Gloriavale Christian Community

Coordinates: 42°36′13″S 171°42′1.7″E / 42.60361°S 171.700472°E / -42.60361; 171.700472

Gloriavale Christian Community is a small Christian group based at Haupiri on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.

History

The group was founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper (Hopeful Christian), an Australian-born evangelist who was invited to preach in New Zealand. He founded what became known as the Springbank Christian Community near Christchurch in the South Island. When this community grew too big for its property, the members bought land on the West Coast and shifted there over a period from 1991 to 1995. They named their new property in the Haupiri Valley "Gloriavale" and established the Gloriavale Christian Community. This property is about 60 km inland from Greymouth.

In 1994 Cooper was jailed for five years for sexual assault on several young girls, boys and women.^[1] He was released after 18 months due to good behaviour.

Overview

Known by some outsiders as the "Cooperites", the group rejects this name and members refer to themselves only as Christians. Members of the community live a fundamentalist Christian life in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament. The community attempts to uphold the example of the first Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41-47) for its principles of sharing and holding all things in common. The group teaches that the only true way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the commands of God.^[2] The group holds very strict conservative moral values, with emphasis on sexual purity, honesty, exercising faith in God, living a life free from sin, and trusting God for necessities. Children within the group are brought up believing that the outside world is evil and that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. The group does not borrow money, nor invest money on interest. Women wear blue dresses and head coverings, and men wear dark blue trousers, pale blue shirts and black ties. Both men and women may marry as teenagers, and very large families are the norm. Members are totally opposed to birth control and abortion. Members of the Springbank Christian Community pioneered the home birth movement in New Zealand and this tradition of home births continues at Gloriavale, where most women give birth to their children at home. Hospital births do occur when necessary. Community-funded IVF is also used when couples find themselves unable to conceive naturally.

There are about 420 members, more than half of whom are children. Most of the children choose to take their place in the community when they mature. Those who do not choose to stay are shunned and considered dead. Training is available for young men to enter trade apprenticeships in a wide range of jobs, while young women may take a role in office administration, teaching, sewing or running the household. The woman's role in the community is greatly valued by the men, who are the traditional income earners of the family.

The community earns its income from several ventures including dairying, deer farming, the manufacture of gardening products made from sphagnum moss, the rendering of cervine offal to make meat meal for pets, and the servicing of light aircraft and helicopters. Community members are well known in the local area for supporting West Coast businesses and providing entertainment in the nearby towns.

Education

The community runs Gloriavale Christian Community School, a private coeducational composite (years 1-15) school with a roll of 127.^[3] The school moved to the West Coast in 1990.^[4] The school and the community's three early childhood centres are all staffed by qualified teachers from the community. In December 2009, five residential teaching positions were advertised for the school, applicants being required to live and participate in the community. The advertisement gave no indication as to how the vacancies for these positions occurred.^[5]

Public relations

Contrary to local myths and reports in the media, the community is not entirely secluded and closed to the public. Thousands of people are invited there every two years for a series of evening concerts in which community members entertain the public and share with them some of the blessings they have received through their faith. Members of the public, including groups from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, are also invited to visit and see the community life at other times.

The community shuns former members who have left, and cuts off contact with their families. However, former members are given financial aid and care to help them establish themselves outside the community. Nobody is forced to stay in the community.

References

1. ^ The Press Christchurch, November 28, 1996
2. ^ What We Believe, Springbank, First Edition, The Eighth Month, 1989 (The book, researched and written by the group, sets out the way its members should live, what they should believe, and how they should behave. The book is never taken to replace the authority of the Bible, but is considered only to be guide to doctrines and beliefs.)
3. ^ "Te Kete Ipurangi - Gloriavale Christian Community School". Ministry of Education. http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1587. 
4. ^ "Private School Review Report: Gloriavale Christian Community School". Education Review Office. November 2004. http://www.ero.govt.nz/ero\reppub.nsf/Institution/5F1D8A54CE00A624CC256F69000F1D41/$File/1587.htm. 
5. ^ NZ Education Gazette, 7 December 2009, p.46

Further reading

• Beale, Fleur (2009). Sins of the father : the long shadow of a religious cult. Dunedin: Longacre Press. ISBN 9781877460302. http://www.longacre.co.nz/books/SinsFather.html. 

External links

• The Gloriavale Christian Community
• Discoveries in Gardening / Lakeview Moss Ltd
• Pure Vitality / Deer Velvet Antler Products
• Cults.co.nz listing
• Sensible Sentencing NZ - Neville Cooper (Hopeful Christian)
• Interview with Janet McIntyre, presenter of the Sunday: Gloriavale - Inside the secret religious sect programme
• Zoomin map location
• Father tells of rescuing kids from West Coast cult
• Dad reaches out to sect child
• Shops pressured to remove cult book
• West Coast Christians in search for gas