | Subscription only: Greymouth Star A former Gloriavale man admitted damaging Blaketown’s ‘pink church’ — a gay celebration — when he appeared in the Greymouth District Court yesterday. Redeemed Standfast, 19, who left the Gloriavale Christian Community a year ago, was supported in court by his father…
Survivor speaks out after sex offender found guilty
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A woman who was sexually violated as a child by a predator in the Gloriavale christian community says she has carried the trauma silently for too long. Jonathan Benjamin, 58, was found guilty of 11 charges of sexual offending against four girls and not…Police welcome Gloriavale sex assault case verdicts
: Inside Government NZ | Public Service | NZ Police has welcomed the verdicts returned in Greymouth District Court yesterday, where a man has been found guilty for multiple historical sexual offences at Gloriavale. A 58-year-old man was found guilty of 11 charges of sexual offending against four out of five…
Jonathan Benjamin found guilty of historical sexual offences at Gloriavale
: | RNZ | A 58-year-old man has been found guilty of multiple historical sexual offences at Gloriavale. The verdicts against Jonathan Benjamin, delivered in Greymouth District Court, relate to 11 charges of sexual offending against four people at the Christian community between 1986 and 2017. Benjamin, who had already admitted…
Gloriavale sex offences: Greymouth District Court finds 58-year-old man guilty on 11 charges
: Raphael Franks | NZ Herald | A 58-year-old man has been found guilty of committing sexual offences at reclusive Christian community Glorivale, some of which were historical charges dating back to the 1980s. The Greymouth District Court found the man guilty on 11 recent charges today and referred him for sentencing next…Gloriavale’s bid to appeal employment ruling largely fails
: | RNZ | Gloriavale’s bid to appeal against a ruling that six former members were Christian community employees rather than volunteers has been largely dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Chief Employment Court judge Christina Inglis found the women worked extremely hard under punishing conditions for years on end, in…
Gloriavale leaders may still have a chance to fight case
: Joanne Naish | Stuff | Gloriavale leaders have been refused the chance to appeal on four grounds against anEmployment Court case that ruled a group of women were employees when they worked inthe community.However, the Court of Appeal says it needs more information before it decides whether togrant leave to…Gloriavale and BNZ – where is the line on the right of accessibility to services?
: | Hesketh Henry | Whether accessibility to banking services is a fundamental right is an issue that is currently before the High Court in the dispute between Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) and the Christian Church Community Trust, more commonly known as the Gloriavale Christian Community (Gloriavale). So far, the…
Gloriavale sex offender says some of it consensual
: Joanne Naish | The Press | Jonathan Benjamin, 58, is facing a jury trial in the Greymouth District Court for offending that allegedly happened in the Gloriavale Christian community from 1989 to 2017 at Haupiri and Springbank, the cult’s original site at Springbank, near Christchurch. He has pleaded not guilty…
Gloriavale child sex offender admits he has ‘hurt some people dreadfully’
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A jury has heard disturbing evidence from a self-confessed child sex offender about how he touched young girls, but had consensual “affairs” with others. Jonathan Benjamin, 58, is facing a jury trial in the Greymouth District Court for offending that allegedly happened in the Gloriavale…Major Gloriavale investigation finds 138 potential abuse victims, dozens of suspected offenders
: Blair Ensor | Stuff | A major police investigation into abuse at Gloriavale has identified more than 100 potential victims of crimes spanning about four decades, Stuff can reveal. The previously undisclosed and ongoing investigation, dubbed Operation Mathius, began in 2021, and followed another investigation that brought to light offending involving 60 people at…Hundreds of suspected crimes uncovered at Gloriavale
: Blair Ensor | Stuff | A major police investigation into abuse at Gloriavale has identified more than 100 potential victims of crimes spanning about four decades, Stuff can reveal. The previously undisclosed and ongoing investigation, dubbed Operation Mathius, began in 2021, and followed another investigation that brought to light offending involving 60…
Teenager ‘left in hospital with broken back’ after incident at Gloriavale
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A Gloriavale teenager was left with a broken back following an incident at the community’s youth group. Police confirmed they were investigating what happened at the Haupiri community on Saturday afternoon. The 17-year-old’s mother, who asked not to be named, said initial reports that…
Former Gloriavale man allegedly damaged Greymouth’s pink church
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A former Gloriavale man has been charged with damaging Greymouth’s pink church. Redeemed Standfast, 19, left the Gloriavale Christian Community earlier this year. His father Stephen Standfast, who has been named as the next Overseeing Shepherd of the community on the West Coast, was…Gloriavale charitable status review
: Laura Mills | Greymouth Star | A review of Gloriavale’s charitable status is ongoing, Charities Services says. In June, an Employment Court ruling concluded that six former Gloriavale women were not volunteers but unpaid employees at the Christian community at Lake Haupiri. Gloriavale says the judge got it wrong and…
Arresting Gloriavale’s leader Howard Temple could ‘destabilise’ community, report claims
: Caley Callaghan | Newshub | A report obtained by Newshub shows concern from a government official over Gloriavale’s ability to meet protection measures for its residents. It suggests the arrest of leader Howard Temple for historical sex charges could destabilise the reclusive Christian community’s continuity and leadership structure. But the…Gloriavale sex charges dominate Greymouth court
: Greymouth Star A Gloriavale man today admitted three charges of sexual offending that took place at the isolated Christian community 15 years ago. Ready Standtrue, 32, did not seek continued name suppression in the Greymouth District Court this morning. He pleaded guilty to two charges of indecently assaulting a female…Gloriavale sex attacker confessed to police after being persuaded by his victim
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A Gloriavale man confessed his sexual offending to police after his victim asked him to own up when she found out he was teaching children in the community’s school. Ready Standtrue, 32, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecently assaulting and one of sexually…Gloriavale man’s alleged sex crimes detailed in court
: Niva Chittock | RNZ | Warning: This story contains details that may distress some readers. A woman who accused a man of raping her at Gloriavale was told there was no way she would ever marry and was written off as a “whore” and a “slut”, a Greymouth court has…Gloriavale man facing 20 charges, four of rape
: RNZ | Checkpoint | Jonathan Benjamin is facing 20 charges, including four of rape, during his time at the Gloriavale Christian Community between 1986 and 2017. Crown lawyer, Kerry White, says some of the complainants were aged between six and 14 when they say they were attacked. The five complainants,…Trial for man accused of sexual offending against Gloriavale children gets underway
: Niva Chittock | RNZ | The trial of a man accused of committing serious sexual offending against children at Gloriavale will begin this morning in Greymouth. Jonathan Benjamin is charged with various sexual offences against children and young women, including four counts of rape, from his time with the reclusive…Christchurch to host Australasia’s first cult awareness conference
: Joanne Naish | The Press| International cult experts and survivors will gather to raise awareness of cults and the harm they cause in Christchurch next year. Christchurch journalist and author of Cult Trip: Inside the World of Coercion and Control Anke Richter is organising Decult, a conference due to take…Gloriavale man on trial for 20 child sex offences
: Joanne Naish | The Press | A man is on trial for 20 charges of sexual offending against children spanning more than 30 years at the Gloriavale Christian community. Jonathan Benjamin, 58, is facing a jury trial in the Greymouth District Court. He has pleaded not guilty to four charges…
GLORIAVALE – Noel Smyth & Fergus Grady Interview
: Brand new doco Gloriavale is in cinemas today and this week the men who created the film Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady spoke to Dave Griffiths about the film. Take a listen to the full interview below: Gloriavale Interview…
‘We’ve been failed’ – Former Gloriavale student angry at lost education opportunities
: RNZ A former Gloriavale student is angry about the education she missed out on at school in the secretive South Island community, where she says girls are told their future is cooking and sewing. A recent ERO report of Gloriavale Christian School found 20 percent of students have been absent from class,…
Gloriavale students made to ‘put on a good show’ for ERO inspectors
: RNZ | Checkpoint | A former Gloriavale resident’s revealed students were made to “put on a good show” for inspectors. Her comments follow a recent ERO report which slams the private school inside the secretive South Island community. The report lists a raft of serious failings: 20 percent of enrolled…Gloriavale school – no need to plan because the Lord’s coming back
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | Two former Gloriavale teachers say the community’s belief that the Lord was coming back really soon impacted planning and training at the school. They’ve spoken out following a damning Education Review Office (ERO) report and claim issues at the religious community’s school should…
Resounding failure for Gloriavale school in latest ERO report
: RNZ | Checkpoint | Listen to Victory and Hopeful Disciple’s interview with Lisa Owen. Hopeful and Victory Disciple left the secretive West Coast community with their six children, who they said were still recovering from the trauma they endured at the school. Photo: RNZ / Jean Edwards Former Gloriavale members say the…Resounding failure for Gloriavale school in latest ERO report
: RNZ | Checkpoint | Former Gloriavale members say the way children are treated at the community’s school is tantamount to abuse and they want it shut down. Their comments follow a damning Education Review Office report which identified a raft of failings at Gloriavale Christian School including not providing an adequate education…Man charged with sexual offending at Gloriavale
: By Joanne Naish |The Press | A man has been charged with sexual offending at Gloriavale. He is facing two charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexually violating a woman in 2008. Continue reading: Man charged with sexual offending…School seeks outside help
: By Laura Mills | Greymouth Star | Gloriavale School is looking for teachers from outside the closed community. The Education Review Office has just reported that schooling at Gloriavale is “precarious” and at a lower standard than in State schools. It identified a raft of things that must be fixed…Gloriavale leavers falling into ‘carefully laid trap’ – lawyer
: By Shannon Redstall | The Press | A lawyer representing former Gloriavale members who won a recent Employment Court case believes they are walking into a “carefully laid trap” that would prevent them from receiving compensation from the secretive religious organisation. In July, Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis declared…
Gloriavale ordered to make its workplaces safer
: | 1 News | The Gloriavale religious community has been told to make its workplaces safer. WorkSafe has followed up several warnings to the West Coast community in 2022, with six assessments this year. Those have led to an improvement notice to its Canaan Farming Engineering operation – to keep…Concerns Howard Temple could declare bankruptcy, so he doesn’t have to pay Gloriavale employees
: By Michael Morrah | Newshub | The lawyer for a group of women who were formally residents of Gloriavale has raised concerns at an Employment Court hearing in Wellington the community’s Overseeing Shepherd, Howard Temple, could end up bankrupt and not able to pay them for their time spent working…Gloriavale school slammed by Education Review Office
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | Gloriavale’s school has come under fire from the Education Review Office (ERO) because it’s students are not progressing and achieving well, and their health and safety is not being monitored sufficiently. ERO found Gloriavale Christian School is not providing an adequate education to…
Watchdog Report: Gloriavale Christian School Falls Short on Education Quality
: By Chris Lynch |Christchurch’s Newsroom | A review conducted by the Education Review Office has raised serious concerns about the quality of education for school-aged children within the secluded Gloriavale community. The report unveiled challenges faced by the Gloriavale Christian School, affecting its capability to offer consistent and high-standard education.…Gloriavale school ‘not providing an adequate education’ – ERO
: | 1 News | The Education Review Office (ERO) has put out a highly critical report on the Gloriavale Christian School, saying it is not providing an adequate education for a private school. Gloriavale is an isolated Christian community on the West Coast, and its school has 139 enrolled students.…
Taking on Gloriavale with Human Rights Lawyer, Stephen Patterson
: Cult Hackers Human rights lawyer, Stephen Patterson joins us today to talk about his work representing ex-members of the New Zealand based Gloriavale religious group. Stephen provides insights into life in the group thanks to his many conversations with former members. It’s some of the worst exploitation we’ve heard about…
Community support sought for container conversion project in Timaru
: By Rachel Comer | Timaru Herald | A Timaru couple who support people leaving Gloriavale are hoping the community will help with a project transforming two 40-foot shipping containers into offices and meeting rooms. For the past 10 years, Liz and Graham Gregory have been involved with and hosted leavers…Work Continues Over Gloriavale
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A 12-year-old boy at Gloriavale broke his arm reaching into a large washing machine – an incident revealed in documents from the government agencies monitoring the community. The documents were released under the Official Information Act by the all-of-Government response to the remote West…Banks not ‘moral arbiters’ – Gloriavale
: By Laura Mills | Greymouth Star | Gloriavale has hit back at the banking sector as the BNZ tries to close its accounts, saying banks should not act as “moral arbiter”. The Lake Haupiri Christian community’s submission to the Commerce Commission inquiry into retail banking competition comes after the BNZ…
Gloriavale community takes big banks to the Commerce Commission
: By Jonathan Milne | Newsroom Pro | A controversial West Coast Christian community is seeking to overturn the tables of the money lenders Gloriavale leaders say some banks are refusing to serve customers they deem to be “undesirable”. Purporting to represent religious minorities, Māori, rural, disabled and elderly members of society excluded…
Gloriavale case underscores need for modern slavery legislation, says lawyer
: By Dexter Tilo | HRD – Human Resources Director | Cites court findings that women had ‘very little real choice’ when it came to work The recent ruling on the Gloriavale case underscores the need for legislation on modern slavery in New Zealand, according to an employment lawyer. John Farrow,…
Anti-slavery laws much needed in wake of Gloriavale case
: By John Farrow | Otago Daily Times | The chief judge of the Employment Court’s recent declaration that Serenity Pilgrim and other women in the Gloriavale community were employees is vaguely unsettling. It’s not that the decision isn’t just. It’s not that the decision isn’t well reasoned. It’s not that…
What the jury heard during two trials against Gloriavale leader Salem Temple
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | After two jury trials, Salem Temple – the son of Gloriavale’s overseeing shepherd – had his charges of sexual offending against a young girl dropped. Eight years after that girl, now a woman, went to police, the story of what she claims Temple…
‘Bloody coward’: Gloriavale man who had sexual offending charges dropped finally named_Stuff
: by Joanne Naish | Stuff | The son of Gloriavale’s overseeing shepherd can now be named as the man accused but never convicted of sexual offending against a young girl. Salem Temple, 40, faced two charges of indecently assaulting a girl aged between 12 and 16, one of indecent assault…
Religious community wins extended injunction in test of BNZ human rights policy
: By Ian Rogers | BankingDay | Bank of New Zealand will need to continue supplying banking services to a controversial Christian community, following a ruling by the New Zealand High Court late last week. The Christian Church Community Trust, more commonly known as the Gloriavale Christian community has been disputing the…BNZ cannot dump Gloriavale, for now
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | BNZ has been ordered to continue providing banking for the Gloriavale Christian Community. The bank’s decision to close Gloriavale’s accounts followed an Employment Court ruling in May last year that found three former members – who began working at the community from age 6 –…More education support needed for young Gloriavale leavers
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | Young people leaving Gloriavale should be offered extra support – similar to refugees – including help identifying academic gaps, social needs and undiagnosed learning difficulties, a report has found. The report was written in August last year, but the Ministry of Education says…Gloriavale crash: senior leader remains in hospital with punctured lung, internal injuries: NZ Herald
: | NZ Herald | A senior leader of the Gloriavale Christian community seriously injured in a crash at the weekend suffered a punctured lung and other internal injures. It was also feared Peter Righteous had serious spinal injuries but it now appears he has escaped such damage. Righteous was a…
Senior Gloriavale leader seriously injured in West Coast crash: Stuff
: By Tina Law | Stuff | A senior leader of the Gloriavale community was seriously injured after the car he and two other people were in crashed into a creek on the South Island’s West Coast. Stuff understands Peter Righteous, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was flown to Wellington…Three Gloriavale members injured in car crash on West Coast: Stuff
: By Melanie Earley | Stuff | Three members of the Gloriavale community have been injured, one seriously, after a car ended up in a creek on the South Island’s West Coast. A police spokesperson confirmed the crash happened shortly after 3.30pm on Saturday on Nelson Creek-Bell Hill Rd, Hochstetter, on…
What is the Government doing to keep the children of Gloriavale safe? | Newshub Nation
: | Newshub Nation | Another week, another Gloriavale conviction, this one for violence and sex crimes. This week we went to parliament to find out what the government is doing to ensure the safety of the children there. Listen to the responses by following this link: What is the Government…
Gloriavale man jailed for sexual assaults he told victim were educational: Stuff
: By Jake Kenny | Stuff | A Gloriavale man made young girls strip naked while he took photographs of them, claiming he was “teaching” one victim when he sexually assaulted her. Peter Trust, a 51-year-old resident of the Gloriavale Christian Community and father of 11 children, also carried out “full-force…Gloriavale man forced girls to strip naked, pose sexually, and beat them with fence pipe: NZ Herald
: By Emily Moorhouse | NZ Herald | WARNING: This article discusses sexual harm and may be distressing. A Gloriavale member who made young girls strip naked and touch themselves while he took photos of them said he was trying to “boost their confidence” and teach them how to “please their…Gloriavale Slavery Warrants Commission Of Enquiry: NZ First
: Press Release: New Zealand First Party Today’s interview of the Deputy Prime Minister on The Nation was disturbing. I was in Cabinet between 2017 and 2020 Gloriavale was never drawn to my attention. To see the comfort being offered by the Regional Public Service Commissioner at the direction of the Cabinet…
Carmel Sepuloni says Government’s had no indication Gloriavale children are unsafe
: Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni says she’s had no suggestion by Government agencies children living at Gloriavale are unsafe. Her comments come in the wake of a recent employment court ruling which has reignited the longstanding allegations of slavery at the West Coast commune. Read full article and listen to…
Ex Gloriavale residents sceptical about proposed anti slavery laws: RNZ
: Nine to Noon | RNZ | Interview with Brian Henry and Pearl Valor Former Gloriavale residents say they’re sceptical about government plans to pass a law banning modern slavery, saying nothing has been done to stop the practice over decades at the West Coast Christian community. A proposed law change…
Gloriavale to appeal loss in employment case: RNZ
: | RNZ | The Gloriavale Christian community has sought leave to appeal an Employment Court ruling that six women were employees, not volunteers. The former Gloriavale women took the West Coast community’s leaders to court, saying they were exploited and treated like slaves while working in domestic teams. The court’s…
‘Not treating people as humans’: Former Gloriavale women slam leaders’ appeal bid: The Press
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | A decision by Gloriavale leaders to try appeal women’s employment rights has been labelled as “appalling” by one of the plaintiffs. Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis declared the former Gloriavale women were employees rather than volunteers in her decision in July after a…
Gloriavale seeks to appeal decision ruling women should be treated as employees: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | Gloriavale leaders claim they did not get a fair hearing in the Employment Court case that found women in the community are employees, not volunteers. The leaders have gone to the Appeal Court to ask for leave to appeal the Employment Court’s decision to…Gloriavale leader Howard Temple facing indecency charges involving 10 girls: RNZ
: By Niva Chittock | RNZ | Gloriavale’s leader has been named today as the man charged with sexual offending against girls over more than 20 years. Details of Howard Temple’s first court appearance last month were suppressed, but the suppression order has since lapsed. More charges were added when he appeared…Revealed: Gloriavale leader Howard Temple accused of indecently assaulting 10 girls across more than 20 years: NZ Herald
: By Sam Sherwood and Carolyne Meng-Yee | NZ Herald | The leader of Christian community Gloriavale is accused of indecently assaulting 10 girls across more than 20 years, it can be revealed. Name suppression lapsed today for Howard Temple, following his appearance in the Greymouth District Court. Court documents allege…
Who is Stephen Standfast, Gloriavale’s next Overseeing Shepherd?: The Press
: By Joanne Naish | The Press | Gloriavale’s next top leader is a zealous follower who once pulled off a girl’s scarf and called her a whore for wearing one hairclip instead of two. Stephen Standfast has been chosen as the next Overseeing Shepherd of the Gloriavale Christian Community by…
Women who escaped cult after a decade left to pick up pieces themselves
: By Anke Richter | New Zealand Listener | Subscription Only On a Friday afternoon, Sarah Mettrick cracks open a bottle of beer, sitting in the sun outside her Lyttelton home. Such a leisurely indulgence would have once been unthinkable for the 37-year-old who runs her own cleaning business. “I’m a…![Inside the Gloriavale Cult: The Deep Podcast [3part]](https://www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The_Deep_Podcast-750x461.jpg)
Inside the Gloriavale Cult: The Deep Podcast [3part]
: The Deep | Podcast | Pt 1: This is all about the Gloriavale cult, which started in New Zealand in 1969 and is still in operation today. Faithful, yes that is his real name, was born into the cult. In this episode he shares all about what life was like…
Lawyer for ex-Gloriavale members says community is run on child labour, slams Government for not intervening: Newshub
: By Rebecca Wright | Molly Swift | Newshub | A lawyer for ex-Gloriavale members says the sect depends on child labour, calling out the Government for turning a blind eye to “slavery in our country”. Barrister Brian Henry has been leading the fight against the isolated Christian Community where he…
‘Where has the Government been?’ Damning interview with Gloriavale Barrister: Newshub Nation
: ThreeNow | Newshub Nation | Gloriavale has hit the headlines again this week. The Education Review Office announcing it’s investigating it’s private school. It comes after a second successful court case against the leadership – which found that children as young as six are actually employees in the community –…
Otira Subway Artwork
: West Coast Messenger CHILDREN from Gloriavale Christian School have been getting creative as they fill the Otira railway pedestrian subway with colourful paintings. Students at Lake Brunner School and Springfield School have also had a hand in brightening the subway in preparation for the Otira Tunnel Centennial celebrations on August…
Brian Henry with Mike Hosking: Newstalk ZB
: | Newstalk ZB | Brian Henry speaking to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB. To listen to the interview, click on link: Brian Henry with Mike Hosking…Education Review Office reviewing Gloriavale School after Employment Court case: RNZ
: RNZ Gloriavale School is under review by the Education Review Office, the Ministry of Education has confirmed. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage took Gloriavale’s leaders to court, arguing they lived in servitude working on the West Coast commune’s domestic teams and were…Gloriavale employment case: Judge says suggestion women had ‘choice’ largely illusory: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Warning – This story discusses details of suicide and sexual abuse. Long read – Raised to be meek and submissive in a world dominated by men, six former Gloriavale women have won an extraordinary legal victory they say vindicates their claims of labour exploitation. The Employment…
Lawyer for ‘Gloriavale six’ takes aim at Govt in anger: Newshub
: Juliet Speedy | Newshub | A lawyer for the ‘Gloriavale six’ says the West Coast religious community is a boil the Government needs to lance. On Thursday, the employment court found in favour of the women, that they were employees, not volunteers, and so were due the rights and payments…Brian Henry: lawyer for former Gloriavale women says the community programmed these women for slavery from birth
: Heather du Plessis-Allan | NewstalkZB | Description: An employment court has vindicated six former Gloriavale women – who today won their employment court battle. These women claimed they were exploited and treated like slaves while they worked on domestic tasks for the community, including preparing food, cooking, cleaning and doing…
‘They lived in fear’: Lawyer on court ruling that Gloriavale women were employees: RNZ
: Lisa Owen |RNZ Checkpoint| “Relieved and vindicated” That’s the response of six former Gloriavale women found by the court to be employees. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage took leaders of the christian community to the Employment court arguing they lived in servitude…
Gloriavale employment case: ‘It just feels amazing to be acknowledged’: RNZ
: RNZ Former Gloriavale women who took the community’s leaders to court hope today’s ruling will mean change for their families still living in the West Coast commune. Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis has found the six women were employees who worked extremely hard under punishing conditions for years on end, in…‘Treated as slaves’: Former Gloriavale women recognised as employees in Employment Court triumph_Stuff
: Jake Kenny, Joanne Naish and Tatiana Gibbs | Stuff | Former Gloriavale women who have won vindication over their claim they were employees at the Christian community say it feels “incredible to be heard, acknowledged and believed” after their victory in an Employment Court case. Their lawyer, Brian Henry, says…
Former Gloriavale residents were employees, not volunteers, court rules: Newshub
: Caley Callahan | Newshub | The Employment Court has ruled six former Gloriavale residents were employees – not volunteers – while living in the reclusive West Coast Christian community. In a decision released on Thursday, Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis said she had “no doubt” the plaintiffs “worked extremely…
Employment Court Judgement
: IN THE MATTER OF a declaration under s 6(5) of the Employment Relations Act 2000 BETWEEN SERENITY PILGRIM, ANNA COURAGE, ROSE STANDTRUE, CRYSTAL LOYAL,PEARL VALOR AND VIRGINIA COURAGE Plaintiffs AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL SUED ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR INSPECTORATE First Defendant AND HOWARD TEMPLE,…
Gloriavale in court: Leavers win Employment Court case, judge rules women born to work and any choice ‘illusionary’_NZ Herald
: Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A group of women born and raised at Gloriavale were employees and not volunteers during their time at the secretive Christian community, the Employment Court has ruled. Born into the community at Haupiri on the South Island’s West Coast, the women were “taught from…
Charges laid against senior Gloriavale member amid Police investigation: Newshub
: By Juliet Speedy | Newshub | There’s been a significant development in the Police investigation into Gloriavale. A number of charges have been laid against a senior member of the reclusive Christian community on the West Coast. Police have confirmed to Newshub on Friday that historic charges have been laid…
Ex-Gloriavale shepherd sentenced to community detention has spent enough time ‘living in chains’, judge says: Stuff
: By Doug Sail | Stuff | A former Gloriavale Christian Community farm manager was told he had spent enough of his life “living in chains” as he was sentenced to community detention for his historic assault on two 11-year-old boys. Judge Campbell Savage told John Ready in the Timaru District…Former Gloriavale dairy farm manager sentenced to community detention for beating two boys: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A judge has told former Gloriavale dairy farm manager John Ready he has “spent enough of his life in chains” in sentencing him to community detention for beating two 11-year-old boys. Ready, 45, hit the boys with a metal fence implement to discourage disobedience…
BNZ accused of relying on Wikipedia during attempt to close Gloriavale accounts
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | BNZ cannot justify terminating its 40-year banking relationship with the Gloriavale Christian community as a result of a landmark child labour ruling, the High Court has heard. The bank wants to close the community’s commercial and charitable accounts, arguing last year’s Employment Court finding…
Let’s Talk About Sects: Rosanna Overcomer Interview
: Rosanna Overcomer | Podcast | Gloriavale Christian Community has been in the news recently in New Zealand for court cases around labour and servitude, and there are further cases happening as well. To understand more about the history of the organisation, you can listen to our 2-part episode about the group.…
My Cult Trip to Gloriavale ~ with ANKE RICHTER
: What is the Gloriavale cult and why are they always in and out of the courts? ANKE RICHTER is an international journalist, foreign correspondent and author based in Christchurch. Her new book, Cult Trip – Inside the World of Coercion & Control, has just been released – an investigative account…Gloriavale man whipped daughter over relationship: NZ Herald
: NZ Herald Warning: Violence contained in story. A Gloriavale man who whipped his daughter 12 years ago with a computer cord till she fainted said the punishment was intended to deter her from a romantic relationship with another young member of the Christian community. Aaron Courage, 50, came before Judge…
Gloriavale man beat daughter until she fainted over relationship with boy: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A Gloriavale man has been convicted for beating his daughter with a computer cord until she fainted because she was in a relationship with a boy outside marriage. Aaron Courage, 50, was convicted of assault with a weapon and discharged when he appeared in…
Fresh charges laid against Gloriavale child sexual predator: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A former Gloriavale man who faces a string of allegations relating to sexual offences against children has had fresh charges levelled at him. The man, who has name suppression, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to 11 charges of sexual offending against children – at least one…
Gloriavale women trapped in ‘misogynist’ community, Employment Court hears: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale women were entrapped, enslaved and lived in servitude at the “misogynist” Christian community, the Employment Court has heard. Barrister Brian Henry used his closing submission in the long-running hearing to claim Gloriavale was forced by its growth to turn to child labour, denying…Young Gloriavale leaver’s first taste of alcohol lands him in court: Greymouth Star
: | Greymouth Star | NZ Herald | A recent young leaver of Gloriavale has dodged a conviction for drink-driving, with the judge saying he needed a chance to find his way in the world. Redeemed Standfast, 18, pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court yesterday to driving with excess breath-alcohol.…Employment Court hears closing submissions in ‘precedent-setting’ Gloriavale case: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s communal religious society is not a sham and there is no capitalist labour market hidden within the Christian community, the Employment Court has heard. Shepherd Samuel Valor also apologised for Gloriavale’s part in “confusion” about its legal representation and urged chief judge Christina…
Gloriavale leader says former members ‘exaggerated’ their experiences: Stuff
: By Shannon Redstall | Stuff | A lawyer for Gloriavale has suggested the women who are arguing they should have been recognised as employees of the secretive Christian community “exaggerated” their experiences. The long-running case centres around whether six former Gloriavale members should be considered employees for the “slave-like” conditions…
Gloriavale leaders apologise for misleading court over their use of lawyers: Newshub
: By Caley Callahan | Newshub | Gloriavale has apologised to the Employment Court after a calamitous start to closing submissions. The hearing was delayed by a day after the community’s leaders engaged legal counsel, despite saying they couldn’t afford it. Gloriavale leader Samuel Valor began by making a public apology…
Gloriavale leaders accused of misleading court: Newshub
: Caley Callahan | Newshub | Gloriavale leaders have been accused of misleading the Employment Court over their use of lawyers. Late last year, the community’s leaders informed the hearing they would represent themselves. But when closing submissions began on Tuesday morning, they once again had legal counsel. Gloriavale leader Samuel…Gloriavale accused of misleading plaintiffs in employment case: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s leaders have misled the barrister representing six former members by appearing with their own lawyer for closing submissions in a long-running case, despite saying the Christian community could no longer afford a legal team, the Employment Court has heard. The development resulted in…
Gloriavale leaders get new lawyer after claiming they couldn’t afford one: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | After claiming they couldn’t afford legal representation, Gloriavale leaders have turned up at the Employment Court with a new lawyer, sparking a war of words and delaying proceedings. Carter Pearce is now representing the West Coast commune in a dispute over whether six former…
Final witness in Gloriavale court case says employment relationships ‘wouldn’t work’: Newshub
: By Caley Callahan | Newshub | An unlikely TV star has been called as the final witness in the employment case against Gloriavale. Dove Stedfast, more commonly known as Dove Love, told the hearing that employment relationships wouldn’t work for their way of life. “My name is Dove Stedfast,” the…
Star of Gloriavale documentary appears at Employment Court: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter| The star of a television show about Gloriavale never wants to be a leader of the West Coast commune because of her Christian beliefs. Dove Steadfast, who was once known as Dove Love, was grilled about women’s rights at Gloriavale during an Employment Court…
Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian had serious failings but still a positive force, court told: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale founder and convicted sex offender Hopeful Christian was a sinner but was used by God to bring about change, a senior community leader says. Shepherd Stephen Standfast told the Employment Court it should not have been acceptable for someone with Christian’s criminal record…
Gloriavale’s Christian ethos clashes with human rights – senior leader: 1 News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | There are “very definitely” difficulties between Gloriavale’s Christian ethos and human rights law, according to a senior leader of the West Coast commune. Stephen Standfast, who is the successor to Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple, is giving evidence in the Employment Court in Christchurch. The…
New details on second Gloriavale Christian Community revealed: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | Gloriavale Christian Community is building a second commune to help house its growing population. Boarded by native bush and private farms on the edge of Lake Brunner, the new village has been excavated and buildings have been moved there. Consent was granted to relocate…
Gloriavale’s vast wealth revealed: Newshub
: by Ryan Boswell: | Newshub | Video link: Gloriavale’s vast wealth revealed…
Crown knew details of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s sex crimes in mid-90s, lawyer tells Employment Court: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | The Crown had detailed knowledge of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s crimes in the mid-1990s but “dropped the ball” by failing to help the community deal with sexual abuse, the Employment Court has heard. Two Court of Appeal judgments tendered in a case brought by…
Gloriavale farm manager struck boys with metal fence standard: Timaru Herald
: By Doug Sail | Timaru Herald | A former Gloriavale Christian Community farm manager, who now lives in Timaru, has admitted hitting two 11-year-old boys several times with a metal fence standard as he believed they had disobeyed him. John Ready ordered his victims to face a wall and raise…
Ex-FLDS Reacts to Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand
: Sam & Melissa compare and contrast the LDS, the FLDS and the Gloriavale Christian Community in their reaction to the documentary “Gloriavale: A World Apart” Episode 1 on Amazon Prime. Video link: https://odysee.com/@GrowingUpInPolygamy:0/ex-flds-reacts-to-gloriavale-christian:f “Gloriavale: A World Apart” Episode 1 can be found on Amazon Prime If you or someone you love…Another investigation at Gloriavale into forced labour, slavery: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | The head of Gloriavale has confirmed police are investigating forced labour, slavery and servitude at the West Coast commune. Overseeing shepherd Howard Temple said while he’s aware of the case, he knows very little about it. “The police work under apparently a confidentiality…
Police investigating claims of forced labour, slavery and servitude, court hears: RNZ
: | RNZ | Jean Edwards | Police are investigating allegations of forced labour, slavery and servitude at the Gloriavale Christian community, the Employment Court has heard. Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple confirmed the inquiry on his third and final day of questioning at a hearing to determine whether six former Gloriavale…Howard Temple rejects that leaders imposing faith in God through ignorance: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ Reporter | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd has rejected assertions the leaders impose their faith in God on the Christian community’s children through isolation and ignorance. Howard Temple has been cross-examined at length about Gloriavale’s doctrine of separation at the Employment Court, which heard girls and boys…
Gloriavale puts God before marriage, court hears: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell |1News Reporter | The love of God comes before everything else, including marriage, according to the man in charge of Gloriavale. Overseeing shepherd Howard Temple said women who get married at the West Coast commune have to submit first to the church, before their husbands. “People know…
Newshub: Gloriavale leader Howard Temple admits he keeps community from outside world
: By Caley Callahan |Newshub | Gloriavale’s overseeing shepherd has admitted he separates his community from the outside world. Howard Temple spent a tense second day on the stand in the Employment Court, which shortened the daily hearing to cater for the frail 82-year-old. Gloriavale’s leader was back in the hot…
1News: Gloriavale head says criticism, scrutiny of commune ‘deserved’
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | The head of Gloriavale believes the criticism and scrutiny thrown at the West Coast commune is “deserved”. Overseeing shepherd Howard Temple told the Employment Court that his intention has always been to ensure the safety and well-being of those who live at Gloriavale,…
Gloriavale leader Howard Temple says much criticism of Christian community valid
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd has told a court much of the criticism directed at the Christian community is deserved and he is saddened by the harm done during a “dark period” in its history. In a rare public appearance, Howard Temple admitted leaders had made…
Timaru Herald: Timaru running club with long history has resurgence
: By Chris Tobin | Timaru Herald | A nearly 100-year-old Timaru running club is enjoying a resurgence with younger runners and others of all abilities taking up the sport. “We cater for all, walkers, joggers and others who just want the social aspect,” Run Timaru club member Jesse Kempf said.…
Inside Gloriavale: A community a world apart
: By Caley Callahan | Newshub | At the end of a rural West Coast road and off the beaten track, Gloriavale reveals itself from the wilderness. It’s just an hour’s drive from Greymouth but the residents there live a completely different life. Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis was invited…
Gloriavale: Employment Court chief judge visits West Coast commune
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | As lunchtime nears, a young Gloriavale woman stands on a metal step dipping a giant wooden spoon into a steaming hot vat, like a paddler working against a tide of macaroni cheese. In one of the most isolated kitchens in the country, a visit…
Inside Gloriavale: Judge’s visit offers rare glimpse into life for women inside religious community
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | In a windowless kitchen with concrete floors and walls, stands a young woman on a step holding a large paddle with both hands, stirring a stainless steel vat of macaroni-and-cheese – enough to feed 600 people. There’s another, smaller, vat for gluten-free meals. In…
Gloriavale: ironing, baking and macaroni cheese for the masses – inside top judge’s tour of secretive Christian community
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | The little boy had no idea as he fibbed about his age, that he was speaking to one of the country’s top judges. After shaking Chief Employment Court Judge Christina Inglis’ hand, the little boy, confidently and without hesitation, told her he was…
Gloriavale gives limited tour to judge, lawyers and media
: 1News | Strict conditions were imposed when an Employment Court judge, lawyers and the media had a two-hour tour of Gloriavale today. The court was trying to get a better understanding of the evidence being presented in the case of six former residents and whether they were employees or volunteers.…
Watch: Chief Employment Court Judge visits Gloriavale | nzherald.co.nz
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | The judge overseeing the Gloriavale employment trial visits the Christian group. Follow the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuIPOQSYoIw…
Gloriavale: Private conversations could be shared with leaders – member
: By Adam Burns, | RNZ Reporter | A Gloriavale woman admits private conversations among members that deviated from their beliefs could be shared with leaders. The comments came as more members of the West Coast sect took to the witness stand during Employment Court hearing proceedings in Greymouth on Thursday. Six former…
Gloriavale woman details punishment for shoplifting as a child
: by Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | A Gloriavale woman today told a court she was made to live by herself, away from her family, as punishment for being caught shoplifting as a child. Rapture Standtrue was 11 years old when she was confined to a caravan for about two…A Gloriavale woman has denied knowing anything about her father allegedly calling her best friend a “whore”.
: by Ryan Boswell | 1News | At an Employment Court trial, Rapture Standtrue was asked about the evidence given by former member Rosanna Overcomer, who said false allegations had been made about her to the commune’s leadership. The court heard that Overcomer was called to a leaders meeting not long…
Ex-Gloriavale resident storms out of court hearing
: By RNZ | A Gloriavale mother has denied cutting all ties with her daughter after she chose to leave the West Coast commune. The testimony prompted the woman’s daughter Rose Standtrue to storm out of the Employment Court hearing in Greymouth on Wednesday. Six former Gloriavale women, including Rose, are…
Gloriavale: Claims of forced births ‘untrue’, ‘extremely offensive’
: By Ryan Boswell |1News Reporter| Claims that Gloriavale women are forced to have babies by the leadership to bring in money have been called “totally disgusting”, “untrue”, and “extremely offensive”. Current member Christiana Standtrue told the Employment Court that she has always loved babies and children. Standtrue said she believes…
Gloriavale: mother v daughter
: By Laura Mills | Greymouth Star | A mother had police come to help her daughter leave Gloriavale, the Employment Court in Greymouth heard today. Six former Gloriavale women claim they lived in slave-like conditions on a gruelling rotation of domestic duties and are seeking a ruling that they were…Gloriavale mother limits contact with daughter, ‘trying to undermine my faith’
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | A Gloriavale mother of 12 has limited contact with one child because she’s trying to “undermine my children and my faith and what I stand for”. Hannah Patience Standtrue was asked about the evidence given by her daughter Rose Standtrue at an Employment…
Gloriavale witness talks of ‘crushing’ treatment and forgiveness
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A Gloriavale woman has broken down in court describing a humiliating scolding by then-senior leader Fervent Stedfast in the Christian community’s dining room. Treasure Stedfast also shed tears at the Employment Court hearing in Greymouth, expressing her sorrow at the way former members felt…
Court hears claim Māori women have less say than Gloriavale women
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | Gloriavale is being compared to living on a marae, with one commune member claiming Māori women have less say than Gloriavale women. At an Employment Court hearing to decide whether six former residents are employees or volunteers, Treasure Stedfast introduced herself in te…
Gloriavale ‘can’t afford’ to lose Employment Court battle, member says
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A Gloriavale mother-of-eight has told a court the Christian community cannot afford to pay everyone wages and employment relationships would destroy their way of life. Temperance Hopeful, who is married to Shepherd Noah Hopeful, told the Employment Court hearing in Greymouth that Gloriavale members…
Gloriavale could be ‘destroyed’ by employment laws – senior woman
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | Introducing employment laws to Gloriavale could “destroy” the West Coast commune, according to a senior woman. Temperance Hopeful is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is deciding whether six former members were employees or volunteers. Virginia Courage, Pearl Valor, Serenity Pilgrim, Rose…
Gloriavale: Details of crimes committed by founder Hopeful Christian made public for first time
: By Jean Edwards | Radio NZ | Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian was jailed for cruel and bizarre sexual offending under the guise of education or preparation for marriage, court documents show. Full details of Christian’s crimes have publicly emerged for the first time, after being tendered in an Employment Court case…
Media portrayed Gloriavale members as ‘mindless robots’ – resident
: 1 News | The founder of Gloriavale would never have been convicted of sexual abuse if commune members hadn’t been portrayed as “mindless robots”, according to a senior resident. Faithful Pilgrim is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is deciding whether six women were employees or volunteers and subject…
Gloriavale members can’t necessarily exercise right to freedom of religion, Faithful Pilgrim says
: by Jean Edwards | RNZ | Former Gloriavale Christian School principal Faithful Pilgrim has told a court the community’s leaders do not rule like tyrants, before breaking down over his relationship with a son who has left the sect. Pilgrim, who was a Shepherd until his resignation last May, also…
Gloriavale resident says granddaughter could’ve asked to be a midwife: 1News
: 1News A former teacher at Gloriavale Christian School has said his granddaughter could have trained to be a midwife depending on how she approached the leaders at the commune. Faithful Pilgrim is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is considering whether six former residents were volunteers or employees. When…
Former Glorivale leader takes stand in Employment Court dispute
: by Caley Callahan | Newshub | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple was in court on Thursday – not to give evidence but to support one of his former leaders. Faithful Pilgrim took the stand in the Employment Court defending the role of women at the West Coast commune. “The plaintiffs…Former Gloriavale principal fronts up on endorsing child sex offender: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | The former principal of Gloriavale Christian School who endorsed a colleague he knew had sexually abused a child has now said he made a “serious mistake”. Faithful Pilgrim was the principal of the school between 1995 and 2020. He has been a teacher for…Gloriavale leavers ‘twisted details’ about the commune, member tells court
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A Gloriavale father-of-nine has accused leavers of twisting details about the sect to paint a dark, sensationalised picture of life at the Christian commune. David Stedfast told an Employment Court hearing members had freedom of choice and denied portraying an idealistic, utopian view of…
Gloriavale advocate asks if witness being ‘bullied’
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News Reporter | A question has been asked as to whether a Gloriavale member was being bullied while giving evidence at the Employment Court. David Stedfast was being cross-examined by the lawyer for Gloriavale leavers Brian Henry about whether women at the West Coast commune have…Employment relationship in ‘direct conflict with our religious beliefs’-Gloriavale member: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards |RNZ Reporter | Employment relationships at Gloriavale would be in direct conflict with the Christian community’s religious beliefs, a founding member says. Serenity Valor told an Employment Court hearing Gloriavale had no intention of denying people their legal rights and the community believed it was complying with…
A Gloriavale resident has argued her faith stops her from taking a wage and being given employment rights.
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News Reporter | Priscilla Stedfast has told the Employment Court that members work hard, but that was “part of my life and I have always loved to give and help my family and my friend’s families”. The hearing is to determine whether six former residents…
‘I won’t deny we work long hours’ says Gloriavale member under cross-examination
: Charlie Gates | Stuff | A Gloriavale member has conceded that young women worked hard, long hours at the religious community and were sometimes publicly shamed for being late for duties or making mistakes in the kitchen. Priscilla Stedfast was the latest witness to testify at the ongoing Employment Court case…A Gloriavale resident has claimed she’s being discriminated against because she’s a woman, a Christian, and lives at the West Coast commune.
: 1 News | Priscilla Stedfast, who was born at Gloriavale, is giving evidence at the Employment Court case which is deciding whether six former members were employees or volunteers. Virginia Courage, Pearl Valor, Serenity Pilgrim, Rose Standtrue, Anna Courage and Crystal Loyal claim they were made to work long hours…
Gloriavale mother-of-7 accuses former members of misleading, exaggerated claims about the commune
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | A Gloriavale mother-of-seven has denied working under the whip of its leaders and accused former members of making misleading and exaggerated claims about life at the West Coast commune. Priscilla Stedfast has told an Employment Court hearing her husband did not rule over her…I love my life at Gloriavale: Leavers’ claims are nonsense, exaggerated, offensive says life member
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A Gloriavale mother of seven has slammed evidence given by women who left the community, saying their accounts of working conditions and their lives are incorrect, highly exaggerated, unrealistic and offensive. And she says the “misleading” information about Gloriavale is hugely impacting the…
Gloriavale member strikes back at ‘slave’ claims as case resumes
: By Charlie Gates | Stuff | A Gloriavale member has hit back at claims that women in the religious community were made to work long hours in ‘slave-like’ conditions. Priscilla Stedfast, was the latest witness to testify at the ongoing Employment Court case against Gloriavale, which resumed in Christchurch this week.…
Gloriavale Employment Court case resumes ahead of chief judge’s visit to community
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Former Gloriavale Christian School principal Faithful Pilgrim is expected to give evidence in the next phase of an Employment Court case resuming today, before a visit to the isolated West Coast community by the chief judge. Six former Gloriavale women – Serenity Pilgrim, Anna…
‘Gloriavale: New Zealand’s Secret Cult’: Doc On Notorious Religious Group Lands Sales Deal Ahead Of EFM
: By Zac Ntim | International Reporter | Deadline EXCLUSIVE: MetFilm Sales has acquired world rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, to Gloriavale: New Zealand’s Secret Cult, Fergus Grady and Noel Smyth’s feature doc about a notorious kiwi religious cult. MetFilm will shop the doc to international buyers at the upcoming European Film Market. Billed…
Gloriavale “Servitude” Case Re-Starts in Employment Court On Monday “We’re here to finish a job.”
: By RedPR “We’re here to finish a job.” That from Barrister Brian Henry who is leading the legal team in the case against Gloriavale, representing six former residents of the West Coast community (the Plaintiff’s). The case began at the end of August last year, adjourning at the end of…
Gloriavale site visit planned for Chief Employment Court Judge during next phase of ‘servitude’ trial between leavers and Christian community
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | The judge presiding over an Employment Court trial between Gloriavale leavers and the current community will visit the secretive Christian community next month. Last year a group of six women raised in the infamous and isolated West Coast religious group claimed they were effectively…Should BNZ be forced to bank Gloriavale?
: By Jenée Tibshraeny | NZ Herald | A High Court judge is preventing the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) from ditching Gloriavale as a customer – for now at least. The bank wants to terminate the relationship it’s had with the controversial West Coast-based Christian community for more than 40 years…
Former Gloriavale members discovering joy of Christmas
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News| Former members of the reclusive Gloriavale community are enjoying the chance to discover the joy of Christmas. The festive season isn’t observed at the West Coast commune as it’s considered a pagan holiday. “Traditionally, some of the more closed communities have had a view…
Gloriavale sack lawyers as cost becomes unsustainable
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | The Gloriavale Christian Community has decided to represent itself in the ongoing Employment Court case it is defending against former members. The community said it could no longer sustain the cost of a legal team – believed to be in excess of $100,000 a…
Gloriavale appoints former bank exec as its new chief executive
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff Gloriavale has appointed a former bank executive and hospital boss as its new chief executive. Phil Jamieson will oversee the community’s business interests. Jamieson was previously SBS Bank general manager of development and then moved into the role of chief executive officer for Waitaki District Health…
Gloriavale workers get first monthly pay, and are asked to give the money back to cover expenses, including $100,000-plus legal bills
: Gloriavale workers who recently received a share of the Christian Community’s profits, were immediately asked to pay it back to cover expenses, including more than $100,000 in legal fees. The $335,000 in expenses for October included administration costs, taxes, vehicle hire, capital spending, with close to 40% going on lawyers…
Misogyny, horrific abuse and ‘free love’ in cults explored in new book
: By Catherine Hubbard | Stuff | GRAPHIC WARNING: Content in this story may upset some people. Journalist and author Anke Richter’s new book about Kiwi cults will certainly open eyes. But perhaps, it will open doors for those trapped behind closed doors. Richter’s Cult Trip is billed as “an investigative…
Filmmaker Noel Smyth Lifts The Lid On Gloriavale | Studio 10
: Studio 10 Gloriavale Christian Community is surrounded by secrecy and controversy. Now a new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Noel Smyth is lifting the lid on the elusive group. IG @noelsmythfilm View: Filmmaker Noel Smyth Lifts The Lid On Gloriavale …
Ex Gloriavale member – “It almost seems like what he’s done is maybe not that bad”
: Tova O’Brien | Today FM | A Gloriavale man charged with sexual offences against five children has had his jail sentence reduced. Timothy Disciple has lost his name suppression – but he’s also had eight months shaved off of his prison term under an appeal – with a judge citing…
Inside New Zealand’s secretive Gloriavale Christian Community
: RN Drive By Nick Baker and Sky Kirkham for The Drawing Room Like many New Zealanders, Fergus Grady knew about the disturbing stories that were coming out of the Gloriavale Christian Community. This secretive group, located in one of the most isolated parts of the country, has long made headlines there, with numerous…Gloriavale man jailed for child sex offending named after losing appeal
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Another Gloriavale man jailed for child sex offences can now be named, after losing a High Court fight to keep his identity a secret. Timothy Disciple, 41, was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court in June to two years and five months in prison,…
Gloriavale man has sentence reduced for sexual offending against five children
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A Gloriavale man convicted of sexual offending against children has had his sentence reduced under appeal but can now finally be named. Timothy Disciple, 40, was sentenced in June to two years and five months in jail for seven charges of indecent assault against…
‘People Being Programmed’: Inside New Zealand’s Gloriavale Religious Cult
: By Julie Fenwick | VICE | “You’re reared in those thoughts where it’s like ‘I owe the system something’… ‘Actually: I owe them my life’.” In Haupiri, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, live close to 600 people, crammed in bunk beds and shared living quarters with little…
Surviving and diving into the world of cults as an outsider
: By Naomi Arnold | Stuff | How do you write about people suffering from severe trauma without making it worse? What are the boundaries between journalist and subject? Naomi Arnold writes about five years of watching journalist, cult reporter and friend Anke Richter suffer the weight of those questions while…
Gloriavale man jailed for sexual offending against child loses name suppression
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A judge has expressed concern about the father of a young victim of sexual offending at Gloriavale supplying the court with a second, vastly different, impact statement. Joseph Hope, a member of the Gloriavale Christian Community, was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court in…
Survivors have the last say on the final day of hearings for the abuse in care Royal Commission of Inquiry
: By Maxine Jacobs | Stuff | As the final day of the Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings drew to a close, Gary Williams reminded the Royal Commission of the children. “Survivors started their journey as innocent, and through their journey they became punished, and punished, and punished again. “I…
RNZ – Govt agencies failed to protect community from convicted Gloriavale child abuser – former member
: By Andrew McRae – RNZ – 21/10/2022 A former member of the Gloriavale Christian Community says she is not holding her breath for any meaningful change to take place there. Rosanna Overcomer, who has been out of the community for nine years, gave a statement to the Abuse in Care…
From Centrepoint to Gloriavale, why are we still naive about sexually dangerous cults?
: By Dr Caroline Ansley | The Spinoff | This month’s Gloriavale hearing has been chillingly evocative of the abuse Dr Caroline Ansley endured as a child at Centrepoint in the 1980s. She asks, why do we still allow these predatory environments to thrive? And where is the ongoing support for…
Let’s Talk About Sects – Interview Episode: Gloriavale with Noel Smyth & Fergus Grady
: By Sarah Steele – Let’s Talk About Sects – 19/10/2022 When widespread abuse is uncovered at a New Zealand cult, a family must turn to the legal system in an effort to save themselves and their community from the all-powerful leaders. Filmmakers Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady documented the impact…
RN Drive – The secrets inside Gloriavale
: RN Drive, ABC, Sky Kirkham, Producer – 17/10/2022 Founded in New Zealand at the end of the 1960s by an Australian preacher, the Gloriavale Christian Community is home to around 600 people. Led by a small group of ‘shepherds’, members are isolated from outside society and ex-communication means exile from…
Gloriavale gets clothing made in China to free up women from chores
: By Laura Mills | Stuff | Gloriavale says it is getting some clothing made in China to free up women from sewing chores at the Lake Haupiri Christian community. Parents are also supervising children more as the community brings about a culture change in response to child abuse. Overseeing shepherd…Gloriavale laid bare before Inquiry
: By Laura Mills | Greymouth Star | Gloriavale says it is getting some clothing made in China to free up women from sewing chores at the Lake Haupiri Christian community. Parents are also supervising children more as the community brings about a culture change in response to child abuse. Overseeing…Gloriavale feeling ‘harassed’
: | Greymouth Star | Laura Mills | Gloriavale says it is being harassed and does not know who to turn to. In a statement yesterday to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, leaders said the continual call for investigations into their communal life had been traumatic for many of…
Gloriavale’s top leader promises ‘no more abuse’ at the West Coast cult
: By Joanne Naish and Katie Doyle | Stuff | The leader of Gloriavale has vowed that there will be “no more abuse” at the secretive West Coast Christian community but denied that its doctrines had allowed it to flourish in the past. Gloriavale’s overseeing shepherd, Howard Temple, has been answering…
Head of Gloriavale admits past abuse in religious community
: By Jayden Holmes | Today FM | The head of Gloriavale has admitted abuse happened at the religious community. Howard Temple is making a rare public appearance at the inquiry into abuse in care and faith-based institutions. He was questioned about an incident where a man was accused of sexual…Gloriavale joins other faith-based institutions at Abuse in Care inquiry
: By Andrew McRae | Reporter RNZ | The Gloriavale Christian Community will appear for the first time at the Abuse in Care inquiry starting this morning in Auckland. It is the last public hearing for the Royal Commission, which started its work in 2019. It is looking into abuse in…
Anke Richter: delving into the world of cults and control
: A chance meeting with a former resident of Bert Potter’s Centrepoint community started journalist Anke Richter on what became a decade-long deep dive into groups that exert high levels of control on members. The result of her investigation is a book, Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion and control exploring a myriad of…
Gloriavale wins reprieve
: Rural News West Coast milk processor Westland Milk Products has been ordered by the High Court to continue picking milk from three dairy farms associated with the Gloriavale community. The company’s argument that Gloriavale-owned Canaan Farms employed children to do farm work and processing their milk affected relationships with major…Gloriavale And Dilworth Leaders Among Those To Be Questioned In Upcoming Abuse In Care Public Hearing
: Media Release | Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry | The responses of faith institutions to abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults in their care will be examined by the Royal Commission of Inquiry during a public hearing from 13 to 20 October. The Royal…
High Court rejects Westland Dairy’s claims of big losses from using Gloriavale milk
: By Amanda Cropp | Stuff | Westland Dairy Company claims it lost customers as a result of doing business with Gloriavale got short shrift in a High Court decision over suspension of a milk supply contract. Canaan Farming Dairy Ltd has successfully obtained an interim injunction forcing Westland Dairy to keep…Gloriavale welcomes judge’s ruling on milk collection
: By Brendan McMahon | RNZ | Gloriavale Christian Community is welcoming the decision by the High Court to grant an injunction ordering Westland Milk Products to continue to collect its milk. Canaan Farming Dairy Ltd director Samuel Valor said it would continue to work closely with the dairy company and build on…
Gloriavale milk row: Christian community’s dairy farms save Westland dairy contract, on condition no child labour used
: By Kurt Bayer | NZ Herald | Gloriavale’s dairy farm operations have won a court battle to save a lucrative milk contract, on the condition they don’t use any child labour. Chinese-owned Westland announced in June it was stopping milk collection from the West Coast Christian community’s farms after an…
Westland Dairy ordered to keep collecting milk from Gloriavale farms
: By Marine Lourens | Stuff | The High Court has ordered Westland Dairy Company to continue collecting milk from the farms owned by the Gloriavale Christian community. Westland announced earlier this year it would cease taking Gloriavale milk following an Employment Court ruling that several of the Christian community’s businesses used child labour and…
1News: Two classes of people in Gloriavale – court hears
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | It’s been alleged there are two classes of people living inside the West Coast commune of Gloriavale. Former resident Pearl Valor told the Employment Court that there are different classes depending on who your parents are, and that normally meant “not interacting with low-class…
Gloriavale spends just over $20 a week per person on food – expert witness
: By Kaysha Brownlie | Newshub | [Video link available ] An expert witness has calculated that Gloriavale spends just over $20 a week on food for each person. The community’s finances were unravelled at an Employment Court hearing in Christchurch on Friday. Millions of dollars of its income each year…
Stuff: Authority, abuse allegations and getting out: What we learned about Gloriavale over the past few weeks
: By Marine Lourens and Joanne Naish15:05, Sep 30 2022 Five weeks of evidence in the Employment Court regarding life at Gloriavale has pulled back the veil on life at the isolated West Coast community. Some paint a picture of a cult-like society where members are indoctrinated to submit to the…RNZ: Gloriavale received nearly $5 million in government money in 2021, the court heard
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale Christian community received almost $5 million in government money in the 2021 financial year, while its church trust held more than $4m in cash, a court has heard. Financial statements show senior Gloriavale men Faithful Pilgrim, Stephen Standfast and Peter Righteous control the…RNZ: Gloriavale leader’s granddaughter denies claims of inappropriate behaviour
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple is respectful of girls and does not have a reputation for inappropriate behaviour, his granddaughter says. Joanna Courage, 23, has told the Employment Court she feels safe at the West Coast Christian commune and does not get preferential treatment…
Gloriavale leader’s granddaughter denies claims of unwanted attention
: Ryan Boswell | 1 News | Gloriavale’s leader Howard Temple is being defended by his own granddaughter over claims he gave girls unwanted attention. Joanna Courage is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is considering whether six women were employees or volunteers at the West Coast commune. The court…
Gloriavale farm lawyer apologises for ‘inadvertently misleading’ Judge at Westland Dairy injunction hearing
: By Jake Kenny | Stuff | A Gloriavale lawyer has apologised for telling a High Court no children worked on farms at the Christian community since 2017, after further evidence came to light. The community sought a High Court injunction forcing Westland Dairy Company to continue collecting milk from its…
Gloriavale women ‘not downtrodden and subjugated’, member says
: by Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale’s leaders did not know about sexual abuse at the Christian community, which has become an “entertainment show” for the country’s media, a member says. Mother-of-13 Purity Valor has told an Employment Court hearing Gloriavale was constantly being slandered, leaving members a target for…
Gloriavale women deny claims they are brainwashed and ignorant: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News | Gloriavale woman are suffering “immense trauma and hurt” over claims they are brainwashed and ignorant, according to the commune’s school principal. Rachel Steadfast is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is deciding whether six women who worked at Gloriavale were employees or…Newshub: Gloriavale member rejects claims women are forced to work, says life in community is like Māori culture
: By Juliet Speedy [Video link available] A senior female member of Gloriavale said life in the sect is much like Māori culture so she can’t understand why her community is constantly attacked when life on a marae is accepted. It was Gloriavale’s turn to fight back in court on Friday…
Stuff: Baby in the witness box as Gloriavale mum tells ‘other side of the story’
: By Marine Lourens | Stuff | A baby has made a rare appearance in a court witness box as a Gloriavale member hit back at those saying women in the religious community have little choice over their lives. Rachel Stedfast, who is the acting Gloriavale school principal and has nine children, testified…
‘An extortion of the truth’: Witness in defence of Gloriavale gives evidence in court: Newshub
: The first witness has been called to give evidence on behalf of the Gloriavale community at its employment court hearing. Female members said Gloriavale is a place of harmony where they happily work and give all their wages back. They also happily accept being led by the men because the…
RNZ: Gloriavale employment court case: Father feared for his daughters’ safety in community
: By Niva Chittock | RNZ | A former member of the Gloriavale Christian community has told a court his daughter suffered third-degree burns after having a seizure at work in the kitchen. Six women, including the man’s sister, are arguing in the Employment Court in Christchurch that they were employees,…Former Gloriavale resident details expulsion from commune
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News | A former Gloriavale resident has detailed his expulsion from the West Coast commune, after he challenged the leadership and their reading of the Bible. John Ready was born into the community in 1978, but said he was forced out by the overseeing shepherd…
Newshub: Former Glorivale member says daughter with brain damage suffered injuries due to work conditions
: By Juliet Speedy | Newshub | A Gloriavale leaver told the Employment Court the plight of women who remain in the community is of serious concern to him, both because of unwanted touching and an unsustainable workload with pressure from the leaders. John Ready said if the women stopped working,…
1News: Two children limit outside Gloriavale, former resident told
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News | A former Gloriavale member says he was told there are limits on the number of children a family can have if they live outside the commune. Former resident John Ready claims that on one occasion Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple said “you could not…RNZ: Gloriavale leaver given one week off work for the birth of her child
: By Niva Chittock | RNZ | A former Gloriavale member says she returned to work a week after her baby was born. Crystal Loyal is one of six former Gloriavale women seeking a ruling they were employees, not volunteers, during their time in the Christian community. Gloriavale’s leaders maintain the…1 News: Former Gloriavale woman recounts being humiliated by leadership
: By Ryan Boswell | 1 News | A former Gloriavale resident who had sex before marriage claims she was humiliated by the leadership and called a “whore” and a “slut”. Crystal Loyal is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is deciding whether six women who worked at the West…1News: Former Gloriavale couple feels cut off from family after leaving
: by Ryan Boswell | 1News | Gloriavale’s leaders make it difficult for families to keep in contact with loved ones who have left, according to a former resident. Crystal Loyal left Gloriavale with her husband and children in 2017. She told the Employment Court that while her parents still live…
Former Gloriavale member says she was called a ‘slut’ for choosing her own partner in community
: by Juliet Speedy | Newshub | One of the six plaintiffs in the Gloriavale employment case says she was called a “slut” and a “whore” after choosing a partner in the community before the leaders chose one for her. Crystal Loyal fell in love with her husband while in the…Gloriavale women ‘inferior’ to men and go hungry if not enough food to go around, hearing told
: By Sam Sherwood | RNZ | A former Gloriavale member has spoken of the working conditions for “inferior” women inside the isolated Christian community, with no pay, no days off and being threatened with no food if they did not work. The Employment Court case is centred around six women…
Gloriavale receives millions in government payments, ex-leader tells Employment Court
: Gloriavale generates the most of its money through government benefits, a former leader has told the Employment Court. The case resumed on Monday in Christchurch, as six former Gloriavale women seek a ruling they were employees, not volunteers, during their time in the community. Ex-Gloriavale leader Zion Pilgrim told the…1News: Court hears secret recording made by former Gloriavale leader
: by Ryan Boswell | 1News | A former Gloriavale leader was accused of “following the spirit of the devil” when raising concerns about sexual offending. Zion Pilgrim is giving evidence at the Employment Court, which is deciding whether women commune members are employees or volunteers. He was a servant and…Ex-manager of Gloriavale companies shares details in court
: | RNZ | Audio recording Follow this link : Ex-manager of Gloriavale companies shares details in court…RNZ: Gloriavale Christian School principal hits out at critics
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale Christian School’s new principal has accused people of making a co-ordinated effort to shut the school down and take its children away by lodging simultaneous complaints against every teacher. In an open letter published on the West Coast Christian community’s website, Rachel Stedfast…Gloriavale appoints new acting school principal in wake of suspension of former head teacher for misconduct: Stuff
: By Olivia Caldwell | Stuff | Gloriavale has appointed a new acting school principal after the previous head teacher was suspended earlier this year for serious misconduct. Rachel Stedfast said Gloriavale had been “targeted” by outsiders of its community, which had threatened the security of the children at the school.…RNZ: Gloriavale school principal claims community ‘targeted’
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Gloriavale Christian School’s new principal has accused people of making a coordinated effort to shut the school down and take its children away by lodging simultaneous complaints against every teacher. In an open letter published on the West Coast Christian community’s website, Rachel Stedfast…
Stuff – Gloriavale businesses stung by loss of Mānuka honey licence over use of child labour and worker exploitation
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 11/09/2022 Two Gloriavale Christian Community businesses have been banned from using a Mānuka honey trademark over treatment of their workers. The Unique Mānuka Factor Honey (UMF) Association has revoked a licence jointly held by Forest Gold and Lamohka honey brands, saying their actions had…RNZ: Gloriavale leaders lied about aunt’s death – former member
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 10/09/2022 This story discusses graphic details of abuse. Gloriavale leaders claimed God must have blessed the food that killed Prayer Ready in an isolation room at the Christian commune and lied about the circumstances surrounding her choking death, a former member says. Anna Courage…
Stuff: Gloriavale newlyweds sent to consummate arranged marriage as everyone waits ‘so they can have lunch’
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 10/09/2022 Touching your fiancé is forbidden at the Gloriavale Christian Community, but you are expected to consummate the arranged marriage before lunch. Melody Pilgrim remembers sitting in a room waiting to find out who the Overseeing Shepherd had chosen for her. “I was sitting…
1News – Brutal work conditions inside Gloriavale laid bare in court
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 08/09/2022 Brutal work conditions inside Gloriavale have been the focus of evidence at the Employment Court in Christchurch. Rebekah Kempf was born at the commune and left with her family in 2015. She is the great granddaughter of Gloriavale’s founder, Hopeful Christian, and told…
Newshub – Former Gloriavale members say they were called ‘too fat’, ‘talentless’ by leaders
: By Kaysha Brownlie – Newshub – 07/09/2022 “No talent” and “too fat” to be a Christian – this is what a former Gloriavale member says leaders told her. Rebekah Kempf was giving evidence at the Employment Court case in Christchurch, where current members deny the work is not forced. “I…RNZ – Sexual harassment of Gloriavale workers a ‘normal’ occurrence, court hears
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 07/09/2022 Workplace sexual harassment was normal at Gloriavale, where leaders would grab girls’ bottoms, unzip their dresses or ping their bra straps in the kitchen, a former member says. Rosanna Overcomer told an Employment Court hearing the behaviour made her feel sick but was…
NZ Herald – Longtime Gloriavale member turns on sect – reveals ‘very disturbing’ treatment of women, ‘prevalent’ sex offending
: By Anna Leask – NZ Herald – 06/09/2022 A Gloriavale father of 13 once convicted of beating two of his young daughters with shoes, carpentry tools, coat hangers and belts has turned on the community’s leaders, telling the court that sexual abuse, bullying and forced labour are prevalent within the…
Stuff – Gloriavale leaders ‘tear apart’ families of those who disagree with their rules, founding member says
: By Jake Kenny – Stuff – 06/09/2022 Warning: This story discusses details of alleged sexual abuse. A Gloriavale member “since its inception” says the community’s leaders do everything in their power to “tear apart” families of members who disagree with them. After decades of service to the community, Sharon Ready…
RNZ – Court hears of sexual culture at Gloriavale where women, girls blamed and punished
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 06/09/2022 Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian told a father who had just buried his daughter that he could take comfort from the fact she would not be molested, a court has heard. Clem Ready said he was shaken by Christian’s attitude to the death of…
1News – Gloriavale man says discipline with weapons common practice
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 06/09/2022 A Gloriavale man who disciplined his daughters using a weapon argues it is common practice in the West Coast commune. Clem Ready is giving evidence at the Employment Court to decide whether six former Gloriavale members were employees or volunteers. He said men…
Newshub – Gloriavale member temporarily left community after leadership’s comment on his dead daughter ‘shook’ him
: By Kaysha Brownlie – Newshub – 06/09/2022 A former Glorivale member who still resides in the isolated West Coast community has given emotional evidence about how, among the things he witnessed in the Christian commune, his daughter’s death hurt him the most. Clem Ready was giving evidence during an Employment…
‘I was so angry I wanted to expose them’: Gloriavale dad’s life turnaround
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A Gloriavale father of 13 once convicted of beating two of his young daughters with shoes, carpentry tools, coat hangers and belts has turned on the community’s leaders, telling the court that sexual abuse, bullying and forced labour are prevalent within the sect.…Longtime Gloriavale member turns on sect – reveals ‘very disturbing’ treatment of women, ‘prevalent’ sex offending
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A Gloriavale father of 13 once convicted of beating two of his young daughters with shoes, carpentry tools, coat hangers and belts has turned on the community’s leaders, telling the court that sexual abuse, bullying and forced labour are prevalent within the sect.…RNZ – Former Gloriavale woman describes culture of bullying, mockery
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 05/09/2022 A former Gloriavale member has described an ingrained culture of bullying and mocking at the West Coast Christian community, where powerful and controlling leaders punished women. Mother-of-11 Virginia Courage told the Employment Court Gloriavale’s founder Hopeful Christian was a bully who ridiculed the…
Stuff – ‘Absolutely abusive’: Gloriavale leaders allegedly verbally attacked ex-member during meeting
: By Jake Kenny – Stuff – 05/09/2022 Warning: This story discusses details of alleged sexual abuse. A former Gloriavale resident says she was verbally attacked by the community’s leaders in a late-night meeting for over an hour for accepting a phone call from her brother. Virginia Courage was seven months…
1News – Gloriavale residents told ‘they owe their life’ to commune
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 05/09/2022 Gloriavale members grow up being told they owe their life to the West Coast commune, the Employment Court has been told. Virginia Courage is one of six former female members arguing that they should’ve been treated as employees, rather than volunteers at Gloriavale.…
‘Hopeful Christian was a bully’ – Gloriavale leaver blasts ‘ingrained’ culture of mocking, belittling at Christian community
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A mum-of-11 who escaped Gloriavale says the community’s founder Hopeful Christian was “a bully” and his cruel treatment of people became “ingrained” in the whole population. Virginia Courage is part of an Employment Court case against the Christian community – alleging women are…
Former Gloriavale resident describes culture of bullying and mocking inside the community
: By Kaysha Brownlie | Newshub | A former Gloriavale resident has told the Employment Court in Christchurch there was a culture of bullying and mocking inside the community. Virginia Courage is one of six women fighting to prove they were employees rather than volunteers at the commune. Courage’s life outside the…
NZ Herald – Editorial: Gloriavale dissent and defence echoes of The Handmaid’s Tale
: NZ Herald – 4/09/2022 For viewers of the screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale, the comparisons are inevitable. To start with, women of Gloriavale wear headscarves and apparel resembling the characters of the fictional Netflix series in all-but colour – the television cast in gaudy red and…RNZ – Former Gloriavale woman: ‘Were they trying to work us to death?’
: RNZ – 2/09/2022 A former Gloriavale woman has told a court the Christian community is not a safe place for children. Virginia Courage broke down describing how her teenage daughter was sent out of the country by Gloriavale’s leaders against her will. Courage was born into Gloriavale but left with…
1News – Gloriavale parents forced to work over caring for sick kids, court hears
: 1News – 2/09/2022 The dilemma for mothers at Gloriavale has been described at the Employment Court in Christchurch. Former member Virginia Courage is one of six women arguing the West Coast commune should have treated them as employees rather than volunteers. She said her daughter “was treated horribly, she was…
Stuff – The story behind the Gloriavale uniform is all about modesty and (saving) money
: Stuff – 2/09/2022 Clothing is a tool used to control and save money at Gloriavale, with theories about red being a “whore’s colour” and strict rules around how tight to tie your belt. A Gloriavale leaver has revealed what it is like to wear the infamous long blue dresses and…
Newshub – Former Gloriavale resident discusses exhaustion she faced in Christian commune
: Newshub – 2/09/2022 There were tears in the public gallery on Friday as a former resident of Gloriavale recalled the exhaustion and brutal work hours she suffered within the community. Virginia Courage is one of six women arguing she was an employee while working at the isolated Christian commune rather…Stuff – ‘It’s just your body, no big deal’: Gloriavale leaders allegedly told women to not fear what men did to them
: Stuff – 2/09/2022 A former Gloriavale member says inappropriate touching of women and children became part of the culture, with leaders telling women “I shall not fear what man do to me”. “They demanded a cuddle…Any man could approach any girl or woman and inappropriately touch them,” Virginia Courage told…Gloriavale businesses stripped of FernMark licences for Moo Chews snacks and Pure Vitality health products
: By Amanda Cropp | Stuff | Two Gloriavale brands have been stripped of their government-endorsed FernMark licences as the Christian Community is once again in court over labour issues. Moo Chews milk-based snacks for children and Pure Vitality health products have had their FernMark licences revoked by government agency New Zealand Story, which…1News – Gloriavale lawyer says ex-resident signed away employment rights
: 1News – 1/09/2022 It’s been suggested a former Gloriavale resident signed away her workers’ rights. Pearl Valor is one of six women fighting for the right to have been treated as an employee, rather than a volunteer while at the West Coast commune. Read more here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/09/01/gloriavale-lawyer-says-ex-resident-signed-away-employment-rights/…RNZ – Gloriavale leaders thought they were above law – ex-member
: RNZ – 1/09/2022 A former Gloriavale woman says the Christian community’s leaders thought they were above the law. The Employment Court has been hearing evidence from leavers who claim they were working in slave-like conditions and exposed to sexual harassment and abuse from a young age. Read more here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018857067/gloriavale-leaders-thought-they-were-above-law-ex-member…
Stuff – Gloriavale shepherds use food ‘as a weapon’ and believe they are ‘above the law’, leaver says
: Stuff – 1/09/2022 A Gloriavale leaver born into the Christian community says she decided to leave when the community kept changing its values and beliefs to “cover their tracks”. Pearl Valor continued giving evidence on day four of the Christchurch Employment Court hearing on Thursday, where it is alleged women…NZ Herald – ‘Help us’ – Ex-Gloriavale women call on Kiwis for help as they fight for ‘justice’ in Employment Court
: NZ Herald – 1/09/2022 A mum-of-11 who escaped the Gloriavale and is part of an Employment Court case against the Christian community – alleging women are treated as “modern-day slaves” – is calling on Kiwis for help. Virginia Courage and fellow leavers Pearl Valor, Serenity Pilgrim, Rose Standtrue, Anna Courage…
Newshub – Former Gloriavale resident shares experience of growing up in the Christian community
: Newshub – 1/09/2022 A former resident of Gloriavale says she never had access to Panadol growing up and was often berated and accused of being lazy. On the fourth day, Pearl Valor gave evidence at an Employment Court hearing in Christchurch, which is examining the role of women in the…RNZ – Gloriavale leaders thought ‘they were above the law’, former resident says
: RNZ – 01/09/2022 A former Gloriavale woman says the Christian community’s leaders thought they were above the law. The Employment Court has heard evidence from leavers who claim they were working in slave-like conditions and exposed to sexual harassment and abuse from a young age. Pearl Valor was born into…
1News – Gloriavale lawyer says ex-resident signed away employment rights
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 01/09/2022 It’s been suggested a former Gloriavale resident signed away her workers’ rights. Pearl Valor is one of six women fighting for the right to have been treated as an employee, rather than a volunteer while at the West Coast commune. Gloriavale’s lawyer Phillip…Newshub: ‘Conditioned and primed’: Former resident shares experience of growing up in Gloriavale
: Newshub A former Gloriavale resident alleges she never had access to Panadol growing up and was often berated and accused of being lazy. Pearl Valor gave evidence on Thursday, on the fourth day of an Employment Court hearing in Christchurch, examining the role of women in the isolated Christian commune.…RNZ – Court hears distressing accounts from ex-Gloriavale women
: RNZ – 31/08/2022 A court has heard distressing testimony from a former Gloriavale woman who says her treatment at the secretive Christian community made her suicidal. The Employment Court has also heard evidence girls as young as eight were worried about being groped while serving food. Read more here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018856906/court-hears-distressing-accounts-from-ex-gloriavale-women…RNZ – Former Gloriavale woman says many girls in community sexually harassed
: RNZ – 31/08/2022 A former Gloriavale member has told the court her treatment at the Christian community made her suicidal, during a harrowing testimony on Wednesday. Rose Standtrue is one of six women arguing that for the domestic work they did for years at Gloriavale, they should have been recognised…
NZ Herald – Emotional testimony from Gloriavale leaver about life of fear, pressure, sexual abuse
: NZ Herald – 31/08/2022 Growing up at Gloriavale Rose Standtrue lived in fear. She feared not waking up in time for work, feared being late and feared being forced to stand in front of the 600-strong population at the Christian commune and apologise if she made any mistakes. She also…
1News – Former Gloriavale resident sheds tears as she gives evidence
: 1News – 31/08/2022 A former Gloriavale resident has told the Employment Court she lived in fear of the men and the abuse at the West Coast commune. Rose Standtrue shed tears as she gave evidence on Wednesday. “I wanted to commit suicide because I was real depressed and had anxiety…Newshub – Former Gloriavale resident alleges sexual abuse, public shaming, being cut off from her family when she left community
: Newshub – 31/08/2022 It’s been an emotional day at the Gloriavale Employment Court case, with a witness alleging she was sexually abused, publicly shamed and cut off from her family when she left. Rose Standtrue said she was under so much pressure, she contemplated taking her own life. Every day…NZ Herald – ‘You feel like you always owe them’ – Why Pearl Valor stayed at Gloriavale and the horrors that made her leave
: NZ Herald – 31/08/2022 Pearl Valor has given further evidence in court about her time at the controversial Gloriavale community – breaking down in tears as she recalled being hungry, stealing food and being refused dental treatment. But despite all of that she stayed, the guilt of what would happen…1News – Former Gloriavale resident details alleged workplace abuse
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 31/08/2022 Warning: this story may be distressing for some readers. A former Gloriavale resident has broken down in tears as she recalled thinking suicide was the only way out of the West Coast commune. Rose Standtrue is giving evidence at the Employment Court in…
NZ Herald: Gloriavale TV bride speaks about why she left the community
: NZ Herald Former Gloriavale resident Pearl Valor reveals the harsh working conditions and the unwanted attention of men while working at the Christian community. Video link: Gloriavale TV bride speaks about why she left the community…
1News – Poor working conditions of Gloriavale women laid bare in court
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 30/08/2022 Forced to slog for long hours and publicly humiliated for small misdemeanours, the working lives of women at Gloriavale have been laid bare at the Employment Court in Christchurch. Isaac Pilgrim was born and raised at the West Coast commune, and left four…
RNZ: Gloriavale: Father tells court of ‘public shaming’ culture in community
: | Stuff | A former Gloriavale member has told the Employment Court he saw a culture of victim blaming during his time at the community. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage are arguing their years of domestic work in the sect was as…Greymouth Star – Gloriavale Speaks Up
: A busload of Gloriavale Christian Community residents made a show of unity outside the Christchurch Courthouse yesterday to support the community’s shepherds, or leaders, as six ex-residents began another case in the Employment Court. Gloriavale resident Priscilla Steadfast told Newshub it was all about ensuring their side of the story…Gloriavale leadership ‘allowed to touch anyone they want’, court hears
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | A former Gloriavale resident “beat one young fella up” for harassing his daughter, hoping it would send a message that she was off limits. Isaac Pilgrim is giving evidence at the Employment Court in Christchurch, which is deciding whether commune members are employees or…
Gloriavale’s last stand
: By Dr Liz Gordon |Insight Aotearoa | Blog It is difficult to fathom the arguments being made in court about the ‘Gloriavale six’ – six women who revealed that women at Gloriavale were expected to do women’s work from a young age and, as adults, for around 90 hours per…
RNZ: ‘I worried for her safety’: Gloriavale dad on why he pulled family out of ‘victim shaming, blaming’ commune
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | A man born and raised at Gloriavale has revealed he pulled his family out of the community due to the way his wife and daughter were treated – including being “publicly ridiculed and humiliated” and forced to work. Isaac Pilgrim said he was…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale TV series bride woke at 2am to make sure daily work done, details long and arduous days for women at commune
: NZ Herald – 30/08/2022 One of the young ”stars” of the infamous television shows documenting life at Gloriavale says she often woke at 2am to get her work done and was made to feel “evil” when her husband became so unwell she had to care for him full time instead…
1News – Poor working conditions of Gloriavale women laid bare in court
: 1News – 30/08/2022 Forced to slog for long hours and publicly humiliated for small misdemeanours, the working lives of women at Gloriavale have been laid bare at the Employment Court in Christchurch. Read more here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/08/30/poor-working-conditions-of-gloriavale-women-laid-bare-in-court/…RNZ – Blaming, shaming Gloriavale girls the norm, court told
: RNZ – 30/08/2022 A court has been told victim blaming and shaming was standard at Gloriavale, where girls caught in inappropriate relationships with married men were called ‘whores’. Six former Gloriavale women want the Employment Court to rule they were employees, not volunteers, during their time at the West Coast…RNZ – Court told Gloriavale women skipped meals while working
: Newshub – 30/08/2022 A court has heard a Gloriavale woman sometimes didn’t eat or drink while working extremely long hours, and would get in trouble if she stopped. She’s one of six former members seeking a ruling from the Employment Court that they were employees, not volunteers, at the Christian…Newshub – Former Gloriavale resident gives damning assessment of leaders, says he feared for daughter’s safety
: Newshub – 30/08/2022 A former resident of Gloriavale has given a damning assessment of life in the secretive community, recalling the “creepy” and aggressive behaviour of the leaders and fearing for his daughter’s safety. Isaac Pilgrim was giving evidence at the Employment Court in Christchurch, where the judge was told…1News – Gloriavale leadership ‘allowed to touch anyone they want’, court hears
: 1News – 30/08/2022 A former Gloriavale resident “beat one young fella up” for harassing his daughter, hoping it would send a message that she was off limits. “I would come and check up on Serena because there would be guys around. “I was worried about young fellas harassing Serena. I…Newshub – Gloriavale accused of ‘brainwashing’ residents into working in ‘scandalous’ conditions at Employment Court hearing
: Michael Morrah, Newshub – 29/08/2022 A former member of the secretive Gloriavale community says residents there are “brainwashed” from a young age with women expected to cook, clean and sew for long hours without taking breaks. The allegations were made at an Employment Court hearing, where it’s being argued women there…1News – Gloriavale woman made to work 90 hours a week for no pay
: 1News – 29/08/2022 Six former Gloriavale women who claim they lived in slave-like conditions and worked under a regime of total control will have their case heard by the Employment Court from today. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage contend they were employees…RNZ – Former Gloriavale women take case to Employment Court
: RNZ – 29/08/2022 Six former Gloriavale women who claim they lived in slave-like conditions and worked under a regime of total control will have their case heard by the Employment Court from today. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage contend they were employees…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale: Women had ‘no choice’ about ‘extremely long’ working hours, claim ‘servitude, slavery and forced labour’ at Christian community
: By Anna Leask – NZ Herald A group of women who spent most of their lives at Gloriavale will today begin giving “scandalous” evidence in their bid to get a court to rule they were employees and not volunteers during their time at the secretive Christian community. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna…RNZ – ‘The truth is it is dark’ – Gloriavale workers begin Employment Court trial
: RNZ – 29/08/2022 A former Gloriavale member has told the Employment Court she would work until she fell asleep as a teenager in the closed Christian community. Today marked the beginning of a five-week hearing before chief judge Christina Inglis in Christchurch, where 49 witnesses will provide evidence. Serenity Pilgrim…
‘Work or get in trouble’: Gloriavale leaver says 15-hour work days with no breaks normal for girls, women
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | KEY POINTS: Group of ex-Gloriavale women claiming they were subjected to life of servitude Women seeking ruling in Employment Court that they were not volunteers Case follows similar proceedings by group of ex-Gloriavale men earlier in 2022 Court to hear “scandalous” evidence of…
Laundry, cooking and cleaning for 600 people: Chores or work?
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | Women who have left the Gloriavale Christian Community are bringing allegations of exploitation and slavery to the Employment Court. The hearing before Chief Judge Christina Inglis begins on Monday and will decide whether six former Gloriavale members were employees or volunteers. It is set…RNZ – Gloriavale set to face employment case alleging ‘slave-like conditions’
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 25/08/2022 Six former Gloriavale women will tell a court they lived in “slave-like conditions” working as employees under an all-pervading regime of secular and religious control. The Employment Court will next week hear a case brought by Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal…
RNZ – Gloriavale accused of creating blacklist as ex-members’ legal case looms
: By RNZ – 23/08/2022 Gloriavale has effectively drawn up a blacklist by surveying members’ opposition to people speaking on their behalf in court, the leavers’ support trust says. The reclusive Christian community is examining responses to the ‘Gloriavale Members Voice’ survey created by a member, which asks people if they…
Stuff – Gloriavale residents asked to silence ex-members for new Employment Court hearing
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 22/08/2022 Gloriavale residents have been asked to consider putting in writing their opposition to former members speaking on their behalf at an upcoming court case. A survey, titled Gloriavale Members Voice, was created by a resident and has been circulated in the West Coast…
Newstalk ZB – Film: Gloriavale and Good Luck to you Leo Grande
: Newstalk ZB – Mornings with Jack Tame – 20/08/2022 Francesca Rudkin: Gloriavale and Good Luck to you Leo Grande – Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Listen here: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/francesca-rudkin-gloriavale-and-good-luck-to-you-leo-grande/ (First 3 minutes 45 seconds on Gloriavale Movie)…
NZ Herald – Movie review: Gloriavale
: By Tom Augustine – NZ Herald – 19/08/2022 There are certainly shades of the addictive true crime documentary formula that has swept the world in the buzzed-about New Zealand/Australia co-production Gloriavale. From its handsome, wintry cinematography to its eerie use of archival footage of the religious sect’s early days, all…
Tova O’Brien – New Gloriavale Documentary – “They’re actually abusing Christianity”
: Description A new documentary hitting cinemas today is lifting the veil on West Coast commune Gloriavale. It follows the lives of two ousted members, John Ready and Virginia Courage, plaintiffs in court proceedings accusing the community leaders of human rights and employment breaches. The gritty watch is a rare snapshot…
RNZ – New documentary Gloriavale follows groundbreaking legal case launched against community leaders
: By RNZ / Newshub – 18/08/2022 Sharon Ready has lived in the Gloriavale community for 50 years, first entering as a 15-year-old when the community was based in Springbank, Rangiora. “It’s my turangawaewae,” she says. “This is where I stand because my faith, I started there as a Christian and…
Stuff – Gloriavale: Enlightening, heartrending doco lifts the veil on ‘NZ’s secret cult’
: By James Croot – Stuff – 17/08/2022 Gloriavale (M, 89mins) **** Lifting the veil on “New Zealand’s secret cult” and its apparent fall from utopian ideal to Animal Farm-esque nightmare, this enlightening, heartrending, rage-inducing documentary follows former members as they battle for justice – and reform – from the outside.…
RNZ – Gloriavale’s secrets and the fight for justice
: By RNZ – Nine To Noon – 16/08/2022 A new documentary gives an eye-opening look into the secrets of the Gloriavale Christian Community and the fight for justice by a group of former residents and supporters. The film simply entitled Gloriavale features members of the Ready family as they mount…RNZ – Gloriavale ordered to improve workplace safety standards
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 14/08/2022 Gloriavale has been ordered to improve workplace safety standards again after a visit by inspectors, but no children were found working in the reclusive Christian community’s commercial businesses. WorkSafe assessors travelled to Gloriavale near Greymouth in May after a landmark Employment Court ruling…RNZ – Sharon Ready & Liz Gregory: standing up to the Gloriavale shepherds
: By RNZ – Saturday Morning – 13/08/2022 Sharon Ready has lived in the Gloriavale community for 50 years, first entering as a 15-year-old when the community was based in Springbank, Rangiora. “It’s my turangawaewae,” she says. “This is where I stand because my faith, I started there as a Christian…
MammaMia – ‘I spent two days inside a cult and I can see why people join them.’
: By Kelly Eden – MammaMia – 13/08/2022 “We were there for the entire weekend. You can’t make a community of 500 fake it for that long,” I argued. “It seems like a really peaceful place to live.” I could see the attraction for joining, but that was before recent news…Ashburton gets sneak preview of Gloriavale documentary
: By Malcolm Hopwood | Ashburton Guardian | Ashburton audiences will have an advance screening this Sunday of a documentary on Gloriavale that opens in New Zealand cinemas the following week. Entitled Gloriavale, the documentary directed by Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady, examines the widespread abuse inside the Gloriavale cult and…
Woman’s Day – Life after Gloriavale: ‘Our nightmare is finally over!’
: By Sophie Neville – Woman’s Day – 11/08/2022 Timaru mum Virginia reveals why she and her family had to escape the controversial community. For 27 years, former Gloriavale resident Virginia Courage was tormented by nightmares. She’d often lie awake in the cramped bunk room she shared with her husband and…
Gloriavale’s school reopens after sudden closure: 1News
: 1News Gloriavale Christian School have confirmed they reopened on Tuesday after it was temporarily closed last week. The principal and several teachers stood aside while a police investigation was carried out on abuse claims. Sources told 1News last week just two teachers were left for 200 students, so parents were…
1News – Gloriavale doc lifts the lid on secretive Christian community
: 1News – 06/08/2022 It’s hoped a new film about the West Coast commune of Gloriavale will give the public a better insight into the fight for change still being waged. Released on Saturday as part of New Zealand’s International Film Festival, the documentary simply titled Gloriavale follows one woman who…
Gloriavale school hopes students will return to classrooms next week: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | The West Coast commune of Gloriavale hopes students will return to its classrooms next week, but expects home-schooling will still be in use. The private school has been temporarily closed after the principal and several teachers stood aside while a police investigation is carried…Gloriavale plans to reopen school next week after staff shortages forced closure: RNZ
: RNZ The Ministry of Education has met with members of Gloriavale today about re-opening the community’s school. The school has been closed since Tuesday due to staff shortages. It is understood a number of staff have stepped down while an investigation is carried out into allegations of abuse at the…
Ministry meets with Gloriavale leadership over school closure: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | The Ministry of Education is meeting with staff at Gloriavale Christian School on Friday, in an attempt to get children back in the classroom. The private school has been temporarily closed after the principal and several teachers stood aside while a police investigation is…
Gloriavale Christian School temporarily closes due to staffing shortage: Stuff
: By Steven Walton | Stuff | Gloriavale Christian School has temporarily closed amid a staffing shortage, reportedly caused by allegations of abuse. Nancy Bell, leader of Te Tai Runga (South) at the Ministry of Education confirmed the school’s closure and said it was addressing a staffing shortage. The ministry was…
NZ Herald – Judge tells Gloriavale leaders she will not stand aside from employment case
: By Ric Stevens – Open Justice – NZ Herald 04/08/2022 The Chief Judge of the Employment Court has rejected a bid by Gloriavale’s leaders to have her stand aside from another case involving the employment status of members of the exclusive Christian community. Six former Gloriavale members have brought a…
Gloriavale school closes temporarily pending abuse investigation: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | Gloriavale Christian School has been temporarily closed pending an investigation into allegations of abuse. The West Coast commune has been at the centre of accusations of sexual and physical abuse for decades, with police and Oranga Tamariki carrying out multiple investigations and laying several…
Capsule – Gloriavale Documentary
: By Emma Clifton – Capsule – 03/08/2022 A new documentary, Gloriavale, follows a family from the secretive religious community: siblings John and Virginia, who have both left Gloriavale, and their mother Sharon, who remains. It covers the serious allegations against the Gloriavale leaders, which include sexual abuse, neglect and slavery.…
Employment Court of New Zealand – INTERLOCUTORY JUDGMENT (NO 5) OF CHIEF JUDGE CHRISTINA INGLIS (Application for recusal)
: Employment Court of New Zealand 03/08/2022 [2022] NZEmpC 138 EMPC 85/2022 INTERLOCUTORY JUDGMENT (NO 5) OF CHIEF JUDGE CHRISTINA INGLIS (Application for recusal) [1] The second defendants (who I will refer to as the Gloriavale defendants) seek orders that I recuse myself from these proceedings. The application is…
Newshub – The Project – Inside Gloriavale
: Newshub – The Project – 01/08/2022 Gloriavale is a community shrouded in controversy and mystery. Now a new documentary aims to peel back the curtain. Director Fergus Grady joins us at the desk to talk more. View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_2S0vzneTg…
Inside Gloriavale | The Project NZ
: Newshub | The Project NZ | Video Link: Inside Gloriavale | The Project NZ Gloriavale is a community shrouded in controversy and mystery. Now a new documentary aims to peel back the curtain. Director Fergus Grady joins us at the desk to talk more…
NZ Herald – The Front Page: Inside Gloriavale – The woman fighting for change from within
: By Damien Venuto – NZ Herald – 28/07/2022 Sharon Ready currently lives above an aircraft hangar that served as the former commercial base for Gloriavale. It’s cold, dark and damp, but she stays on because this is where her family and deceased relatives are located. “Sharon is what I would…
Newshub – Five films to see at the New Zealand International Film Festival
: By Darren Bevan – Newshub – 26/07/2022 One year after being cancelled last minute in Auckland due to COVID-19, cinephiles are rejoicing with the return of the 2022 Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival just days away. The event opens on Thursday in Tāmaki Makaurau with the premiere of…
Stuff – ‘Major employment issues’ at Gloriavale prompted Westland Dairy’s decision to stop collecting its milk
: By Jake Kenny – Stuff – 25/07/2022 The Gloriavale Christian community has sought a High Court injunction forcing Westland Dairy Company to continue collecting milk from its three farms, saying the farms are not in breach of employment law. The legal action comes a month after Westland Dairy Company announced…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale milk row: No child labour used on farms for at least five years, court hears
: By Kurt Bayer – NZ Herald – 25/07/2022 Child labour hasn’t been used on Gloriavale’s dairy farms for at least five years, a court heard today as the under-fire Christian community fights to save a lucrative dairy contract. Chinese-owned Westland announced last month it was stopping milk collection from Gloriavale-owned…
Stuff – Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival: Eight great Kiwi films to check out
: By James Croot and Graeme Tuckett – Stuff – 24/07/2022 The 2022 edition of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival will screen in 14 towns and cities across Aotearoa between July 28 and August 31. From heartfelt dramas to portraits of local artists, portmanteau pictures and documentaries revisiting sometimes…Flicks: Gloriavale filmmakers shed light on their eye-opening NZIFF doco
: By Steve Newall – Flicks – 18/07/2022 As part of our Q&A series for local features playing as part of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival, filmmakers Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady shed some light on their eye-opening documentary Gloriavale. Describe your film in EXACTLY eight words. One family’s…
The Platform – Noel Smyth on his new documentary film Gloriavale
: The Platform – 13/07/2022 Leanne Malcolm chats with Noel Smyth about his new documentary film Gloriavale. Watch / Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFx9q1WLFNc…
‘Gloriavale’: Compelling Feature Doc Goes Beyond The Headlines To Lift The Lid On NZ’s Secretive Christian Community
: Scoop Media – Press Release – 11/07/2022 GLORIAVALE, a compelling new feature documentary which lifts the lid on the infamous Gloriavale Christian Community cult, will have its World Premiere on Saturday 6 August, 2022 at Christchurch’s Isaac Royal Theatre, screening as part of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival…
Stuff – Gloriavale woman describes her daughter’s tragic death in new film
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 10/07/2022 Helpless, severely sleep-deprived and shut in a room where the door handles had been disabled, Sharon Ready was unable to save her cherished youngest daughter from dying before her eyes. The Gloriavale woman, who has 13 children and 71 grandchildren, has opened up…
Stuff – Countdown’s supply chain policy sparks questions about Westland Dairy Company dealings with Gloriavale Christian Community
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 25/06/2022 Countdown’s efforts to make sure that its supply chains aren’t sustaining illegal labour practices, including child labour, have prompted the supermarket chain to question Westland Dairy Company dealings with the Gloriavale Christian Community. The dairy company attempted to distance itself from Gloriavale farms…
Twitter – John Campbell – Will Gloriavale ever change?
: Twitter – John Campbell – 21/06/2022 Twitter conversation – John Campbell, Liz Gregory, Rosanna Overcomer Listen here – (Note: conversation starts at 11 minutes 15 seconds into the recording) www.twitter.com/1NewsNZ/status/1539080676070215680 Will Gloriavale ever change? Join us for a conversation with @JohnJCampbell, Liz Gregory (Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust) and former Gloriavale…
Stuff – Blackcurrant business supreme winner at South Canterbury awards
: By Yashas Srinivasa – Stuff – 20/06/2022 A Pleasant Point couple’s blackcurrant business was the supreme winner at the 2022 South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Ara Business Excellence Awards. Tony and Afsaneh Howey’s business, Viberi, also won the global exporter award at the awards, held in multiple events throughout the…
Rural News (REX Today) – David Ready on the ERA ruling about Gloriavale’s breach of labour laws
: REX Today Podcast – Hosted by agricultural journalist Dominic George – 20/06/20022 Things are ramping up at Gloriavale as businesses act on the ERA ruling that the Christian community was in breach of labour laws, using child and volunteer labour. Gloriavale has sought a high court injunction forcing Westland Dairy…
NZ Herald (from Greymouth Star) – Westland Milk Products resumes collection at Gloriavale after court injunction
: NZ Herald (from Greymouth Star) – 16/06/2022 Westland Milk Products has resumed milk collection from Gloriavale’s Lake Haupiri farms, after the Christian community was granted an interim court injunction to prevent the dairy company from withdrawing. Canaan Farming Ltd says it has received “role model” status in past audits from…Greymouth Star – Milk tankers back at Gloriavale
: By Laura Mills – Greymouth Star – 15/06/2022 Westland Milk Products has resumed milk collection from Gloriavale’s Lake Haupiri farms, after the Christian community was granted an interim court injunction to prevent the dairy company from withdrawing. Cannan Farming Ltd says it has received ‘role model’ status in past audits…
RNZ – Gloriavale seeks interim injunction over Westland Milk contract
: RNZ – Newstalk ZB – Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive – 15/06/2022 Gloriavale has sought an interim injunction to force Westland Dairy to continue collecting its milk. Westland suspended collection after Gloriavale was found to have been in breach of labour laws, including child labour. The injunction would force Westland to…
Stuff – Gloriavale seeks injunction forcing Westland Dairy to continue collecting its milk
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 15/06/2022 The Gloriavale Christian community has sought a High Court injunction forcing Westland Dairy Company to continue collecting milk from its three farms. The legal action comes less than a week after Westland Dairy Company, announced it would cease taking Gloriavale milk from June…RNZ – Gloriavale seeks injunction forcing Westland Milk to continue collection
: RNZ – 15/06/2022 Gloriavale has sought a High Court injunction forcing Westland Milk to continue collecting milk from the community’s dairy farms. Westland Milk announced it would stop collecting milk from the the reclusive West Coast Christian sect’s farms after the Employment Court ruled members of the community who worked…Greymouth Star – Calls for Gloriavale apology to go wider
: By Laura Mills – Greymouth Star – 14/06/2022 Gloriavale says it is working on getting its unprecedented recent apology to those who have left the Lake Haupiri community. The Gloriavale Christian Community leadership issued the public apology on May 27. However, some leavers are asking why is was not sent…
1News – Govt action needed at Gloriavale to ensure change – leaver
: 1News – Breakfast – 13/06/2022 A Gloriavale leaver says greater agency involvement is needed to ensure there is meaningful change within the tight knit, secretive West Coast community. Gloriavale has come under fire in recent years amid allegations of serious misconduct, including – but not limited to – labour exploitation…
1News – Gloriavale rewriting document that gives husbands control over wives
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 13/06/2022 Gloriavale’s leadership is rewriting a controversial document that gives husbands complete control over their wives. TVNZ’s Sunday programme has highlighted the pledge members make when they join the West Coast commune, which includes losing the right to say “no” to sex in marriage.…
Leaving Gloriavale – Sunday
: TVOne- Sunday – Leaving Gloriavale Leaving Gloriavale means leaving your home, your family, maybe everything you’ve ever known. Then heading, with little or no money, into a world you’ve been told is damned. But sometimes you have no choice, because you’ve started questioning the leaders. The tight-knit, secretive Christian community…
1News – Leaving Gloriavale – Divine Consent
: By John Campbell – 1News – 12/06/2022 At the end of May, we went to Gloriavale. TVNZ’s Sunday programme had been shooting in Timaru… and on a blue, blue day, we drove north through Geraldine, then Windwhistle (whose name I wanted to use), stopping for a pie at Darfield… and…Greymouth Star – Milk deal canned
: By Laura Mills – Greymouth Star – 09/06/2022 Westland Milk Products announced today it will suspend milk collection from Gloriavale-owned dairy farmers from June 13. In a short statement on behalf of chief executive Richard Wyeth, Chinese-owned Westland Milk said it advised Gloriavale yesterday that it would suspend collection from…Westland Milk Products suspends collection from Gloriavale dairy farms until the Christian Community “meets the standards and values” of wider New Zealand
: By Amanda Cropp | Stuff | Westland Milk Products has indefinitely suspended milk collection from dairy farms owned by the Gloriavale Christian Community. The suspension begins on June 13, to coincide with the end of the milking season, so there will be no issues around livestock welfare or milk disposal.…
Westland to suspend Gloriavale milk collection indefinitely
: | NZ Herald | Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products said it would stop collecting milk from Gloriavale-owned dairy farms, effective from June 13, to coincide with the end of the current milking season. Westland chief executive Richard Wyeth said milk collection from the West Coast Christian community had been suspended indefinitely.…
Rural News – Rendered unworthy!
: By Daniel Anderson – Rural News – 08/06/2022 Hot on the heels of moves by Westland Milk to stop processing its milk, reclusive Christian community Gloriavale looks to be shedding more agribusiness suppliers and customers. Rural News earlier reported that the Hokitika-based processor is considering suspendiing milk collection from Canaan…
Rural News – Gloriavale issues apology
: By Staff Reporters – Rural News – 08/06/2022 In late May, the Gloriavale Community issued a public letter of apology in regard to both its past employment and community actions. An abridged version of the letter follows: We can state categorically that child labour is no longer used in the…
Today FM – Hopes review will put groups like Gloriavale on notice
: By Grady Connell – Today FM – 03/06/2022 On Tova we have been pushing hard for a review of the charities act following revelations of the mistreatment of their members by some mega-churches and particularly Gloriavale’s reprehensible use of child labour, threats, manipulation and abuse of children. We’ve been asking…
Maori Television – ‘Evil, cannibalistic and demonic’ – Gloriavale’s view of Māori revealed
: By Stefan Dimitrof – Maori Television – 02/06/2022 Former Gloriavale resident Constance Ready is healing from her time with the Gloriavale religious sect by finding joy in reconnecting with her Māori roots. Ready talked about growing up at Gloriavale and explained why she left at a recent Real Talk event…
Son of Gloriavale’s former school principal believes nature of community is tough: Tova O’Brien
: By Tova O’Brien | Today Breakfast | Faithful Pilgrim’s son and former Gloriavale member, Zion, joined Tova on Wednesday morning. Zion’s father resigned in 2020 as principal of the Gloriavale school for failing to protect children in his care, and spoke about what this further resignation means to him and…
RNZ – James Harrison: Former Gloriavale member says he finds it hard to believe Fervent Stedfast has genuine remorse, suspects political expedience
: | RNZ | Newstalk ZB |The Mike Hosking Breakfast | It’s remaining unclear what the resignation of two senior leaders in Gloriavale will mean for the community. The resignation of Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim follows an unprecedented apology last Friday. Both have faced issues around employment and protecting children…
1News – Gloriavale: Calls for more leaders to stand down
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 01/06/2022 Five members of Gloriavale’s leadership team have left in the last two years, and there are calls for more to stand down. Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim on Tuesday resigned as shepherds in the West Coast commune. Stedfast was accused of failing to…
Newstalk ZB – Former Gloriavale member: Hard to believe Stedfast has genuine remorse
: | Newstalk ZB | It’s remaining unclear what the resignation of two senior leaders in Gloriavale will mean for the community. The resignation of Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim follows an unprecedented apology last Friday. Both have faced issues around employment and protecting children in their care. Former Gloriavale member…RNZ – Gloriavale veterans quit roles in wake of multiple scandals
: RNZ News – 31/05/2022 Two senior Gloriavale leaders, Fervent Steadfast and Faithful Pilgrim, have resigned from their senior positions within the Christian community. Some of the men’s failings were heard in the community’s Employment Court hearing last month. Fervent Steadfast has been accused of improperly handling issues around employment and…
Gloriavale: 2 senior leaders step down from roles: 1 News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | Two senior leaders at the Christian commune of Gloriavale have stepped down from their roles. Fervent Stedfast has resigned from being a senior community leader, after he was accused of failing to handle employment matters during his time as Gloriavale’s financial controller. He had…
Stuff – Two senior Gloriavale leaders stand down amid promise of change
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 31/05/2022 Two senior leaders have resigned from their positions at the Gloriavale Christian Community. In a statement, a spokesperson announced Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim had stepped down from their leadership roles. They were part of a leadership group of 16 servants and shepherds…NZ Herald (from Greymouth Star) – Two of Gloriavale’s most senior leaders resign following public apology
: NZ Herald (From Greymouth Star) – 31/05/2022 Two of the most senior leaders at the Gloriavale Christian Community have resigned their positions, as the community fulfils its promise to change following the unprecedented public apology last Friday. Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim have both gone, according to a statement from…
RNZ – Liz Gregory: Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust spokesperson says despite the resignation of two senior leaders at Gloriavale, there’s been no real change at the top.
: RNZ – Newstalk ZB – Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby – 31/05/2022 There are concerns that despite the resignation of two senior leaders at Gloriavale, there’s been no real change at the top. Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim have both left their leadership roles. It follows an unprecedented public apology…
RNZ – Hosea Courage: Gloriavale has never stepped down leaders because of outside opinions ever
: RNZ – Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive – 31/05/2022 The resignations of two senior leaders of Gloriavale have shocked former members. Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim have both left their leadership roles. It comes as the community promises to change in an unprecedented public apology last Friday. Former member Hosea Courage…
Stuff – Former Gloriavale worker scarred by third-degree burn wants businesses closed until safety and pay issues are sorted
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 239/05/2022 GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Evidence of Faithful Disciple’s work at the Gloriavale Christian Community is seared into his flesh. He suffered an excruciating third degree burn to his ankle when a stream of 103C water shot into his gumboot as he struggled to fix…
Gloriavale leaver reacts to community’s apology over abuse
: | RNZ | Checkpoint: Lisa Owen | The leadership of Gloriavale is publicly repenting…issuing a statement apologising for failing to protect sex abuse victims and exploited workers. A landmark court decision recently ruled that three former residents of the commune were employees from age six doing strenuous difficult and sometimes…
Stuff – ‘First time I’ve heard them apologise’: Gloriavale leaders say sorry for ‘failing to protect’ members
: By Marine Lourens and Rachael Comer – Stuff – 27/05/2022 • The leadership of the Gloriavale Christian community has released a statement apologising for not protecting members against labour exploitation and sexual abuse. • The leaders detailed measures put in place to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. •…Sanction of former Gloriavale school principal ‘a little soft’, trust says: RNZ
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | The trust supporting former members of the reclusive Gloriavale community is surprised the former Christian School principal has not been struck off the register for twice endorsing a teacher he knew had sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl. Faithful Pilgrim has instead been suspended from…
Newshub – Former Gloriavale residents sceptical over leaders’ ‘unprecedented’ apology about sexual abuse and worker exploitation
: Michael Morrah – Newshub – 27/05/2022 Gloriavale’s leaders have issued an unprecedented apology – but it’s been met with caution from former residents. They wrote a letter admitting they failed to protect victims of sexual abuse and labour exploitation, and they’re promising change. Gloriavale’s known for conducting its affairs privately.…
Newstalk ZB – NZ Herald Reporter: Current Gloriavale leaders were born there and lack perspective
: Newstalk ZB – Heather Du Plessis Allan Drive – 27/05/2022 Warnings it’s far past time Gloriavale asks the outside world what is and isn’t appropriate. The secretive Christian community has apologised today. Several members have been charged for child and sexual abuse crimes and the Employment Court has just ruled…
RNZ / Newshub – Gloriavale leaders apologise over sex abuse and exploitation failures
: RNZ – 27/05/2022 Gloriavale’s leaders have offered a public apology for failing to protect victims of labour exploitation and sexual abuse. The apology comes in the wake of multiple scandals surrounding the reclusive West Coast Christian sect. Just this week Silver Fern Farms pulled out of commercial agreements with the…
Gloriavale leaders apologise for sexual abuse, child labour, ‘all offending’
: By Anna Leask | NZ Herald | Gloriavale’s leaders have issued an unprecedented public apology today – saying they “denounce any and all offending that has occurred” at their secretive Christian community. “These actions are abhorrent to us,” they said in a statement sent to the Herald. “It is a…1News – Gloriavale leaders issue apology for failing to ‘protect victims’
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 27/05/2022 Gloriavale’s leadership has issued an apology to current and former members, saying it “draws a firm line in the sand between the past and the future”. The West Coast commune has been at the centre of accusations of sexual and physical abuse for…
Former Gloriavale principal suspended from teaching for hiding assault: RNZ
: RNZ | Morning Report | A former Gloriavale Christian School principal has been suspended from teaching for three months for twice endorsing a teacher he knew had sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl. Faithful Pilgrim was sanctioned for serious misconduct by the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for commending Just Standfast as being…
Gloriavale principal knew of sexual offending but allowed teacher to continue working: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | The principal at the Gloriavale Christian School has been suspended for serious misconduct. A decision by the New Zealand Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal says Faithful Pilgrim was a teacher at the school for 45 years and was principal from 1995 to 2020. It found that…Gloriavale teacher’s practising certificate suspended for 3 months: 1News
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | A teacher at Gloriavale Christian School has had his practising certificate suspended for three months after endorsing a colleague he knew had sexually abused a child. Faithful Pilgrim was the principal of the school between 1995 and 2020. He has been a teacher for…
Gloriavale principal kept quiet about teacher’s sexual abuse of 9yo girl: NZ Herald
: by Dubby Henry | NZ Herald | The former principal of Gloriavale Christian School has been banned from leading a school for three years after failing to report a teacher’s sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl. Faithful Pilgrim has admitted he “failed dismally as a principal” when he did not…
The Gloriavale Decision
: | Access Media NZ | Angela Solomons | Angela Solomons from Taranaki Community Law discusses the recent employment court decision declaring that three former members of Gloriavale were employees from the age of 6 years. As Education Co-ordinator with Taranaki Community Law, Angela is passionate about justice, and about real…
Greymouth Star – Gloriavale ‘preparing for change’
: By Laura Mills – Greymouth Star – 25/05/2022 There are signs Gloriavale plans to ride out the current storm of controversy, after suggestions that more businesses may stop working with the 600-strong Lake Haupiri commune. Westland Milk Products says it is investigating legal avenues to possibly suspend milk collection from…
The Wire – Employment Court rules Gloriavale leavers are employees, legal experts weigh in
: The Wire – 95 b FM – 25/05/2022 On May 10, New Zealand’s Employment Court reached a landmark decision against the Gloriavale religious community, classifying the work members do as employment, going against their claims that residents were volunteers. This comes after years of allegations against the Christian community that…
The Press – Editorial – 25/05/2022 – Commercial Ties Should Be Cut
: The Press – Editorial – Commercial Ties Should be Cut – 25 May 2022 Gloriavale has had a bad few weeks. Things started to go wrong on May 10, when the Employment Court ruled the secretive West Coast Christian community’s residents were not volunteers while working up to 70-hour weeks…RNZ – Silver Fern Farms will no longer supply offal to Gloriavale meat plant
: By Niva Chittock – RNZ – 24/05/2022 Silver Fern Farms has announced it will no longer be working with the Gloriavale Christian community. “Silver Fern Farms has decided to begin the process to discontinue any commercial arrangements with Value Proteins [Gloriavale’s trading company]. We will now be working with all…RNZ – Jamie Mackay: This will snowball and everyone will end up blacklisting Gloriavale
: RNZ – Newstalk ZB – Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive – 24/05/2022 Is Gloriavale the new Russia of the NZ Ag Sector? Silver Fern Farms has announced it will no longer be working with the Gloriavale Christian community after the Employment Court found they were making kids work. It’s National Lamb…
Rural News – Hopeful Christians
: By Sudesh Kissun – Rural News – 24/05/2022 The reclusive Gloriavale Christian community stands to lose $9 million a year if Westland Milk suspends milk collection from its dairy farms. Hokitika-based processor Westland says it is looking at suspending milk collection from Canaan Farming Dairy Ltd, which operated the Gloriavale…1News – Major meat company ends relationship with Gloriavale
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 24/05/2022 A major meat company is ending its relationship with the Christian commune of Gloriavale over workers’ rights. In a statement to 1News, Silver Fern Farms said it “has decided to begin the process to discontinue any commercial arrangements” with Gloriavale company Value Proteins.…
Stuff – Gloriavale factory loses meat company contract, and a worker’s third degree burns spark a WorkSafe investigation
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 24/05/2022 Silver Fern Farms is pulling out of supplying offal to a meal plant at the Gloriavale Christian Community because of concern about its labour practices, and other meat companies may follow suit. This comes on top of last week’s announcement that Westland Dairy…RNZ – Jamie Mackay: This will snowball and everyone will end up blacklisting Gloriavale
: RNZ – Newstalk ZB – Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive – 24/05/2022 Is Gloriavale the new Russia of the NZ Ag Sector? Silver Fern Farms has announced it will no longer be working with the Gloriavale Christian community after the Employment Court found they were making kids work. It’s National Lamb…
Freetipsquickly – Gloriavale working relationships mean children employees
: By John Farrow – 20/05/2022 The Chief Judge of the Employment Court recently found that three former members of the Gloriavale Christian Community were employees. They had applied to the court for declarations to this effect. However, due to a complex structure, including limited liability companies, partnerships, a nominee company…
Stuff – Employed from as young as 6 – ruling likely to mean changes at Gloriavale
: By David Burton – Stuff Opinion – 18/05/2022 OPINION: For the last few years a group of three former members of the South Island Gloriavale Christian community have been seeking action on what they claimed were extensive breaches of employment rights at Gloriavale. The Labour Inspectorate had already twice visited…RNZ – Westland looks to suspend milk collection from Gloriavale operated farms
: RNZ – 16/05/2022 Westland Milk is looking to suspend milk collection from dairy farms operated by Gloriavale. Last week the Employment Court ruled that members of the christian community who worked up to 70 hours a week for years were not volunteers. This opens the door for the labour inspectorate…
Stuff – Family desperate for dental care after years of little treatment at Gloriavale
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 15/05/2022 A family who left Gloriavale nine months ago are fundraising for dental treatment they say was caused by years of being deprived of dental care. Hopeful Disciple and his wife Victory left the West Coast Christian community to protect their children. “Wrong was…
Stuff – Chained to a jo… er recreational activity they absolutely love
: By Andrew Gunn – Stuff – 14/05/2022 OPINION/SATIRE: 215 BC, the Mediterranean Sea. A ROMAN GALLEY SHIP glides across the water. Inside, the GALLEY MASTER presides over a hundred sweaty, half-naked rowers, all toiling to pull their heavy oars to the beat of his drum. GM: Heave! Heave! Heave! There…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale – Zion Pilgrim’s story on leaving the Christian Community
: NZ Herald – Hope Project – 14/05/2022 Zion Pilgrim had spent all his life living at Gloriavale on the South Island’s West Coast. It was the only life he knew growing up. But in 2020 he left Gloriavale after questioning the leadership, a decision he doesn’t regret. It was, according…
Stuff – Sexual misconduct advocate helps young woman escape Gloriavale for life of freedom
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 13/05/2022 A former lawyer and advocate against sexual misconduct in the workplace who helped trigger New Zealand’s #MeToo movement has been helping a woman escape Gloriavale. The woman, who did not want to be named, fled the secretive West Coast community last year. Olivia…ODT – Agencies in Spotlight in Gloriavale Case
: Otago Daily Times – Opinion – 12/05/2022 A clutch of government agencies must do some serious soul searching about their inaction over concerns raised about work practices and the treatment of children at the Gloriavale Christian Community. This week, the Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis found that three former…
YouTube – BHN – Gloriavale, “New Zealand’s biggest crime scene” with Olivia Wensley
: YouTube – BHN – 12/05/2022 Former lawyer. CEO of Startup Queenstown Lakes and the catalyst for the #MeToo movement in NZ, Olivia Wensley, joins us to tell her story of helping a 22-year-old woman and her mother escape Gloriavale after coming and going to the West Coast community for 6…
Gloriavale employment court decision raises the question, who is an employee?
: By Shima Grice | Sharp Tudhope Lawyers | This week the Employment Court handed down a landmark decision relating to three former members of the Gloriavale Christian community. While this case might seem extreme or unusual it is a timely reminder for employers to consider who is working for them,…
RNZ – Ex-Gloriavale member urges govt agencies to enter community
: RNZ Checkpoint – 12/05/2022 Video and audio can be seen in article link. A former Gloriavale resident who was used as unpaid child labour says it time government agencies went into the closed fundamentalist Christian community, opened their eyes and did their job. In landmark decision this week the employment…Stuff – Gloriavale could be liable for millions of dollars in unpaid wages
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 12/05/2022 A former Gloriavale leader says it is only fair people are compensated for the work they did in creating wealth for the community. The bill could add up to as much as $20 million – but even that wouldn’t bankrupt the asset-rich community,…
Employment Court Holds Exploitation And Child Labour: A Dark Shadow For Gloriavale
: Barbara Bucket and Associates | Scoop Business | The New Zealand Employment Court has released its decision on whether the leadership “Shepherd” members of the Gloriavale Christian Community were employers. MBIE’s Labour Inspectorate had found twice that they were not employees, but the Employment Court found this to be wrong.…
Tova O’Brien – Gloriavale cannot hide behind the iron curtain of religion anymore
: By Tova O’Brien – Today FM – 11/05/2022 I’m going to tread carefully here because I really don’t want this to be misconstrued as me trampling on anyone’s religious beliefs. I respect everyone’s choice to believe or not believe in any god. What I don’t respect is people hiding behind…
Newstalk ZB – John MacDonald: Gloriavale is nothing short of modern-day slavery
: Newstalk ZB – Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald – 11/05/2022 There is no place in New Zealand for an outfit like Gloriavale. It cannot be allowed to continue operating. And it is absolutely shameful that we have pretty much turned a blind eye to what’s been going on there for…
Newshub – Lawyer involved in Gloriavale employment case slams Government over lack of intervention into community
: By Ireland Hendry-Tennent – Newshub – 11/05/2022 The barrister who led a legal challenge against Gloriavale is hitting out at the Government over its lack of action. It comes after the Employment Court ruled three Gloriavale leavers were in fact employees, not volunteers. Chief Judge Christina Inglis released her reserved…
Newshub – Charities Services announces investigation into Gloriavale while WorkSafe and Labour Inspectorate to visit
: By Michael Morrah – Newshub – 11/05/2022 The Charities Services has announced an investigation into Gloriavale and both WorkSafe and the Labour Inspectorate say they’ll be visiting the community, following a landmark Employment Court ruling. But a former Gloriavale leader said he wants to see action, not just noise, and…
RNZ – WorkSafe inspectors to visit Gloriavale, charities regulator opens investigation after ruling
: By Jean Edwards – RNZ – 11/05/2022 Workplace inspectors will again visit Gloriavale and the charities regulator has launched a new investigation following a breakthrough Employment Court ruling on child labour at the reclusive Christian community. Government agencies are under pressure to act after the court found children as young…
RNZ: Employment ruling: Ex-Gloriavale member hopes state investigates further
: | RNZ | A former Gloriavale member who won a legal victory after being used as child labour says he hopes state agencies will investigate further. The Employment Court yesterday found three former members of the reclusive religious sect were effectively employees from the age of six until they left Gloriavale.…Dr Liz Gordon: Former MP and educational researcher strongly pushes for change in Gloriavale Newstalk ZB
: Newstalk ZB – Canterbury Mornings With John MacDonald – 11/05/2022 Dr Liz Gordon is a former MP and is currently an educational researcher. For 25 years she has been pushing for the closure of the school within Gloriavale, and to make public education possible for its residents. She spoke to…NewstalkZB: Gloriavale Decision Raises Questions About Volunteers
: Simon Barnett & James Daniels | NewstalkZB | The Employment Court has ruled Gloriavale residents were employees – not volunteers. Hosea and Levi Courage, and Daniel Pilgrim, have now left the religious community, and sought a declaration on their status after leaving school and working at the commune and its…
NZ Herald – Former Gloriavale dairy farmer believes he ‘possibly’ beat schoolboy workers
: NZ Herald – 11/05/2022 A former Gloriavale dairy farmer believes he “possibly” beat schoolboys who worked for him following the Employment Court landmark decision. Yesterday, the court ruled that a group of ex-Gloriavale members were employees at the secretive Christian community – from when they were just 6 years old.…
Stuff – Charities Services open new investigation into Gloriavale’s charitable status following Employment Court decision
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 11/05/2022 The Government’s Charities Services have opened a new investigation into the charitable status of West Coast Christian community Gloriavale. Charities Services general manager Mike Stone said the investigation would look at whether Gloriavale, as a registered charity, had met its obligations under the…
Newstalk ZB – Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust: Employment Court’s decision sets a precedent for future cases
: Newstalk ZB – Early Edition – 11/05/2022 The spotlight is turning to other cases at Gloriavale which could be described as forced labour. The Employment Court has ruled three ex-residents were employees from the age of six, not volunteers. It found the work can’t be described as chores or education,…Tova: Daniel Pilgrim – First-hand account of shocking child exploitation at Gloriavale
: Tova O”Brien Audio link to interview with Daniel Pilgrim. An Employment Court ruling has found in favour of three former members of the commune all put to work from six years old. The work conditions were laborious, often dangerous, required physical exertion over extended periods to turn a profit that…
RNZ: Ex-members welcome Employment Court ruling over ‘dangerous’ Gloriavale work
: By Jean Edwards | RNZ | Three members of the reclusive Gloriavale Christian community working long hours from the age of six were employees, the Employment Court has ruled. The landmark decision about the “strenuous, difficult and sometimes dangerous” work done by children is likely to have significant ramifications for…
RNZ: Gloriavale Leavers Trust manager reacts to court ruling
: | RNZ | Checkpoint | It’s clear ready access to child labour is a significant factor in the commercial success of the Gloriavale Christian community, according to the Chief Employment Court judge. Judge Christina Inglis found that three former members of the community were employees, working long hours from the…
Newshub: Children working in heavy industry ‘unacceptable practice’ not ‘chore’
: | Newshub | A recent court ruling against Gloriavale classing the children as workers has paved the way for Government intervention, but barrister Brian Henry says a court committee to deal with the community already exists, and so far, “it has done nothing” Video Link: Children working in heavy industry…
Newshub: Former Gloriavale resident ‘ecstatic’ following landmark Employment Court ruling
: By Michael Morrah – Newshub – 10/05/2022 A former Gloriavale resident is “ecstatic” following a ruling that found three leavers from the Christian community are actually classed as employees. For decades, Gloriavale has relied on child labour to ensure the success of its businesses. But Chief Employment Court Judge Christina…Newshub – Former Gloriavale members win Employment Court case
: By Ireland Hendry-Tennent – Newshub – 10/05/2022 Three Gloriavale leavers have been classified as employees after an Employment Court ruling on Tuesday. Chief Judge Christina Inglis released her reserved decision into whether the leavers were employees of the West Coast Christian community or not. The Labour Inspectorate had previously classified…NZ Herald – Employment Court rules Gloriavale members were ’employees’ from age 6, undertook ‘laborious, often dangerous’ work – not ‘chores’
: By Anna Leask – NZ Herald – 10/05/2022 Video – see article link. The Employment Court has ruled that a group of ex-Gloriavale members were employees at the secretive Christian community – from when they were just 6 years old. Further, the members undertook “strenuous, difficult, and sometimes dangerous” work…
Stuff – Children’s work not ‘chores’: Gloriavale leavers win Employment Court case
: By Joanne Naish and Cate Macintosh – Stuff – 10/005/2022 Former Gloriavale members say they are “finally being heard” after the Employment Court’s ruling that they were employees. Two of the three former workers who brought the case, Daniel Pilgrim and Hosea Courage, spoke to media outside Christchurch’s justice precinct…Stuff – Landmark Gloriavale employment ruling could open door for thousands of dollars in back pay
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 10/05/2022 Former Gloriavale members who worked up to 70 hours a week for years were not volunteers, the Employment Court has ruled – a decision which could pave the way for them and others in the community to be compensated. Three former workers brought…
Stuff – Former Gloriavale man says being in the community was like living in ‘Alcatraz’
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 09/05/2022 A man who spent three years in Gloriavale alleges he was treated like a prisoner and a slave by the community’s leaders. Nishant Adhikari arrived in New Zealand from Nepal in 2003 with his aunt and uncle who were joining the Christian community…
NZ Herald – Local Focus: Breaking the silence – real talk
: By Delilah Whaitiri – NZ Herald – 04/05/2022 Real Talk brings together people from all walks of life to share unique and challenging life stories. It provides a safe and comfortable environment, inspiring people through the power of storytelling. Constance Ready will be speaking at the next Rotorua Real Talk…
Newshub – WorkSafe issues Gloriavale businesses with nine warnings over safety failures in less than a year
: By Michael Morrah – Newshub – 25/04/2022 WorkSafe issued Gloriavale nine warnings in the space of less than a year over safety failures at its businesses, Newshub can reveal. Newshub has seen copies of investigators’ notebooks in which one said Gloriavale’s residents had “little to no knowledge” of worker rights.…
Stuff: Boy who lost three fingers working at a Gloriavale honey company drops case after facing ‘undue pressure’
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A boy who lost three fingers while working at a Gloriavale honey company has dropped his Employment Court case. The 17-year-old has been granted permanent name suppression by Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis. The case included allegations he lost three fingers while working…
Unconditional Love – Zion’s Gloriavale story (Extended version)
: Hope Project Video Link: Unconditional Love – Zion’s Gloriavale story …NZ Herald: Gloriavale community included in faith investigations by Abuse in Care Royal Commission inquiry
: | NZ Herald | An Abuse in Care Royal Commission inquiry into the Anglican Church is now calling for any survivors of abuse at Gloriavale. The commission’s faith investigation will now include the Methodist, Presbyterian and Salvation Army faiths. It is also seeking evidence from survivors of abuse in three…1 News – 61 people involved in alleged offending at Gloriavale – police
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 07/04/2022 Police have identified 61 people as being involved in alleged offending at Gloriavale. Operation Minneapolis was launched in July 2020 after claims of sexual abuse against women and children at the West Coast commune. Police and Oranga Tamariki worked on the investigation, which…RNZ – Former members renew bid to have charity status of Gloriavale trust revoked
: Radio New Zealand (RNZ) – 02/04/2022 The charities regulator has again been asked to investigate the trust behind the reclusive Gloriavale Christian Community on the South Island’s West Coast. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust has written to Charities Services asking it to examine the Christian Church Community Trust as a…
Stuff: Gloriavale employment case urgent to ensure other females’ safety
: By Lee Kenny | Stuff | Six former residents of Gloriavale Christian Community, all of them women, have won the right to have their case heard in the Employment Court. The case will be treated as urgent to ensure the safety of other females, including young girls, who still live…
NZ Herald – Employment Court grants another group of ex-Gloriavale members urgent hearing
: By Belinda Feek – NZ Herald – 28/03/2022 A second group of former Gloriavale residents have won a bid to have their employment status heard in the Employment Court. A three week hearing is now being organised to determine whether Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor…
Stuff – Why are children working 70 hours a week at Gloriavale not ‘slaves’?
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 13/03/2022 Children who work for long hours at Gloriavale under threat of hell, being hit, starved or kicked out if they refuse are not slaves, a court has heard. Three leavers have lodged a case in the Employment Court against the attorney-general and leaders…
NZ Herald – Covid at Gloriavale: ‘Significant cluster’ inside closed West Coast religious community
: By Kurt Bayer – NZ Herald – 12/03/2022 A “significant cluster” of Covid-19 cases has broken out at the Gloriavale Christian community. It’s understood that members are now self-isolating inside the closed religious community, which has about 600 members on sprawling land at Haupiri, 60km inland from Greymouth on the…
Stuff – Police letter to Gloriavale reveals places where harmful sexual behaviour was rife
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 10/03/2022 A police letter to the Gloriavale Christian Community reveals a list of places where harmful sexual behaviour was taking place – including inside a dinosaur in the dining room. A police inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse at the West Coast community…
Stuff – Gloriavale leader captured on secret recording telling senior member to say he is ‘nothing’ and ‘nobody’
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 07/03/2022 A secret audio recording has captured Gloriavale leader Howard Temple saying workers at the community are “nothing” and “nobody” who need to completely obey everything the leaders say, or leave. The audio, released to Stuff by the Employment Court, was recorded by a…
1 News – Gloriavale gets $2m a year in tax credits, court hears
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 03/03/2022 The Employment Court has heard Gloriavale gets more than $2 million a year in Government tax credits. Charity Christian oversees the administration of the commune’s sharing account, which is used to buy clothing, food and to “care for people”. She said the money…
Stuff – Founder’s son fails to give evidence for Gloriavale in Employment Court
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 02/03/2022 A senior Gloriavale leader will not be giving evidence to an Employment Court, despite filing a brief of evidence. Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s son Mark Christian was due to give evidence on Wednesday, but the defence did not call him without providing any…
Stuff – Gloriavale leaders tried to reduce the workload of ‘single ladies’ preparing meals for 600 people, three times a day
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 01/03/2022 Gloriavale leaders have made a concerted effort to reduce the workload of “single ladies” who prepare meals for nearly 600 people, three times a day. That was the evidence of Gloriavale administrator Serenity Valor, to an Employment Court hearing on Monday. She said…
1 News – Gloriavale member tells court wages donated back to trust
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 01/03/2022 An office administrator at Gloriavale has refuted claims that members are volunteers. Serenity Valor told the Employment Court that workers in the commune’s commercial companies are self-employed contractors, who donate their wages back to the Christian Church Community Trust. “So they’re contracting their…1 News – Little weight given to Gloriavale documents waiving workers’ rights
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 28/02/2022 The Labour Inspectorate concedes it gave little weight to the documents Gloriavale members sign waiving workers’ rights. Senior labour inspector Hannah Crampton appeared before the Employment Court on Monday, where she was questioned about her investigation into long working hours at the commune.…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale: ‘Treated like slaves’ – Teenager wants justice for unpaid under-age workers
: By Carolyne Meng-Yee – NZ Herald – 26/02/2022 At Gloriavale, Levi Courage felt that he had no freedom, no money, no way out. On a rainy night last June Courage finished work and told his parents, Aaron and Joy, he was leaving Gloriavale – for good. He took a change…
Stuff – Gloriavale – a community of devoted volunteers or a colony of slaves?
: By Joanne Naish and Amber Allott – Stuff – 26/02/2022 Have New Zealand authorities been turning a blind eye to generations of slavery at Gloriavale or are its members willing volunteers? And why is the government pouring millions of dollars into this remote community? Joanne Naish and Amber Allott report.…
Stuff – Gloriavale leaders reject slavery claims, say members work ‘willingly’ and ‘lovingly’
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 24/02/2022 A leader of Gloriavale has defended the community’s way of life and rejected claims of slavery. Peter Righteous, a senior leader or servant, said people at Gloriavale willingly submitted themselves to the Overseeing Shepherd and shepherds and worked for the community, which lived…
1 News – Former Gloriavale members want stories heard to drive change
: By 1 News – Breakfast – 24/02/2022 A former Gloriavale resident says ex-members have been taking their stories to court because they want them heard and legally acknowledged. Lilia Tarawa, author of book Daughter of Gloriavale who went viral for a TEDx Talk on the West Coast commune, told Breakfast…
1 News – Senior Gloriavale leader says no one ‘coerced’ to join
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 24/02/2022 A senior leader in the Christian commune of Gloriavale claims members “choose to live a sharing, communal life” in the hope of “perfect obedience to God”. Peter Righteous appeared before the Employment Court on Thursday, which is considering whether Gloriavale residents are employees…
Stuff – Dark side of Gloriavale ‘needs to be brought to the light’, long-term resident says
: By Amber Allott – Stuff – 23/02/2022 Forty of Sharon Ready’s 71 grandchildren still live in the isolated West Coast Christian community of Gloriavale. Ready still calls it home herself, and has since its inception in North Canterbury, in 1969. But now she has tearfully spoken out against it at…1 News – Former Gloriavale member calls it a ‘brutal control regime’
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 23/02/2022 A former Gloriavale member struggled to hold back tears on Wednesday as he described the West Coast commune as a “brutal control regime”. Faithful Disciple is giving evidence in an Employment Court case to decide whether Gloriavale residents are volunteers or not. Last…
1 News – Gloriavale lawyer says ‘stark choice’ but members still choose lifestyle
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 23/02/2022 Former Gloriavale members are being questioned about their so-called “choice” to stay in the West Coast commune. The Employment Court is considering whether those living at Gloriavale are employees or volunteers. The Labour Inspectorate ruled out investigating claims of long working hours last…
Stuff – Gloriavale kids made to work days without sleep, one chained to steel post, court told
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 22/02/2022 A child was chained to a steel post at Gloriavale because his father did not know how to look after him, a former community leader has told a court. Zion Pilgrim was a senior leader, or servant, at Gloriavale until he left in…
Stuff – Sent to work at age 6, beaten and starved: One boy’s experience of ‘volunteering’ at Gloriavale
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 21/02/2022 A former Gloriavale member has told a court he was beaten with a shovel and starved for not working fast enough when he was a child in the community. Hosea Courage is one of a group of former Gloriavale members fighting against the…
Newshub – Former Gloriavale member tells court he was hit, denied food for not working fast enough as a 6yo
: By Michael Morrah – Newshub – 21/02/2022 A former member of Gloriavale on the West Coast says he was hit with a shovel handle and denied food for not working fast enough as a six-year-old. The testimony was revealed as part of an employment court case examining whether those at…
1News – Are Gloriavale residents employees or volunteers?
: By Ryan Boswell – 1 News – 21/02/2022 The Employment Court is considering whether those living at the West Coast commune of Gloriavale are workers or volunteers. Three former residents are challenging a Labour Inspectorate ruling that found they are volunteers and were, therefore, not entitled to pay or employment…
NZ Herald – Workers or volunteers? Gloriavale leavers take employment fight to cour
: By Anna Leask – NZ Herald – 21/02/2022 A group of ex-Gloriavale members have taken the secretive Christian community to court in a bid to determine their employment status while they lived there and ascertain whether they were wrongly exploited as workers. Leavers Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage…
Stuff – Subjects of Gloriavale documentaries leave religious community
: By Rachael Comer – Stuff – 19/02/2022 A couple who featured prominently in television documentaries depicting life in Gloriavale have left the secretive religious community. Now members of the public are rallying to support Paul and Pearl Valor as they adjust to life on the outside, settling in South Canterbury,…
Stuff – Call for driving tests to be an essential service
: By Tom Hunt – Stuff – 15/02/2022 The Government is being called on to join most other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in making driver licence testing an essential service. The call is being led by The Driving Change Network, which aims to make driving education and…
RNZ Checkpoint – Gloriavale escapees among unvaccinated denied driving tests
: RNZ Checkpoint – By Nick Truebridge – 15/02/2022 Recent Gloriavale escapees are among the many New Zealanders banned from practical driving tests because they haven’t been vaccinated. It comes as the government continues to face pressure on classing practical driving tests an essential service. It’s so far refused to budge…
NZ Stuff on TikTok – How Gloriavale started: Part 1
: NZ Stuff on TikTok – How Gloriavale started: Part 1 ( Lets Talk About Sects Sarah Steel 13/04/2021) Listen / Watch here: https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?_d=secCgwIARCbDRjEFSADKAESPgo8liTnvXFDlKZaebni%2FPjqp1SyXT%2BOc3tscADDQmeovW4A0WCUXXc74LZzfNTy5k%2BSkegO%2BC5SQgdpFNdcGgA%3D&_r=1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7060396586865560833&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAvZAQu-6_4Ufzaub41bQ9WlEBMUonhsOOSy6JvbhEucM4byR2AbmOMxReHalfc3Ru&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7060396586865560833&share_link_id=897173dc-8137-41fb-a45b-2d806f0291a5&source=h5_m×tamp=1644006243&u_code=deeh9d8909343l&user_id=6873338291514033157&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=android&utm_source=messenger#/@nzstuff/video/7060396586865560833 Or search for Podcast – Sarah Steel – Lets Talk About Sects – Gloriavale Part 1 and 2 …
RNZ – Covid-19: Vaccination rates in area that is home to Gloriavale community improves
: By RNZ (Radio New Zealand) – 08/02/2022 One of New Zealand’s most remote and isolated communities has now reached 90 percent of its population over 12 getting at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Lake Brunner, on the West Coast, is home to Gloriavale Christian Community and was once…
YouTube – Illuminaughty: The New Zealand Cult That Preyed on Children: Gloriavale | Prism of the Past
: You Tube – Illuminaughti PLEASE NOTE: There are many inaccuracies in this podcast – including the following: Haupiri Valley (not Haupiori) Neville Cooper did not set up Gloriavale in 1969 – he established Springbank community first, then when the community moved to Haupiri Valley over a period of years in…
Stolen Childhoods: Sex offender says admitting crimes was just the start of his rehab
: By Catrin Owen and Edward Gay | Stuff | Convicted child sex offender Tony* has recently been released from prison. He told Stuff what life behind bars was like, his rehabilitation and life afterwards. Psychologist Greg Woodcock helps men like Tony face up to what they’ve done and to prevent future offending.…Gloriavale teacher convicted of assaulting children hopes to teach again: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A man working as a teacher at Gloriavale Christian Community who assaulted and verbally abused children in his care hopes to teach there again. Vigilant Standtrue, 39, pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court in November to three charges of assaulting three boys aged…
Gloriavale teacher pleads guilty to assaulting children: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A man working as an unregistered teacher at Gloriavale Christian Community assaulted and verbally abused children in his care Vigilant Standtrue, 39, pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court last week to three representative charges of assaulting three boys aged between 9 and 11.…Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Gloriavale teachers get vaccine shots: NZ Herald
: By Laura Mills | Star News | Additional Reporting by Dubby Henry NZ Herald Gloriavale Christian Community school teachers have joined the community’s midwives and accepted their Covid vaccinations. Under the Government mandate, the teachers would have had to have been stood down yesterday if they were not vaccinated. Gloriavale…Stuff – Covid-19: Gloriavale’s area shows biggest jump in vaccination rates in the country
: By Joanna Naish & Steven Walton- Stuff – 19/11/2021 The area that includes the Gloriavale Christian Community has had the biggest percentage point jump for first doses of any suburb nationwide. Just 343 of Lake Brunner’s eligible population of 593 people had rolled up their sleeve for the first jab…Gloriavale teachers and midwives get first dose of Covid-19 vaccine:
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff Teachers and midwives at Gloriavale Christian Community have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The move came as the leaders of the church, which was traditionally against vaccinations, began to actively encourage their members to get vaccinated. The community of between 500 and 600 people at Lake…
Stuff – West Coast’s Covid-19 vaccination rate still lowest in South Island despite campaign
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 08/11/2021 West Coast MP Damien O’Connor has visited the isolated Gloriavale Christian Community in a bid to help boost its Covid-19 vaccination rate. The Labour MP visited the region to encourage locals to get vaccinated as the West Coast District Health Board and regional…ODT – Get vaccinated, Gloriavale community told
: By Laura Mills – ODT – 06/11/2021 West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor has delivered a firm and clear message to Gloriavale: all eligible New Zealanders need to get vaccinated to beat Covid-19. Mr O’Connor was on a whirlwind tour of the Coast on Thursday to try and boost vaccination rates.…RNZ – Special zone for Gloriavale on the cards
: By Laura Mills – RNZ – 06/11/2021 The Gloriavale Christian Community is set to have more relaxed planning rules and its own sub-zone in the new combined district plan for the West Coast. The community of more than 600 people is located on land zoned rural at Lake Haupiri, east…
Newstalk ZB – Churches in difficult position if vaccine exemption requests denied
: Newstalk ZB – Heather Du Plessis-Alan with Peter Lineham – 04/11/2021 [Audio can be listened to from article link] Applications for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates are yet to be made but Gloriavale may be the first. A source close to the community says Gloriavale may be asking the Government…
Gloriavale Christian community faces education conundrum over anti-vaccine stance: NZ Herald
: By Georgia O’Connor-Harding – NZ Herald – 04/11/2021 Christian community Gloriavale will likely be forced to turn its back on its long-held anti-vaccine beliefs. A source close to the community has said it is understood they are considering asking the Government for an exemption for the vaccine mandate for its…‘The Lord is helping me’: Gloriavale teacher facing assault charges declines having lawyer: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A Gloriavale teacher accused of allegedly assaulting four children has once again declined to have a lawyer representing him saying “the Lord is helping me”. Vigilant Standtrue, 39, appeared in the Greymouth District Court on Wednesday on seven charges of assaulting children between 9…Stuff – Gloriavale area’s vaccination rates among lowest in South Island
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 08/10/82021 The leader of the Gloriavale Christian Community has confirmed vaccination against Covid-19 is open to any member of the church. According to the Ministry of Health, the Lake Brunner area, which contains the isolated Christian community, has the lowest vaccination rates in the…
New Zealand’s Gloriavale Christian Commune in Tamil Nadu
: | Hindu Post | Introduction Faithful, Blessing, Mercy, Willing, Purity, Loyal, Truth, and David are first names while Helpful, Caring, Servant, Holdfast, Joyful, Stronghold, Gracious, and Peaceful are last names (first and last names are jumbled up in order to protect privacy). Of whom, one may ask. Of eight individuals…Stuff – Gloriavale leaders give community members option to have Covid-19 vaccine
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 01/10/2021 The leaders of the isolated Gloriavale Christian Community have told its members they can choose to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This is a U-turn from its past anti-vaccination stance. The community has previously blocked the West Coast from hitting immunisation targets as its…NZ Herald – West Coast community coming to aid of former Gloriavale family after fire
: NZ Herald – 29/09/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Funds raised for a former Gloriavale family who lost everything in a house fire will be used to set them up in a new home. The family of eight was staying at a farmhouse at Inchbonnie, near Lake Brunner…
Stuff – ‘Inundated with kindness and clothing’ for Gloriavale leavers
: By Esther Ashby-Coventry – Stuff – 28/09/2021 The “amazing’’ generosity of community members has left one South Canterbury charity inundated with donations which they will sell off to raise more money. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust will hold a clothing sale for the public on Tuesday and Thursday with proceeds…
Stuff – Former Gloriavale family loses everything in house fire
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 28/09/2021 A former Gloriavale family who had left the isolated Christian community just a few months ago, has lost all their possessions in a house fire. The family of eight escaped unharmed, but the house was completely destroyed after it was hit by lightning…
Stuff – Scale of harmful sexual behaviour at Gloriavale revealed as man escapes conviction
: By Joanne Naish and Amber Allott – Stuff – 17/09/2021 Court documents have revealed more than 60 young people have been involved in harmful sexual behaviour at the Gloriavale Christian Community, as a former member avoided conviction in court. A police inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse at the…
Young Gloriavale leavers face another hurdle – in education: Stuff
: By Esther Ashby-Coventry – Stuff – 17/09/2021 Some schools are being provided with extra Ministry of Education support to resettle former Gloriavale students into their new classes. Timaru-based Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said she was familiar with the difficulties of children, who have left the religious West…
Gloriavale teacher on child assault charges declines legal representation: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A Gloriavale teacher accused of assaulting four children aged between 9 and 11 has not yet pleaded to the charges. Vigilant Standtrue, 39, appeared in the Greymouth District Court on Wednesday on seven charges of assaulting children. Judge Gerard Lynch asked Standtrue if he…ODT – Gloriavale unlikely to support vaccination
: By Laura Mills, ODT – 27/08/2021 As health authorities try to increase Covid-19 vaccination rates on the West Coast, at least 600 people will miss out — at Gloriavale Christian Community. The community did not respond to a query but has refused other vaccines in the past and the Greymouth…Gloriavale teacher allegedly assaulted four children aged 9 to 11: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A Gloriavale teacher has been charged after allegedly assaulting four children in as many years. Vigilant Standtrue is facing seven charges of assaulting children. He made his first appearance in the Greymouth District Court on August 11 and did not seek name suppression. The…Stuff – Investigation reveals former Gloriavale members were pressured to sign legal documents
: By Nadine Porter – Stuff – 12/08/2021 Former residents of Gloriavale have revealed there were mass signings of a “commitment document” under duress, during dinner, with no time to read or understand what they were signing. In a Labour Inspectorate report released to Stuff, leavers of the secretive West Coast…Police, Oranga Tamariki and Ministry of Education investigating Gloriavale School: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | The school at the West Coast’s Gloriavale Christian Community is at the centre of an investigation into child safety. Police, Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education are investigating allegations students have been mistreated. It is understood some staff have been stood down at…Gloriavale School focus of police investigation into Christian community: NZ Herald
: By Devon Bolger | NZ Herald | A police inquiry into physical and sexual abuse at Gloriavale is now focusing on the on-site school. The Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki have confirmed an investigation is under way. A spokesperson for the ministry said they are in contact with the…
Gloriavale not safe for children, Leavers’ Trust says: 1News
: 1News [Video can be viewed in article link – Breakfast TVNZ] Gloriavale isn’t a safe place for children, according to a group that supports people who leave the reclusive Christian community. It comes as 1 NEWS revealed this morning Gloriavale Christian School is the focus of a new police inquiry…
TVNZ 1 News – Claims Gloriavale members forced to sign documents waiving legal advice
: 1 News – Ryan Boswell – 10/08/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Former Gloriavale members claim they’ve been forced to sign documents not knowing what they were. Isaac Pilgrim was born at the West Coast commune, and fled to Timaru with his 10 children in 2018. He told…
Newshub – Gloriavale leaders allowed abuse to flourish as former resident admits sexual offences against children – Leavers’ Support Trust
: Michael Morrah – Newshub – 04/08/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link]. The head of a group helping people who leave Gloriavale says a former resident admitting he sexually offended against children is “incredibly tragic” and believes Gloriavale’s leaders have allowed abuse to flourish. A 55-year-old man, who has…
Former Gloriavale man admits some sexual offending against children
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | A former Gloriavale man has pleaded guilty to 11 charges of sexual offending against children – at least one under the age of 12 – but denied a further 27 charges. The charges against the man include the rape, sexual violation and indecent assault…
TVNZ 1 News – Former Gloriavale man pleads guilty to sex offending against children
: Ryan Boswell – 1 News – 04/08/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A former Gloriavale man has pleaded guilty to 11 charges of sexual offending against children. The man, who has name suppression, appeared via video link from Christchurch at the Greymouth District Court today. He is facing…
TVNZ 1 News – Former Gloriavale members consider court action
: Ryan Boswell – 1 News – 26/07/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] The Council of Trade Unions is questioning why those living at Gloriavale aren’t being given the same employment rights as others. The Labour Inspectorate has found no employment relationship exists within the West Coast commune, after…NZ Herald – Labour Inspectorate rules Gloriavale members cannot be considered employees
: Kurt Bayer – NZ Herald – 23/074/2021 The Labour Inspectorate has found that the members of the Gloriavale Christian community on the South Island’s West Coast cannot currently be considered employees under New Zealand legislation. It means that the Inspectorate has no jurisdiction and “will not undertake further investigation or…TVNZ 1 News – Investigation into Gloriavale working conditions dropped
: 1 News – 23/07/2021 No further investigation or enforcement action is being taken into allegations of Gloriavale members being overworked after the Labour Inspectorate has found community members were not considered employees under New Zealand legislation. National Manager Labour Inspectorate Stu Lumsden conducted an inquiry into the employment status of…
Newshub – Claims of exploitation at Gloriavale go unheard as MBIE says it’s out of their jurisdiction
: Kaysha Brownlie – Newshub – 23/07/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A group of former followers believes it and current Gloriavale residents have been exploited – but the Ministry says other agencies will have to investigate. Gloriavale members are hard at work – but they’re not employees, according…
Stuff – Disappointment at Labour Inspectorate ruling that Gloriavale’s volunteer workforce are not employees
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 23/07/2021 An investigation by the Labour Inspectorate has concluded members of the Gloriavale Christian community cannot be classed as employees. In a statement released on Friday, the inspectorate said the finding meant it had no jurisdiction over the West Coast community and would take…
Stuff – Former Gloriavale man charged with sexual offending against 10 people
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 14/07/2021 A former Gloriavale man is facing 38 charges of sexual offending against at least nine children – some under the age of 12. The charges against the man include the rape, sexual violation and indecent assault of nine boys and girls at the…
RNZ – Leaving Gloriavale
: The Detail – RNZ – 30/06/2021 [Podcast access via article link] Increasing numbers of people are leaving Gloriavale, the West Coast Christian community that’s been around for more than 50 years. It’s been investigated by police, Charity Services, Oranga Tamariki and WorkSafe. Former members are taking a civil suit against…
TVNZ 1 News – Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust pleads for public’s help for those leaving commune
: By Ryan Boswell – 1 News – 23/06/2021 The Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust has launched the Emergency Welfare Appeal to help people reintegrate into the outside world. A video has been created featuring over 25 children whose families have been helped by the trust. See Givealittle video here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/gloriavale-leavers-emergency-appeal Spokeswoman…
Stuff – Urgent appeal to help more families leaving Gloriavale
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 23/06/2021 [Video link to Givealittle Gloriavale Leavers Emergency Appeal: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/gloriavale-leavers-emergency-appeal Increasing numbers of people are leaving Gloriavale and urgently need support, a charity for leavers says. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust says urgent support is needed for dozens of members leaving the reclusive West…TVNZ 1 News – Running of Gloriavale to be reviewed by Public Trust for next 18 months
: 1 News – 10/06/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] The running of the religious community of Gloriavale on the West Coast will be reviewed by the Public Trust for the next 18 months. That’s the outcome of a judicial settlement conference between the trust that runs the secretive…NZ Herald – Gloriavale court action brought by ex-member John Ready reaches settlement
: By Kurt Bayer – NZ Herald – 10/06/2021 The parties to the High Court proceedings brought by former Gloriavale member John Ready against the Christian Community Charitable Trust and others have reached a settlement. The Public Trust was last month invited to join a judicial settlement conference in Greymouth “at…
Stuff – Gloriavale company director says policing payment of honey factory workers is not his responsibility
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 30/05/2021 A West Coast businessman running a honey company owned by the Gloriavale Christian Community says payment of honey factory workers is none of his business. But moves to enact anti-slavery legislation to prevent forced labour and worker exploitation could mean companies, especially if…
NZ Herald – A Moment In Crime: Gloriavale – smocks, secrecy and sex offenders
: By Anna Leask – NZ Herald – 25/05/2021 In the late 1960s, an Australian preacher made his way to New Zealand. He had a vision to set up a Christian community where everyone shared everything and cared for everyone – where they shunned the “ungodliness” of the modern world and…Stuff – Gloriavale leavers ‘incensed’ by leaders’ claims about freedoms at religious community
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 20/05/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Former Gloriavale members say claims made by leaders in documents just released by the High Court do not reflect their experience of life inside the secluded West Coast community. Some former Gloriavale members have asked the…
TVNZ 1 News – Statement of claim made public for first time as civil case taken against Gloriavale
: By Ryan Boswell – 1News – 19/05/2021 A document at the heart of the secretive community of Gloriavale is now at the centre of a legal stoush. Former Gloriavale member John Ready and another plaintiff, whose named is suppressed, have filed civil proceedings at the High Court in Greymouth. The…
RNZ / Newshub – Former Gloriavale members push for community’s leaders to be removed and replaced
: By Tim Brown – RNZ 19/05/2021 Former Gloriavale members want the church’s leadership removed and the Public Trust appointed in its place. John Ready and other unnamed plaintiffs are taking a civil suit against The Christian Church Community Trust, commonly known as Gloriavale, as well as trustees and shareholders associated…RNZ – Gloriavale documents give insight into community life
: By Tim Brown – RNZ (Radio New Zealand) – 19/05/2021 Recently released court documents provide a candid insight into life and religious beliefs at Gloriavale. John Ready and other unnamed plaintiffs are taking a civil suit against The Christian Church Community Trust, commonly known as Gloriavale, as well as trustees…
Stuff – The court battle between Gloriavale leavers and leaders revealed
: By Liz McDonald and Joanne Naish – Stuff – 19/05/2021 Gloriavale leaders are defending claims they have breached their duties to members of the Gloriavale community as they fight a landmark civil action taken out by former members. The plaintiffs have asked the High Court to give control of the…
NZ Herald – Gloriavale: Leadership denies breaching its duties to members, reveals remarkable insights into community
: By Kurt Bayer – NZ Herald – 19/05/2021 The infamous Gloriavale document where newcomers sign their lives over to the secretive religious sect has been revealed as a key part of a potentially-landmark legal action against the Christian community’s leadership. The original document, “A Declaration of Commitment to Jesus Christ…
Stuff – YouTuber’s weekend in Gloriavale surpassed his ‘wildest imagination’
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 18/05/2021 [Video can be viewed in article] A YouTuber who spent a weekend at the isolated West Coast religious community of Gloriavale says the experience surpassed his “wildest imagination”. Caleb Jack, an online “content creator” and camera operator, said he was intrigued by the…Stuff – Former Gloriavale man pleads guilty to indecent assault of boys
: By Joanne Naish – Stuff – 12/05/2021 A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to doing an indecent act on three boys at the Gloriavale Christian Community. A police inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse at the West Coast community has been under way since July. Police, supported by Oranga…Stuff – 2002: A visit to Gloriavale
: Keith Matthews – Stuff – 11/05/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] “Quietly but steadily the walls of Gloriavale have grown in 11 years, transforming a remote cow paddock above Lake Haupiri into a modern three-storey complex that stands like a temple on the bottom slopes of the Southern…
RNZ – Gloriavale investigation interviews conclude, but ‘further enquiries to come’
: RNZ (Radio New Zealand) – 07/05/2021 Four days of interviews at Gloriavale by police and Oranga Tamariki have concluded, but there are further enquiries to come. The two agencies had been at the secluded West Coast community since Monday, as part of an investigation into the group. In a police…
RNZ – Oranga Tamariki and police presence at Gloriavale welcomed
: RNZ (Radio New Zealand) – 05/05/2021 [Audio in article link] A support group for people who choose to leave the Gloriavale Christian Community on the West Coast is relieved by the latest action by police and Oranga Tamariki. The two agencies have been at the West Coast community since Monday,…
Stuff – What now for Gloriavale Christian Community’s $41m business empire?
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 18/04/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Running an airline, farming close to 7000 cows and deer, oil and gas exploration, hosting wealthy Americans on hunting expeditions, and selling sphagnum moss to Disneyland. The Gloriavale Christian Community’s business empire has certainly been diverse,…
Stuff – Moo Chews ditches Gloriavale factory and seeks new manufacturer
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 12/04/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] The Gloriavale Christian Community has lost a contract to make Moo Chews snacks for children following questions about its employment practices. Moo Chews NZ announced on its Facebook page that it was looking for a new…
Stuff – Products made at Gloriavale keep their FernMark export licences for now
: By Amanda Cropp – Stuff – 24/03/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Two brands linked to the Gloriavale Christian Community have FernMark export licences but their government endorsement could be reviewed. The FernMark symbol, used to promote New Zealand products overseas, is issued by government agency NZ Story…
Stuff – Gloriavale leaver denies sexually abusing children
: By Joanne Holden – Stuff – 23/03/2021 A former Gloriavale resident has denied sexually abusing multiple children in the isolated Christian community as a youth. The man, who has interim name suppression, pleaded not guilty… Read more here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/124625983/gloriavale-leaver-denies-sexually-abusing-children…Grey Star – Gloriavale report awaited
: By Laura Mills – Grey Star – 22/03/2021 A new wide ranging independent report into Gloriavale is the community’s chance to save itself as the closeted Christian community comes under mounting pressure. Read more here: https://digital.greystar.co.nz/greymouth-star/march-22nd-2021/flipbook/0/ NOTE: Only those who have a subscription will be able to access this article.…
Newshub – Family leaves Gloriavale after being made to feel like ‘troublemakers’ for reporting attempted molestation of their sons
: By Michael Morrah – 22/03/2021 The Children’s Commissioner says he has “serious concerns” about the safety of the 400 children living at the Gloriavale Christian community on the West Coast. Last month Newshub reported claims that Gloriavale leaders repeatedly refused to involve police in allegations of child sex abuse. Now…
TVNZ 1 News – Former Gloriavale leader doubts unfettered investigation will spark change
: By Ryan Boswell | 1News | [Video can be viewed in article link] A Gloriavale leader forced out of the secretive West Coast community doubts an unfettered investigation will spark change. Secretive Gloriavale community opens its doors to independent inquiry after sexual abuse allegations. Following allegations of sexual abuse and…
TVNZ 1 News – Police have investigated physical and sexual abuse allegations at Gloriavale 17 times
: By Ryan Boswell – 1 News – 22/03/20201 [Video can be viewed in article link] There have been 17 police investigations into physical and sexual abuse at Gloriavale since it was founded in 1969. Figures released to 1 NEWS under the Official Information Act show the first offence is alleged…
Stuff – Moo Chews kids’ snack pulled after link with Gloriavale revealed
: By Amanda Cropp – 20/03/2021 Moo Chews kids snacks made by the Gloriavale Christian Community have been dropped by two distributors because of “reputational” issues. The Moo Chews website listed more than 100 stockists nationally for the milk bites which are marketed as a health treat for children, but two…
Stuff – Gloriavale: The daily life, the dark side and uncertain future explained
: By Amy Wright – 20/03/2021 EXPLAINER: A closed religious group has been thriving since the 1960s, despite many controversies and the death of its founder. As unhappy members leave, and scrutiny from the outside world intensifies, Amy Wright takes a closer look at Gloriavale. Virginia Courage had a wonderful childhood.…Stuff – Lawyers heading south for Gloriavale, the Christian community already under double-investigation
: By Tom Hunt – Stuff – 04/03/2021 [Video can be viewed in article link] Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said on Thursday she had received a commitment from the Royal Commission into abuse and faith-based care that it was sending lawyers to Canterbury in April to talk to…Stuff – Gloriavale trust’s assets and profits up on last year
: By Joanne Naish, Stuff – 03/03/2021 Gloriavale has reported a profit of almost $2.8 million and assets of $41m in its annual return to Charities Services. Gloriavale is a religious community based at Lake Haupiri on the West Coast. It has come under fire in recent years from former members…
Janja Lalich: how normal people end up in cults like NXIVM
: Saturday Morning | RNZ | It’s a myth that only “stupid weird crazy people” get tied up with cults, says cult expert Dr Janja Lalich. Idealism is what these people have in common, she tells Kim Hill. Dr Lalich knows from experience. In the ’70s and ’80s, she herself was a…
NZ Herald (Premium) – Connie’s story: Gloriavale leaver who reported father to police opens home to him
: By Alana Eriksen, NZ Herald – 20/02/2021 [NZ Herald Premium – pay to view content] She escaped from Gloriavale and told police of the years of physical abuse she and her younger sister endured at the hands of their father. But when it was his time to get out, she….…
Gloriavale mum of 13 Sharon Ready makes new life as teacher in Greymouth after 50 years: NZ Herald
: By Alanah Eriksen | NZ Herald | After 50 years inside Gloriavale, one of the community’s longest-serving members has her first job on the outside and is attempting to remove the leadership while still living within the compound. At age 64, mother of 13 Sharon Ready has challenged the norm…
Stuff – Trio charged as investigation into alleged child abuse at Gloriavale continues
: By Joanne Naish 12/02/2021 Two men and one boy have been charged as a result of an ongoing police investigation into child abuse at the Gloriavale Christian Community. A police inquiry into allegations of abuse at the West Coast community has been under way since July. Police, supported by Oranga…
Stuff – Lawyer says legal proceedings seek to change culture that ‘breeds sexual predators’ at Gloriavale
: A lawyer representing a former Gloriavale member in a civil case against the West Coast Christian community has said the proceedings are aimed at changing a culture where people are subjected to “slave labour” and sexual predators and victims are bred. Brian Henry made the comments during a procedural hearing…
ODT – Former Gloriavale member launches civil court action against leadership trust
: A former Gloriavale member who has launched a potentially landmark legal case to try and remove the leadership of the West Coast religious commune has got his first day in court today. Ex-member John Ready, who was banished from Gloriavale more than three years ago and who still has family…
Stuff – ‘It could have killed me’: Gloriavale leaver struck by tree branch is struggling to support large family
: By Joanne Holden – 02/02/2021 [Video from RNZ can be viewed in article link] A former Gloriavale man working to support his pregnant wife and 12 children after the family was pushed out of the isolated community about four months ago, suffered a setback when a tree branch crushed his…
NZ Herald (Premium) – Former Gloriavale Member: ‘Sex was talked about at every meal’
: By Kurt Bayer – 23/12/2020 NZHerald Premium – Full content can be viewed through paid NZHerald Premium GRAPHIC WARNING: SOME CONTENT MAY OFFEND Linda Feary was a lost solo mum when she found salvation in the form of the Gloriavale religious community in 1975. But through the 1980s, she claims…
Teaching Council investigates former Gloriavale school principal: RNZ
: Radio New Zealand The Teaching Council is investigating a former school principal at Gloriavale after allegations were made that he failed to keep children safe. The Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust complained about Faithful Pilgrim to the council in August. Trust spokesperson Liz Gregory said Faithful Pilgrim knew of offending by…Gloriavale school not a ‘physically and emotionally safe place’ for students: Stuff
: By Joanne Naish | Stuff | The Education Review Office (ERO) has criticised the school at Gloriavale Christian Community for not providing a physically and emotionally safe place for students. A report, written in June but released more recently, said inspectors found the West Coast school did not have regularly…
Gloriavale principal stood down, investigation into claims he failed to keep children safe from abuse: NZ Herald
: NZ Herald The principal of Gloriavale school has been stood down while the New Zealand Teaching Council investigates claims he failed to keep children safe from abuse by staff and other pupils. Faithful Pilgrim did not secure the safety and wellbeing of learners, the Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust said in…
NZ Herald – Former Gloriavale member Peter Faithful found after going missing for a week
: By Kurt Bayer – 21/12/2020 An ex-Gloriavale member reported missing by a leavers support group has been found safe after a week-long disappearance. Peter Faithful lived at the remote religious community of Gloriavale on the West Coast for over 40 years. Read more here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/former-gloriavale-member-peter-faithful-found-after-going-missing-for-a-week/ILZJ2AK5PQOTNUMSPIA4ROITMU/…
NZ Teaching Council investigating Gloriavale principal over concerns he failed to ensure safety of children: Stuff
: By Steven Walton and Jonny Edwards | Stuff | The New Zealand Teaching Council is investigating Gloriavale’s former school principal Faithful Pilgrim after receiving allegations he failed to keep pupils safe. Pilgrim has stood down from his position over claims he had failed to act over a teacher abusing a…
Gloriavale principal didn’t remove teacher despite sexual offending claims, NZ Teaching Council investigating: Newshub
: By Michael Morrah | Newshub | [Video can be viewed in article link]. The New Zealand Teaching Council is investigating the principal at Gloriavale over allegations he failed to keep students safe. A teacher at the school was convicted of sexual offending against a nine-year-old girl last year. He wasn’t…Stuff – Concerns mount for ex-Gloriavale man missing since Saturday
: By Amber Allott – 17/12/2020 Concerns are mounting for a former Gloriavale resident of more than 40 years who has been missing for five days. Peter Faithful, 62, has been missing from his home in the Christchurch suburb of Bishopdale since Saturday morning. The family had serious concerns about his…
Stuff – Gloriavale accused of exploiting workers; MBIE says it can’t intervene
: By Joanne Naish – 14/11/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Virginia Courage left school at 15 and, for 25 years, worked long hours in commercial-scale kitchens, laundries and child care centres. She started at 6am and finished as late as 8pm, cooking or cleaning for 600 people. She…
Stuff – Serious incidents at Gloriavale reported to WorkSafe; no action taken
: By Joanne Naish – 09/11/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Gloriavale workers have suffered lost fingers, falls, chemical burns and been overcome with toxic fumes in a series of incidents since 2016. However, the Government’s workplace safety watchdog ruled the incidents did not meet the “minimum threshold for…
Stuff – Current and former Gloriavale members asked to contact court-appointed lawyers
: By Joanne Naish – 28/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. The High Court has appointed lawyers to hear the stories of former and current Gloriavale members after an ex-resident launched civil proceedings against the community’s leaders. About 180 people have left the West Coast Christian community in recent…
More FM – Lana has a fascinating chat with an ex-Gloriavale member
: More FM The Breakfast Club – 20/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Lana sat down with Hannah, a 25 year old girl who left Gloriavale 5 years ago along with her family, for a fascinating chat. Check out the eye opening interview. Watch here: https://www.morefm.co.nz/home/shows/the-breakfast-club/2020/10/lana-has-a-fascinating-chat-with-an-ex-gloriavale-member.html?fbclid=IwAR238q-7xnUyz0TI48lRK6SoJLLWOfhjkTEpvphHPVLiNfoPeIYF3pWeSJ0…
Stuff – The fine line between a genuine volunteer and exploitation
: Susan Hornsby-Geluk – 14 /10/2020 OPINION: Volunteers are the lifeblood of communities, but there can be a fine line between genuine volunteers and the exploitation of vulnerable people. This has been highlighted by the recent controversy surrounding the isolated West Coast Christian community, Gloriavale. Members who have fled from the…
Monday Night Live – Unmasking the Gloriavale Cult – Liz Gregory
Brendan Malone – Monday Night Live – 12/10/2020 Join me for my conversation with Liz Gregory, Manager of the Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust. We’ll be talking about the hardships endured by those living inside the Gloriavale commune, why she considers it to be a cult, and what she and herRNZ – Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust want urgent action from govt
: Sally Murphy – 07/10/2020 [Audio can be accessed through link]. Former members of the Gloriavale community made themselves heard outside yesterday’s leaders debate, manager of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust, Liz Gregory urging the government to launch an inquiry into the secretive religious group. They’re frustrated by what that say…
Chris Lynch Media – Ex-Gloriavale members to hold protest outside James Hay Theatre
: Chris Lynch Media – 06/10/2020 Former Gloriavale members will hold a demonstration outside the James Hay Theatre tonight which is the venue of the Leader’s debate between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins. They’re calling on Ardern to announce an immediate wide-ranging inquiry into Gloriavale amidst “concerns of modern-day slavery, exploitation,…
RNZ – Gloriavale leavers petition government, plan to protest
: By Sally Murphy – 06/10/2020 There are growing calls for a wide-ranging government inquiry into the West Coast Christian community Gloriavale. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust has started a petition this week urging the government to take action. They’re also protesting outside The Press’ Leaders Debate in Christchurch tonight. They…
Stuff – Gloriavale leavers launch petition and protests to get Government inquiry
: By: Joanne Carroll and Jonathan Guildford – 06/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A father of 10 who fled Gloriavale two years ago says the Government needs to launch a full independent inquiry into the community that is putting its members into “slavery”. Isaac Pilgrim, 39, was born…
RNZ – ‘These people are voiceless, we’re here to be a voice’ – ex-Gloriavale member urges inquiry
: Radio New Zealand – 06/10/2020 [Video and Audio can be accessed in article link]. Former Gloriavale members are picketing the Election 2020 leaders debate in Christchurch, urging the prime minister to launch an inquiry into the secretive religious sect on the South Island’s West Coast. They say they are frustrated…
NZ Herald – Election 2020: Ex-Gloriavale residents to protest outside leaders’ debate
: By Laura Mills – 06/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust is planning a demonstration outside The Press Election Debate in Christchurch on Tuesday night, again aimed at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The trust, made up of ex-Gloriavale residents and their supporters, is calling…
TVNZ 1 News – Former Gloriavale members want larger inquiry into sexual abuse allegations
: 1 News – 05/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Former members say sexual abuse is rife at the controversial Christian community of Gloriavale. It comes as sexual abuse charges have been laid, but the victims say much of it gets ignored. “I’ll be careful what I say here…TVNZ 1 News – Former Gloriavale residents describe exhausting work conditions
: 1 News – 04/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Former Gloriavale residents have described exhausting work conditions at the isolated community, as the Government encourages others to come forward with any complaints. It comes after a recent WorkSafe investigation found no evidence of mismanagement at the site. But…
Stuff – Second senior member leaves secretive sect Gloriavale over management concerns
: By Sam Sherwood and Joanne Carroll – 02/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A second senior member of secretive religious sect Gloriavale has left the community over concerns with how it is being run. Selwyn Love, the father of Dove Love who appeared in the TVNZ documentary on…NZ Herald – Gloriavale: WorkSafe tells controversial Christian community to make workplace changes
: By Cherie Howie – 02/10/2020 WorkSafe have told Gloriavale to improve work practices, but found no evidence to support allegations the religious community isn’t managing the risk of fatigue in the workplace. The site visit follows reports of 23-hour work shifts for members, and threats by church leaders. Read more…Stuff – No action to be taken against Gloriavale by Labour Inspectorate as workers deemed volunteers
: By Michael Haywood – 01/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. The Labour Inspectorate will not take action against the Gloriavale Christian Community. The inspectorate and WorkSafe visited the isolated community on the West Coast of the South Island this week over claims some members had been forced to…
Newshub – Andrew Little orders major review into Gloriavale practices after seeing critical 2017 report
: By Michael Morrah – 01/10/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A major review into practices at the Gloriavale religious community has been ordered by the Minister of Workplace Relations. A Government report, obtained by Newshub under the Official Information Act, talks of “oppressive psychological practices”, possible exploitation and…Stuff – WorkSafe and Labour Inspectorate visit Gloriavale over illegal work claims
: By Joanne Carroll – 28/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. WorkSafe and Labour Inspectorate officials have visited Gloriavale Christian Community over claims some members were forced to work more than 20 hours a day. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Andrew Little asked officials to visit Gloriavale on the…
Newshub – Police, WorkSafe, Labour Inspectorate visit Gloriavale after allegations of controlling behaviour, worker exploitation
: Michael Morrah – 28/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Police, WorkSafe and the Labour Inspectorate have all visited Gloriavale after a Newshub investigation uncovered claims of controlling behaviour by leaders and the exploitation of workers. Newshub can reveal Justice Minister Andrew Little has instructed the Labour Inspectorate to…
Newshub – Gloriavale accused of targeting members who spoke out against controlling leadership
: By Michael Morrah – 27/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. Newshub has learned the current Gloriavale members who spoke to Newshub about the controlling nature of their leaders have been targeted for speaking to us. A human rights advocate says one of the men was made to meet…
Newshub – Top lawyer compares Gloriavale’s leadership to Islamic State
: By Michael Morrah – 26/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. A top Auckland lawyer has likened Gloriavale’s leadership to the terrorist organisation, Islamic State [IS]. That might sound like an extreme comparison, but he’s referring to the control leaders have over the flock. Dennis Gates has been investigating…
Newshub – Worksafe inspectors look into Gloriavale over current members’ claims of punishing work hours
: By Michael Morrah – 25/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. It follows Newshub’s story on Thursday night, where two current members revealed their punishing work hours and controlling and threatening behaviour from their leaders. The two men risked everything to reveal what they say is the reality of…WorkSafe inspectors heading to Gloriavale after claims of 20-hour work days
: Stuff – 25/09/2020 WorkSafe is sending inspectors to the Gloriavale Christian community to look into claims some members were forced to work more than 20 hours a day. Newshub reported on Thursday that two community members had spoken out about incredibly long work days, demanded by “controlling” community leaders known…
Gloriavale leavers tell their story in Tauranga
: By Emma Houpt – 25/09/2020 “Am I just going to allow my authenticity, my uniqueness and my power as a woman to be slowly eroded, or am I going to do the most terrifying thing and leave Gloriavale to find myself?” That was the question Constance Ready asked herself just…
Current Gloriavale members sneak out to openly criticise leaders
: By Michael Morrah – 24/09/2020 [Video can be viewed in article link]. For the first time ever, members of Gloriavale walked out in secret to raise serious allegations of control, long work hours and mental abuse. “I feel this is my way of helping that change. Not to destroy people’s…
The AM Show with Duncan Garner talking about the legal proceedings that John Ready is taking against Gloriavale.
: AM Show with Duncan Garner – 24/09/2020 Video link to Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust Facebook page where this video is recorded. The AM Show with Duncan Garner talking about the legal proceedings that John Ready is taking against Gloriavale. View here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=636254033705829…
