Gloriavale Christian Community

The group was founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper (aka "Hopeful Christian"), an Australian-born preacher who was invited to New Zealand,[4] having earlier (as a member of the Voice of Deliverance Evangelist Mission) survived a near fatal 1965 plane crash in south-east Queensland.[5]

Cooper founded what became known as the Springbank Christian Community near Christchurch, moving to a larger property on the West Coast of New Zealand between 1991-1995 when the community grew too large for its existing home. This new settlement, located in the Haupiri Valley was named "Gloriavale", and established the existing Gloriavale Christian Community, roughly 60 kilometres (37 mi) inland from Greymouth.[6][7]

Known by some outsiders as the "Cooperites" after their leader Neville Cooper, the group rejects this name and members refer to themselves only as Christians.[8] Members of the community live a fundamentalist Christian life in accordance with their interpretation of 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.[9]

The community earns its income from several ventures including dairying, deer and sheep farms. The community also earns income from the manufacture of gardening products made from sphagnum moss, as well as formerly running scenic and charter flights from Greymouth[10] through their company Air West Coast.[11]

The community runs Gloriavale Christian School, a private coeducational composite (years 1–13) school with a roll of 200.[12] The school moved to the West Coast in 1990.[13]

Statistics New Zealand designates Gloriavale as a rural settlement, covering 20.73 km² (8.00 sq mi) around the community.[14]

The Gloriavale settlement had a usual resident population of 609 people at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 114 people (23.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 249 people (69.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 285 males and 324 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.88 males per female. Of the total population, 366 people (60.1%) were aged up to 15 years, 120 (19.7%) were 15 to 29, 108 (17.7%) were 30 to 64, and 18 (3.0%) were 65 or older.[15]

In terms of ethnicity, 100.0% of the population identified as European (Pākehā), 3.4% as Māori, and 0.5% as Pacific peoples (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).[15]

Former Gloriavale members protesting at The Press leaders' debate in October 2020

In 1995, Neville Cooper was jailed for almost a year on sexual abuse charges. He was convicted based on the testimonies of his son and a young woman who had fled the compound.[16] Cooper later changed his name to Hopeful Christian.[17] Cooper died of cancer on 15 May 2018, aged 92.[2]

Those who leave the community are sometimes shunned and denied contact with family members who have not left Gloriavale; because most residents in Gloriavale are born into the community, this can often comprise a person's entire family.[18] The Apologetics Index, a Christian cult-watching organisation, refers to Gloriavale as a "cult, both theologically and sociologically", stating that "theologically, this group is a cult of Christianity, as its theology - as well as its practices based on that theology - places it well outside the boundaries of the Christian faith."[19] A wide-ranging government investigation into the community began in 2015, leading to a number of charges. A police investigation is still ongoing, with no charges yet brought against Gloriavale or members of its community.[20]

In 2016, a three-part documentary on TVNZ 2 extensively covered the community, with the documentary team being given unprecedented access to the community.[21][22] The series is available online within New Zealand.[23] An additional set of 8 mini-episodes, titled Gloriavale: The Return was released in 2018.[24] Television channels made additional films about the cult community in 2017 and 2018.[25]

In 2017, Lilia Tarawa, the granddaughter of Gloriavale's founder, spoke at a TEDx Christchurch conference on her experiences as a member of the community and during the conference, she detailed how she had grown up within it.[26] Tarawa described abusive practices as part of daily life for members of Gloriavale, including beatings, forced marriages, and psychological control, leading some of Gloriavale's members - including some of Tarawa's siblings - to run away and escape from it if they could. The video of Tarawa's talk became widely popular online following its upload to YouTube.[27] Stories of child abuse, rape, and other forms of cruelty and subjugation also emerged from other former members.[28]

News of controversial practices in the community led to the police making daily checks on the community in 2018.[29]

On 29 March 2020, it was reported that members of the Gloriavale community were failing to comply with lockdown procedures amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, with reports that childcare at community-run daycare centres, lessons at community-run schools, and meetings were all continuing despite social distancing measures.[30] Police forces within the area later confirmed that they were working with Gloriavale in order to ensure that members of its community abided by lockdown restrictions.

In late September 2020, WorkSafe New Zealand dispatched inspectors to Gloriavale to investigate claims that some members had been forced to work for more than 20 hours a day.[31] The news company Newshub also reported that current Gloriavale members had been targeted by the sect's leadership for speaking to the media.[32] As a result of the Newshub investigation, Justice Minister Andrew Little had ordered the Police, WorkSafe and the Labour Inspectorate to launch a second investigation into allegations of "controlling behaviour" and labour exploitation at Gloriavale.[33]

On 1 October Little, in his capacity as Minister of Workplace Relations, ordered a major review into practices at Gloriavale after Newshub obtained a government report from July 2017 reporting "oppressive psychological practices", possible exploitation, bullying, manipulation and coercion within the community.[34] On 2 October, WorkSafe instructed Gloriavale's leadership to improve their work practices but found no evidence to suggest that the religious community was not managing the risk of workplace fatigue. WorkSafe had conducted a workplace assessment on Monday where a team of four inspectors assessed Gloriavale, four subsidiary companies, and 13 workers. [35]

• Beale, Fleur (2009). Sins of the Father: The Long Shadow of a Religious Cult. Dunedin. ISBN 978-1-877460-30-2.
• Lilia Tarawa (2017) Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult
• Tarawa, Lilia (16 November 2017). "I grew up in a cult. It was heaven -- and hell" (YouTube Video). TEDxTalks (Christchurch).

• Gloriavale Christian Community
• "Father tells of rescuing kids from West Coast cult" – NZ Herald
• "Dad reaches out to sect child" – NZ Herald