Gloriavale leavers: ‘We never thought of a life after’

November 14, 2019: By: Mariné Lourens – 14/11/2019 (Video can be viewed in article link). When Hannah Harrison and her family left Gloriavale in the dead of the night, the only possessions they took with them were a few pillows, blankets and photos that were too precious to leave behind. Her parents, James…

Gloriavale expands property portfolio with Lake Brunner Station purchase

October 4, 2019: By Laura Mills – 04/10/2019 (Video can be viewed from article link). The Gloriavale Christian Community is expanding into another large lakefront property on the West Coast. About 600 members live together on rural land the banks of Lake Haupiri, about 60km from Greymouth. The community operates as a charitable…

Gloriavale escapees open up about harrowing ordeal

August 27, 2019: By: Nicholas Pointon of RNZ – 27/08/2019 (Video can be viewed in article link). A family of nine that fled Gloriavale says the Christian community tried to separate their family to control them. Mr and Mrs Ben-Canaan, who only want to be known by their last names, were born and…

Family who fled Gloriavale desperate for work and place to live

August 26, 2019: By Nicholas Pointon – 26/08/2019 (Video can be viewed in article link). A family of nine are desperate for work and a place to live after fleeing the Gloriavale Christian Community. Mr and Mrs Ben-Canaan, who only want to be known by their last names, were born and raised in…

Former Gloriavale member convicted of child sex abuse

August 1, 2019: Kurt Bayer – 01/08/2019 [Video can be viewed in article link] A former senior member of Gloriavale Christian Community has been convicted of child sex abuse, the Herald can finally reveal following a long legal battle against court suppression orders. The man, who has permanent name suppression, pleaded guilty earlier…

Father of 15 speaks of new-found freedom after Gloriavale

July 27, 2019: By Rachael Comer – 27/07/2019 (Video can be viewed in article link). As James Harrison watched the Black Caps take on England in the Cricket World Cup final from the comfort of his armchair earlier this month, he was reminded of how far his life had come. The former Gloriavale…

Father of 15 speaks of new-found freedom after Gloriavale

July 27, 2019: By: Rachael Comer – 27/07/2019 (Video can be found in article link). Growing up in Gloriavale, the grandson of founder Hopeful Christian who died in 2018, Harrison said life had been controlled, busy and “if you went along with what they believed, life could be stress-free”. He, and his wife,…

Do people need to be saved from Gloriavale?

July 26, 2019: Lilia Tarawa Christchurch Girls’ High School interview Lilia Tarawa about her life in the Gloriavale cult founded by her grandfather, Neville Cooper. Watch: Do people need to be saved?…

More help for Gloriavale members who make ‘massive’ decision to leave

July 25, 2019: By Rachael Comer – 25/07/2019 (Videos can be viewed in article link). Former Gloriavale members will soon have support available in the form of a trust set up by a group of South Canterbury residents who have helped dozens of people that have left the secluded religious community. During the…

Starting a new life outside of Gloriavale

July 25, 2019: By: Stuff Reporter – 25/07/2019 (Video and Audio can be accessed in article link). Former Gloriavale members James Harrison, his wife and twelve children fled the secluded West Coast religious community with little more than $40 and a sewing machine between them. In an interview with RNZ, Harrison said the…