Leaving Gloriavale
The Gloriavale Christian community is an isolated religious group based on the West Coast, about 80 km from Greymouth. There are currently over 600 people living there, and many of whom were born there and have never known life on the outside.
Words: Gilly Oppenheim Photography: Supplied
The Gloriavale Christian community is an isolated religious group based on the West Coast, about 80 km from Greymouth.There are currently over 600 people living there, many of whom were born there and have never known life on the outside.
The group was founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper, later renamed Hopeful Christian. In the early years they were known as the Cooperites and lived on a farm at Springbank in Canterbury. Neville had a dream that the Bible should be lived out practically and that the principles of sharing and holding all things in common were important. In the early days new members were required to share their worldly goods and all money was held in a common financial purse. All incomes went into a common kitty, which was distributed equally according to the size of the family. However these days, the members do not have any of their own money.
No one gets paid at Gloriavale, and they sign a vow promising that if they should ever leave, they will do so without expecting any financial help.
Most of the community members do not realise they are receiving Working for Families Tax credits, or that income is allocated into their account and then withdrawn for the use of the community. The community has had various successful business interests over the years, including dairying, charter flights, collecting sphagnum moss, honey production, deer farms and hunting ventures and more.
The families are large, because birth control is not allowed! The community runs a private school and four Government-funded day care centres for the many children. Their education is aimed at those studies which will help the community – so trades for men and a more basic education for women. The women spend their lives in traditional domestic roles or childcare. Some women will do distance learning to get their Early Childhood Training and some men are allowed to do Trade courses in Greymouth.
All mealtimes are communal and the community runs on a strict timetable where no-one gets much free time. Everyone lives in hostels, which are set up with a large circulation space and family bedrooms all coming off this area. The bathroom facilities are shared with other families on the same hostel floor. Marriages are arranged by the leaders and the couples are usually very young and produce large families.
Gloriavale is well known for its trademark long blue dresses and head scarves for women. They are not allowed to roll up their sleeves, men must have their top button done up and definitely no hands in pockets. The community runs an amazing concert every two years, including a three course meal, as a way of spreading the word about their life. Outsiders can attend this event.
However, over the years the community has become stricter and stricter, as they feel the world is encroaching on them. They despise vanity, competition and any disobedience. Hence some members are rebelling against the myriad of rules and regulations, some are doubting what they have been told their whole lives, and some don’t feel it’s a healthy place for their families. There are recent cases of men who have been excommunicated, and whose wives and children are still inside. Many wives choose to stay, because they are fearful of sending themselves and their families to hell and/or being separated from their own parents. The leavers say that it is a regime run by fear, but for the majority of people living in Gloriavale, this is all they have ever known. Their leaders exert absolute authority over every aspect of their lives and they are taught that they couldn’t survive in the evil outside world if they did choose to leave.
Enter Liz Gregory, who founded The Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust, which has been set up to help those who have chosen to leave Gloriavale. Liz and the Trust also work closely with people who are offering love and support to leavers in other regions. It’s a great example of teamwork.
About seven years ago, a young ex-Gloriavale family visited her church one Sunday. Bronwyn and René Kempf and other church members realised this family needed love and support and took them under their wing. From there it has escalated with more church members, other leavers and supporters coming on board. All together nearly 150 people have left Gloriavale over the past seven years and over half have permanently established themselves in the South Canterbury region. This has been a daunting task, because most of those who have left, come out with little more than the clothes on their backs, possibly some bedding and no money.
Liz and her husband Graham have taken six families into their home for 4-6 weeks at a time to help them settle in the outside world. With help from lots of others and a very supportive church community, families have been clothed and houses furnished for them. The cost of settling one family is upwards of $50,000. A lot of furniture, clothing and toys have been kindly donated by the local community and churches, but there is still a shortfall of approximately $5,000-10,000 per family. This money is needed for bond and rent payments, insurance, vehicles (often vans for their large families), petrol, as well as money to get school uniforms and school supplies, food for their cupboards and personal items. Being a registered charity has given the Trust the opportunity to apply for funding grants from other groups, organisations and individuals. The Mid & South Canterbury Trust, the NZ Charitable Foundation and the AD Hally Trust have all been generous donors, as well as individuals.
The leavers have been blown away by the generosity of the local South Canterbury community. As Liz said, “When they come out here and experience kindness, it is a real challenge to their whole belief system. For families leaving, it is a big decision and I know it impacts them, because they’ve got loved ones inside and family they might never see again for a long time. People underestimate how overwhelming it can be”. As one leaver said, ”Life outside Gloriavale is a completely different world. After living your whole life learning not to make decisions and then once outside you have to make decisions about everything – decisions for yourself, decisions regarding your finances, your family, moral issues – even make decisions down to things like the way you dress”. Choosing to leave the community is a huge leap of faith. “The best way I can sum it up is what it is like to have freedom. To be able to do things without having to worry what other people will think or worry all the time about getting into trouble … it is just a different world”.
The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust has set up a Facebook Page, and they regularly speak to local community groups to help raise awareness and funds.