What we learned about Gloriavale over the past few weeks

Five weeks of evidence in the Employment Court regarding life at Gloriavale has pulled back the veil on life at the isolated West Coast community. Some paint a picture of a cult-like society where members are indoctrinated to submit to the leadership. Oth

Over the past five weeks, members of Gloriavale and those who have fled the secretive West Coast Christian community have told the Employment Court about their experiences living there – and there were often vast differences in their versions of life there.

The case is centred around six women – Virginia Courage, Pearl Valor, Serenity Pilgrim, Rose Standtrue, Anna Courage and Crystal Loyal – arguing they should have been recognised as employees, not volunteers, for the domestic work they did for years at the enclave.

The group said women in Gloriavale were made towork long hours in ‘‘slave-like’’ conditions from as young as 6 or 7, but others said theywere grateful to be looked after and cared for in the community.

Zion Pilgrim, a former senior leader who left the community in 2020, observed that the six women bringing the case spoke about their experiences in the community, while the witnesses for Gloriavale focussed on the changes that have been made over the past year or two.

‘‘They keep talking about how they are doing things now, but that doesn’t mean that what the plaintiffs are saying wasn’t their experience,’’ he said. ‘‘It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen at that time.’’

Here are some of the things we’ve learned over the past five weeks:

The Gloriavale hierarchy

A number of witnesses testified about the hierarchy in Gloriavale.

The community is led by Howard Temple, known as the Overseeing Shepherd, and Temple appoints shepherds and servants who carry out his instructions and teachings.

John Ready, who was expelled from the community in 2017, described Gloriavale as a society ‘‘with one dominant male ruling’’.

‘‘Those who do not submit or obey, or who challenge the Overseeing Shepherd or the shepherds and servants’ authority, are disciplined, often severely and callously,’’ Ready said. ‘‘The way the shepherds taught me throughout my life in the community was that the Overseeing Shepherdwas the right hand of God and I had to submit to him and his shepherds. The requirement to submit is to followwithout question what he and they instruct, to endure a life they choose for you.’’

Rachel Stedfast, who is the acting Gloriavale school principal, saidwomen chose to submit themselves to their husbands.

‘‘The Bible says the man is the head of the woman and the head of the man is Christ. Now there is an order and it is called God’s order,’’ she said.

‘‘True Christians know God’s order ... and children submit themselves to their parents.’’

While womenwere appointed as team leaders in the cleaning and cooking teams, theywere not allowed to occupy spiritual leadership roles in the community.

‘‘The spiritual side of the leadership canonly be by men, that’s according to God’s word,’’ said Stedfast.

She said this did not mean womenwere not allowed to disagree with men, but if she questioned anything about the teachings of the servants and shepherds, she had to ask her husband if what she was questioning was right rather than publicly saying she disagreed.

Work hours

The plaintiffs told the court how women in Gloriavale are made to work long hours, sometimes getting up as early as 3.30am to get breakfast started before working as late as 8.30pm to get all the cleaning and laundry done.

Women are divided into teams that are responsible for different domestic-type duties to support the 600-member community, the hearingwas told.

Rose Standtrue saidwhen she was 6 years old she had to do duty work from about 2pm up to 6pm after school. When she left school at the end of Year 9, she started working full-time.

Crystal Loyal said she was only 14 when she had to get up at 3.30am once aweek and 5am or 6am on the other mornings to prepare breakfast. ‘‘Six am is a sleep-in morning,’’ she said.

‘‘From an early age you just know that’s what’s going to happen, there is never any option,’’ she said.

When she was pregnant with her first baby,

Loyal said she had to work until she gave birth, and was then only given a week off to be with her baby.

After aweek, her son was placed in a childcare centre and she was given a radio on which she would be called to feed her baby.

‘‘I feel like they prioritise being at work over spending time with your children and the harder you work, the better you are normally treated.’’

Current Gloriavale members said the complainants exaggerated the long working hours and alleged harshworking conditions.

Compassion Standtrue said when she was in primary school, she only ‘‘helped out’’ by putting out toast for breakfast at 7am two mornings a week. When she started working full-time, shewouldwork from 5.30am three or four mornings a week and take breaks.

Joanna Courage said it was not true that all children were required to work from a very

Former senior leader

young age, but some younger childrenwanted to help out their mumswith duties.

‘‘The high school girls did not always have to stay late. Often the single girls would encourage them to go home, especially if theywere tired.’’

She said itwas not true that Gloriavale had a rule that you were not allowed to eat if you didn’t work, and also denied that you were forced to work when you were sick.

‘Inappropriate’ sexual behaviour

A number ofwitnesses told the court about inappropriate sexual behaviour by men living in Gloriavale.

Virginia Courage said inappropriate touching of women and children became part of the culture, with leaders telling women ‘‘I shall not fearwhat man does to me’’.

‘‘They demanded a cuddle… Any man could approach any girl or woman and inappropriately touch them,’’ she said.

Shepherds would tellmembers that, as Christians, there was nothing they could do to protect their wives from being raped or molested. They would tell women not to make a fuss over their bodies, she said.

Crystal Loyal told the court she recalled being between 8 and 10 years old and serving Temple’s table. ‘‘When you served his table in the

morning, he’d put his arm around your waist, kiss your neck, and touch your bum. A lot of the older men thought thiswas their right with the young girls,’’ she said.

Rose Standtrue said she had experienced and had seen other girls being touched inappropriately by men while they were working.

‘‘Even as a little girlwewere told by other girls and older women to keep our distance from Howard Temple so he wouldn’t grope our legs whenwewere serving at the table.’’

John Ready explained that to live in Gloriavale, people needed to be ‘‘thought well of’’. Therefore, it would only be the absolute boldest of girls who would speak up if they were uncomfortable with being touched.

Joanna Courage, who is Howard Temple’s granddaughter, said her grandfather was well respected in the community and denied he had a reputation for being inappropriate.

‘‘Hemay have put his arm around your shoulder or waist and [said] ‘thank you’ when you served him or gave him something. He would often ask

[the girls] if they cared about him doing it.

‘‘On a few occasions, girls had told him they didn’t like it, so he stopped.’’

Leaving Gloriavale

Members of Gloriavale are taught that if they leave the community, they risk ‘‘eternal damnation’’.

Compassion Standtrue said she believed that God put her in Gloriavale and that it was not his will for her to leave. ‘‘I believe that if I amout of the will of God, then I will go to hell.’’

Rose Standtrue said she wanted to leave Gloriavale for months, but felt trapped.

‘‘The leaders tell everyone that they have to cut off people who leave to save their own souls, because if they keep in contact with people who leave, then they’ll end up leaving and go to hell.’’

Others spoke about the obstacles they faced once theywere outside the communitywithout any formal qualifications, training or money.

Former member Isaac Pilgrim explained while Gloriavale claimed the education their children received was on par with the rest of New Zealand schools, everything they were taught was only related to life in the community.

He said when his daughter wanted to study at Ara in Canterbury, she couldn’t because the NCEA credits she had were ‘‘completely useless’’ and she had to repeat a year of high school.

‘‘They say they give the people a good education, but it’s just bollocks because it is internally assessed and if they end up on the outside it’s not good to them.’’

Joanna Courage argued that Temple has repeatedly said anyone is free to leave Gloriavale if they want to, and that the leaders will give them money to help them set up a life on the outside.

‘‘I amaware that some leavers have complained they were not given support and moneywhen they left the community, but some of that is their own fault because people have snuck out at night and did not tell the leaders or anyone, and then they complain theywere not given money.

‘‘How can the leaders give themmoney when they did not know the person was going in the middle of the night and sneak out?’’

The court hearing is set to continue in February next year.

‘They keep talking about how they are doing things now, but that doesn’t mean that what the plaintiffs are saying wasn’t their experience. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen at that time.’’ Zion Pilgrim