Posts Tagged ‘Gloriavale’

Gloriavale’s banned books list revealed

Monday, November 11th, 2024

Gloriavale families have been cautioned against reading a range of popular books. Fairy tales, books that celebrate Christmas and children’s stories depicting animals dressed in clothes, were all among those cautioned against, by a senior leader checking the community’s reading material. In an email sent to members last month and obtained by RNZ, Servant Peter Read more

Major Gloriavale investigation finds 138 potential abuse victims, dozens of suspected offenders

Monday, December 4th, 2023

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 the West Coast fundamentalist Christian community. Read more

Crown knew details of Hopeful Christian’s crimes in mid-90s – lawyer

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

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 six former Gloriavale women describe how Christian was said to have Read more

Gloriavale leaders give community members option to have Covid-19 vaccine

Monday, October 4th, 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 babies are not given vaccines. The community has a population of about Read more

Serious incidents at Gloriavale reported to WorkSafe; no action taken

Thursday, November 12th, 2020

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 formal investigation.” It comes after reports some members of the West Coast Christian community were forced to Read more

Royal commission gathering evidence relating to Gloriavale

Thursday, August 27th, 2020
gloriavale

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care recently announced it will investigate The Catholic and Anglican churches. It is also going to be carrying out a separate inquiry into Marylands a residential school for boys, many with learning disabilities. But other investigations into faith-based institutions are also going to be set up, as Read more

Concerns raised about Gloriavale complying with lockdown

Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

Concerns have been mounting that members of the Gloriavale Christian community are not adhering to the nationwide lockdown. Those close to the exclusive, controlling Christian community 67km east of Greymouth told the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust the rules were being ignored. Police said they were working with the Gloriavale community to make sure its members Read more

Trust established to support former Gloriavale members

Thursday, July 25th, 2019

During the past six years about 70 former members of the Gloriavale community based at Haupiri, on the West Coast of the South Island, have resettled in South Canterbury, Liz Gregory says it’s now time to set up a trust to help support those who had made the “massive” decision to leave the community of Read more

Gloriavale applies for Provincial Growth Fund grant

Thursday, August 2nd, 2018
provincial growth fund

The Gloriavale community is applying for a grant from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund to set up a new health food enterprise on the West Coast. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says he didn’t expect communes to put in for a share of the provincial growth fund but Gloriavale’s application has shown anyone can Read more

The life and death of Gloriavale’s Hopeful Christian

Thursday, May 17th, 2018
hopeful christian

Gloriavale founder, Neville Cooper, know as Hopeful Christian, died on Tuesday at his community on the South Island’s West Coast. He had been suffering from cancer. Cooper’s funeral took place on Wednesday, but outsiders were not allowed to attend. They were able to email condolence messages to the community. Two cars blocked the entrance to the Read more