NZ Herald – Employment Court grants another group of ex-Gloriavale members urgent hearing

March 28, 2022: 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’?

March 13, 2022: 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

March 12, 2022: 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 – Gloriavale leader captured on secret recording telling senior member to say he is ‘nothing’ and ‘nobody’

March 7, 2022: 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

March 3, 2022: 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…

1 News – Gloriavale member tells court wages donated back to trust

March 1, 2022: 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…