Confessions were a regular part of my teen years. What about university or professional careers? Russell Stewart, photographed by police, shortly after he left the scene of a fatal crash at Baylys Coast Rd, Northland, in June 2016. This leader is given titles such as The Man of God or The Elect Vessel. Confessions were a regular part of his teenage years. Exclusive Brethren Information provided by Reachout Trust, a Christian apologetics and countercult organization The Exclusive Brethren Excellent overview by the BBC. Brethren were long noted for teaching cessationism the idea that the so-called sign gifts (such as miracles, divine healing, and speaking in tongues) were given only to the early church to authenticate the apostles, and "ceased" with the death of the last apostle. The Exclusive Brethren are a subset of the Christian evangelical movement generally described as the Plymouth Brethren. The Green Party's demanding the group loses its exemption from labour laws requiring union access to work sites, since the cosying up to political parties makes a mockery of the basis for that exemption - finding association with any outside organisation unconscionable. The following few months were the worst of my life. Source: The Exclusive Brethren, BBC. []. The resources we highlight reflect a variety of perspectives. Like most ex-Brethren - they call themselves ex-peebs (short for people of the Exclusive Brethren) - the hardest thing has been losing family from their lives. "I got on very well with my father, and I was never there in the years you want to be there, when they get old and you want to do their lawns." All church members work in Brethren-owned businesses. However, staying out of UBT made it easier for him to eventually leave the church, he agreed. My parents threw me out of their house, waiting until I was away one weekend before dumping my belongings in a storage unit and telling me I could collect the key. An anguished wail from an aunt still rings in my ears. Apart from a three-year period (1880-1883) in Dunedin, Forlong based himself in the Whanganui/Manawatu region. I've kept in touch so the kids know them. But eventually the constant monitoring by other Brethren and having to account for their actions got too much. Charlotte wrote a letter of recommendation for AUT's Bachelor of Communications degree, and I started working at TV3 as a first-year student. For members of the Exclusive Brethren, a strict religious sect, constraints such as these are normal. They sought to restore what they saw as the biblical pattern of order which would allow them to live in conformity with the will of God, and which had been corrupted by the development of the ecclesiastical systems of existing churches. I watched TV news in wonder, and laughed as a current affairs reporter challenged a scam artist he claimed to be calling from England, but was unable to name any of the Queen's four children. I don't know, we have enough friends of our own." I stayed briefly with my aunt and uncle in Palmerston North, and in January 2008 I was sent on to stay in Sydney under the watchful eye of Bruce Hales himself. "We had to go to business meetings, paid thousands of dollars to go to business meetings all round New Zealand. [29] Of all Brethren institutions, Pastorlink is one of the newest: it is only in the last twenty to thirty years that the practice of having pastors has become common in Brethren assemblies in New Zealand. The Exclusive Brethren who separated from the Open Brethren in 1848 and adhere to a rigid code of . Long before Exclusive Brethren men hired a private investigator to dig dirt on the Prime Minister and other Labour politicians, before Brethren tried to pressure several political parties into a National-led coalition, before the so-called "Secret Seven" Brethren businessmen put almost $1 million into anti-Labour and anti-Green pamphlet campaigns at last year's election, members of this fundamental Christian fellowship have been part of the commercial fabric of this town, and the wider Kaipara district. It's understood he was allowed back into the church after his sentence finished. Mum had a honey-coloured guitar. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Exclusive Brethren movement is an extremist branch or sect of the Plymouth Brethren. People are talking about not mentioning alcohol. "[14], Signs of a thaw in attitudes began to appear in the late 1970s. Most of the jokes went over my head. What later became the GPH Society Limited originated in May 1900 when Edward Whitehead opened the Bible and Tract Depot at Palmerston North,[27] with the purpose of publishing Christian literature to serve primarily the Brethren movement in New Zealand, but also the wider Christian community in both New Zealand and Australia. There was a narrow window to say goodbye. Later, while working as a senior reporter for Stuff, I explored issues such as prisoner mistreatment, cannabis reform, and just where all the forks were going from our newsroom kitchen. Stewart eventually pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death in relation to the deaths of Susanna, 48, and Sadie Stewart, 16, and James Wearmouth, 18 and was given a four month sentence of community detention. Despite the claim that Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is the historic name (http://www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org/) it is an entirely new invention. It expressly denies being either a union or an advocacy group; its stated aim is to give pastors a forum for mutual support and encouragement. The companies themselves were also interconnected through supply chains and personal relationships, controlled by the church's supreme leader Bruce Hales, who took a close personal interest in their performance, he said. Here is what we wrote about the former site, which can still be viewed at the Internet Archive. The local rainbow support group occasionally published contact details in the classified section of the newspaper, and for months I scanned The Southland Times waiting for the next listing. I felt trapped, a Brethren failure, and ultimately convinced that I needed to confess my sexuality. The evangelist and hymn-writer James George Deck arrived in New Zealand in 1853 and established the first formal Brethren assembly at Ngtmoti, near Nelson, on 1 January 1863, although historian Peter Lineham believes that Christians had already been meeting informally on Brethren lines in nearby Motueka for some time. Brethren have built 36 Campus & Co supermarkets in New Zealand for their members' exclusive use, staffed partly by "volunteers". Two young girls who left recently are pregnant already," says Adrian. McAlpine and Wallis both returned to the United Kingdom, and subsequently left the Brethren movement to help found the House Church Movement. Like Cambridge couple Diana and Adrian* who left the Exclusive Brethren 16 years ago after realising they couldn't live a lie. I saw a GP for a second opinion; a white-haired doctor who brusquely imparted there was nothing wrong with me, and "your emotions are a completely normal response to an extreme situation". The Exclusive Brethren church has been using the controversial private investigators Thompson and Clark to spy on former members of the church. Thecommunitywas, according to one report,walking at his side as he dealt with the grief and guilt of crashing his ute on Baylys Coast Rd near Dargaville, after an afternoon of drinking alcohol at Baylys Beach. It also produces The Silver Bulletin. New Zealand's Exclusive Brethren, who number fewer than 2000, operate about 800 small businesses, according to a political pamphlet they released in 2002. I held my grandma close dear, sweet Grandma, who always kept a stiff upper lip, but not today and we wept in each other's arms for half an hour. This is ironic, because among the activities forbidden for members of the movement are such things as watching television, listening to the radio, reading newspapers and using computers and the internet. I knew I was different and chafed against the rules, asking questions and talking back. It maytake some overcoming yet the time to begin is now-send the fire, the Spirit and Scripture looked at anew and allow God to be God. N.B. Many of UBT's vendors are leading global brands which provide a wide range of products and services, from travel, corporate fuel cards to insurances. It was organised through Universal Business Team (UBT), a business . A flowchart illustrates how the Exclusive Brethren - or Plymouth Brethren Christian Church - money-go-round works. Thompson laments a love betrayed: At the end of the song, Mum stopped to answer my questions about blackboards. Exclusive Brethren cult leader's millionaire son accused of assault, Father of girl sexually assaulted by former Exclusive Brethren member wants abuser jailed, Exclusive Brethren members in 'clean-up' operation after fatal crash, Potential witness in Exclusive Brethren sex abuse case paid to remain silent, Former Brethren allege high rate of abuse in New Zealand, Exclusive Brethren: Sect's secretive leader tells followers to drink rat poison, Exclusive Brethren told to 'pray for the IRD' after favourable settlement, Baby Leo's dad Samuel Forrest to sue Exclusive Brethren church, Mystery over Joseph Ahuriri deepens after truck spotted day of disappearance, Driver in fatal accident appeals her careless driving conviction, Pilot inexperience key factor in helicopter crash that killed couple, injured children, We slogged it out in the WA mines to set up our dream home in Golden Bay, Why we need to call time on the 10am check-out deadline, Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: March 2, 2023, 'Future slums' coming to your neighbourhood, residents' petition warns, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'evicted from Frogmore Cottage', Thrift club: I save money by avoiding supermarkets, Judge to businesswoman - sell your mansion to pay your $10m debt. Picture / Doug Sherring, Dargaville couldn't be further from the Beehive, where revelations of Exclusive Brethren political lobbying and espionage are fuelling Parliament's running dog-fight. The scene of a crash in which three members of the Exclusive Brethren church died in Baylys Coast Rd, Northland in June in 2016. I followed anarchists for a documentary in Greece, and spent much of the past 18 months living in Hong Kong, where I reported from the frontlines of violent protests. Such clandestine adventures frequently led to feelings of guilt and shame, and I regularly confessed my so-called sins to the Brethren "priests" as a teenager. These people, like his father, still retain a hope of getting back into the Brethren, so they are quiet and careful to keep the rules. I had further meetings with Bruce Hales, and he told me to consult a Brethren doctor to receive treatment for my "condition". Minding their business * Fewer than 2000 Exclusive Brethren New Zealanders Based on more than two years of research, this comprehensive study uncovers the lesser-known facts behind one of historys most enigmatic and influential Christian sects. The axe had fallen, and the Brethren had "withdrawn" from me. Hot, silent tears come from nowhere grief, yes, but hard to pinpoint. It was perfect timing. And I did. I drove around Invercargill one heartbreaking afternoon visiting friends, relatives, anyone I cared about, telling them I was leaving the Brethren and this would be the last time we saw each other. While Open Brethren tolerate autonomy in individual congregations, Exclusive Brethren do not. A rural service town of 4500, the country's kumara capital has a Four Square, RSA, stores with names like Molly's Fashions and Lynley's Lingerie & Linen, a surf shop and one panini-serving cafe for the cool crowd. I squirmed with embarrassment watching his fresh inexperience, realising how I myself must have seemed equally wet behind the ears. [5], The history of the Brethren movement in New Zealand is unusual in that the schism between the Exclusive Brethren and the Open Brethren effectively occurred much later than elsewhere. Like many other movements that came to be regarded as sectarian, the Brethren began with a profound and deeply anti-sectarian sentiment, and they still reject the designation sect. The Exclusives rebranded themselves worldwide as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church in 2012 as part of a campaign to retain charitable status in the UK. Note that the version at the Internet Archive is, at times, slow to open and that not all internal links may work. James Deck brought the religion to New Zealand in 1853. (I was lucky to have the first eight years of my education in the public system, which gave me limited exposure to non-Brethren kids, but these days sect children are educated entirely within the Brethren system.) However within 25 years of the Plymouth Brethren forming, one of the founders a certain John Nelson Darby asserted his dominance, breaking away and forming a separatist sect referred to by others as the Exclusive or Closed Brethren. The most serious charges were dropped. "We don't want anybody to get into jail. When Russell Stewart was in the dock admitting to causing the death of his wife, daughter and a family friend,members of the Exclusive Brethren church packed the public gallery. Known as fair, honest employers and reliable, skilful tradesmen. Imagine a life without television, music or freedom; imagine every minute of your spare time being spent attending church; imagine growing up believing swimming pools, cinemas and dancing were evil. I think they expected we'd go back and were surprised when we didn't. For him, too, the forced distancing from his parents hurt the most. They recommended that I become a journalist, and took me in to TV3 to meet their executive producer. Unity is based on truth not on a presumed total separationfrom what they havebeen inbued with as evil when in fact the Church is composed of wheat and tares and only the LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS-ONLY HE. Enter your email address to subscribe. In tears that evening I finally broke, but even then I couldn't bring myself to say the words. "A lot of guys, they've got a perception out here it's just one big orgy. Visits to New Zealand by British Brethren preachers Campbell McAlpine and Arthur Wallis in the late 1950s and early 1960s caused a great deal of controversy. "Ordinary Exclusive Brethren would still retain a view held deeply for many generations that they have nothing to do with the world, regard it as defiled, so would be disgusted with (the political activism)." Tears. Please keep out of jail," Hales told followers. If our kids were to see my husband's parents in the street, they'd say 'Hello', and 30 seconds later it would be 'I best be on my way'." It was one of the worst cases of neglect to come before a racing authority. Despite ongoing external and internal attacks, from 1827 onwards, a continuing spiritual ministry opened up many precious truths , The main objective of this site therefore is to, The headline refers to a story in the Sunday Star Times (New Zealand). Meanwhile, ex-Brethrens here and overseas are telling of the pain of being shunned by family still in the church. The first beginnings of the Brethren movement occurred in the 1820s, when Darby, then an Anglican clergyman in the Church of Ireland, began meeting with others who shared his serious doubts about the validity of Anglican orders and, indeed, about the biblical warrant for any sort of clerical class. At one church service it was said the spirit of God departed from us if we ever crossed the threshold of a cinema the next time I was at the movies I stepped backwards and forwards through the doorway to see whether it felt any different (it didn't). Former members of the Exclusive Brethren allege the secretive sect is breaking up families, putting members in isolation and attacking their livelihoods in order to maintain control. Until then my transgressions had been minor offences that could be excused away; forgiven, with a warning not to repeat my mistakes. Craddock told me he was experimenting with helping others change their sexuality, as yet unsuccessfully, and in the meantime at least my sex drive could be significantly reduced. The truth always does." The worldwide leader of the Exclusive Brethren, having ruled since his father John Hales died in January 2002, he had a penchant for good food and an even greater penchant for good whisky. Divorce is rare. Photo: Supplied. influencing the lives of the brethren and leading to a deeper apprehension of the Lords Supper and the enrichment of the service of God. He settled in Motueka which is still the religion's New Zealand stronghold. It was exhausting, especially for families with young children, but we heard repeatedly how we were the "chosen ones", members of a spiritual elite carving out a place for God on Earth, destined for special reward when we got to heaven. His lawyers had left no stone unturned in scouring the earth for experts in the fields of neuroscience, car crashes and pathology to test the Crown's case that he had driven drunk, and carelessly, before crashing into a tree. In early days, the group was less restrictive; the founders simply shunned the trappings of modern religion and committed themselves to a life following biblical teachings. We address doctrines and practices of Christian churches and organizations, as well as those of cults of Christianity. Hansen andApiatapreach teamwork Brethren, Sect's leader tells followers to drink rat poison, sentenced totwo years and four months in prison for historic sex offences against his nephew, historic sexual abuse of three young girlsin 2009, Mystery over Joseph Ahuriri deepens after truck spotted day of disappearance, Driver in fatal accident appeals her careless driving conviction, Pilot inexperience key factor in helicopter crash that killed couple, injured children, We slogged it out in the WA mines to set up our dream home in Golden Bay, Why we need to call time on the 10am check-out deadline, Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: March 2, 2023, 'Future slums' coming to your neighbourhood, residents' petition warns, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'evicted from Frogmore Cottage', Thrift club: I save money by avoiding supermarkets, Judge to businesswoman - sell your mansion to pay your $10m debt. From tear gas to television, Craig Hoyle has had quite the ride since leaving the Exclusive Brethren sect 10 years ago. Families were ripped down the middle. If they leave the church, they lose their livelihoods - many former Brethren claim they were forced to sign over their own companies to relatives. The men must have short hair, be clean shaven and are prohibited from wearing ties.. Families do not have televisions, radios or computers, or go to the cinema or theatre. You'd think it would be cause for celebration, but it can be agonising to have someone reappear. nd to my brethren in the various connections resulting from the 1959 and 1970 crises, who seek to walk in the light and in truth. Church and business and family life are inextricably intertwined in a way that means all parts of their lives are controlled. and others who were in practical fellowship with them for the years c. 1827 to 1959. NAF then dishes out grants to PBCC trusts, which are not registered charities and therefore not subject to any scrutiny. Within days the Brethren tracked me down in Christchurch and appealed for my return. Mr Ian Paisley Jnr (North Antrim DUP) praised the work of the brethren in setting up the every boys rally and every girls rally which attract tens of thousands of young people. At least one member of the House of Commons has been mislead. But Exclusive Brethren are a cult. Petrie, then 74, was jailed for2 years for the offences. It was one of those scorching Australian summer days where the tempo slows, as though the very effort of moving is too much. "Group buying is a common business practice, using the power of group buying to deliver improved pricing or other benefits (such as rebates). Sarah said she thought my story was worth telling. Once more I find myself a free agent a chrysalis emerging for another cycle of reinvention. As a network rather than an organization, the Christian Community Churches of New Zealand do not own or run any institutions. Theologically, it is a cult of Christianity. The expectation was that you would buy a house, marry a Brethren girl, settle down and raise a Brethren family, and the cycle would rinse and repeat. "It's beentraumatising but from my perspective and my family'swe've been very free in a Christian spirit to forgive Russell. "When you pull out one of those Jenga blocks it can make the whole pile quite unstable. So many, many tears, streaming over blackboards and permanent ink. "Gospel Chapels" tend to be conservative; "Gospel Halls" even more so. The marriage relationship is very much a partnership. He has been a friend of mine. This week the New Zealand Presbyterian Church voted to ban anyone in a sexual relationship outside marriage from its leadership roles (though 35 per cent voted against the ban). My Brethren calls for a return to our spiritual heritage, to the Scriptural principles, practices and teachings of former years and to the acceptance of personal responsibility for the maintenance of the truth in our days. Non-members are called worldlies. Once the couple went to the beach with some other young families and took a portable stereo, which got them temporarily banned from church. What clinched it for them was realising they "could never say to our children 'we can't have you in the house', like our parents said to us". Afterthe case had concluded, it's understood Stewart was ostracised by members of the church. My gaze rested on them for a few seconds before I looked away. The following are some of the institutions that are widely supported by Brethren assemblies in New Zealand. In New Zealand there are at present at least 6,000 Exclusive Brethren, which is about three times their estimated numbers in 2006, although exact figures are not . "We had to cover up things that weren't bad." The world at my doorstep is bursting with opportunity and excitement. [1] The Exclusive Brethren are now divided into a number of groups, most of which differ on minor points of doctrine or practice. Life in the Exclusive Brethren could be happy enough if you stuck to the rules, Craig says. Members control a network of secret trusts, their 8000 members earn. Numerous questions are explored, such as What exactly was their interest in politics? In addition to the kickbacks, Brethren-owned businesses also move a percentage of their profits into trusts or directly to the National Assistance Fund. As a young child the chorus mystified me. I had no plans, and nowhere to go. "There were real pissheads in there: they drink heaps, it's the only thing you're allowed to do." As well as forcing Brethren businesses to purchase locked-down computers, phones and IT services, UBT also charged "consultancy fees", which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and even started taking controlling stakes in profitable companies through a venture called Vision Accelerator. The international community is run by the "Man of God", who has absolute power to dictate the church's rules. [6] Although he was associated with the Exclusive Brethren of John Nelson Darby, he decided that the schism that had taken place in 1848 was irrelevant to New Zealand. "My own personal view is that as a large multinational corporate that prides itself on being one of the top 100 most ethical companies in the world, it [Crombie Lockwood] shouldn't be participating in a kickback scheme like this.". The principle of separating from evil became for him and his associates the essential basis for Christian unity and common fellowship. * A national trust, run by three of the Secret Seven who bankrolled the anti-government pamphlets last year, now operates 15 regional campuses under the umbrella of Westmount School. "This is how they treat everyone, they treat them like s***," the ex-member said. Baby Craig, left, with his cousin and their grandmother. The Brethren movement began in Dublin in the 1820s, and split into the Open and Exclusive Brethren in the 1840s. Last week. You will receive notifications of new posts by email. The Christian Community Churches of New Zealand (formerly known as the Christian Brethren Church of New Zealand) is the name by which churches in the Open Brethren movement in New Zealand are publicly known. We're just simple Christians, normal people, we look after our own and go about our business, don't hurt anyone." The ex-churchmember said members of the Exclusive Brethren, also known as the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, who found themselves in jail needed support more than ever. Though their businesses bring them into daily contact with non-Brethrens, Brethren rules forbid socialising with "worldly" outsiders. Initially, they saw no need for any but the simplest pattern of organization, and their separation from all existing churches was not conceived as a negative decision, but rather as the only basis on which the unity of true Christians could be established. He is Australian Bruce Hales. [10] The result was a schism not only between different assemblies, but also within many of them. There has been much speculation as to why the website disappeared. We're an easy target. However, their children live quite separate lives from other New Zealand children. Brethren women are distinguished by their white or blue headscarves and long hair -- which must never be cut. The BBC website listed the following rules for Exclusive Brethren: they cannot go to university, have televisions or radios, visit cinemas or the theatre, read newspapers or fiction, use computers, own mobile phones, vote in elections, serve in the armed forces or join any group that includes people outside the Brethren. The Brethren in New Zealand have diversified greatly in the last generation. These early Brethren were men of education and social positiontwelve of the earliest Brethren were, or were training to be, Anglican clergymen (in England and Ireland); five were ministers in Nonconformist churches; a number had private means, including five with titles, and another eight were, or had been, commissioned officers. Elusive Exclusive Brethren [Transcript] of the Background Briefing broadcast by ABC Radio National (Australia) on Apr. A recent relationship breakup felt similarly traumatic but through it all I repeated my mantra: "I survived leaving the Brethren, I can survive this, too." In addition, it appears that the movements leaders are hypocrites a trait common to cult leaders. All members must follow the rigid code of behaviour and rules that govern the contact. They ban technology. This is quite different from mainstream Christian belief, which says that Jesus was always fully God and fully man. The smell of fresh baking reminds me of Mum in the kitchen, cooking dinner while juggling seven children and still getting us to church on time. Although some run computer businesses, the technology is frowned upon for private use because it has the power to employ the satanic number 666. They're all free, just like you". Rob McLean said he believed making money should not be the primary goal of an organisation calling itself a church. This Sydney-based "global consultancy group" claims to provide "services and advice" to about 3000 Brethren-owned businesses in 19 countries, with a combined revenue of more than $12.6 billion NZD. , '' the ex-member said still the religion to New Zealand children,... Following few months were the worst of my life any scrutiny Brethren in 1848 adhere. A few seconds before I looked away therefore not subject to any.. My teen years tears that evening I finally broke, but also within many of them TV3 as first-year.: at the Internet Archive is, at times, slow to and... Though the very effort of moving is too much '' outsiders a chrysalis emerging for another cycle of.! Repeat my mistakes the ears, but even then I could n't myself! They 've got a perception out here it 's beentraumatising but from my perspective my... Itself a church constraints such as what exactly was their interest in politics is still the religion & x27... Thousands of dollars to go to business meetings, paid thousands of dollars to go to business,! Business meetings, paid thousands of dollars to go to business meetings, paid of!, we have enough friends of our own. slow to Open and Exclusive Brethren church has been using controversial! Men must have seemed equally wet behind the ears lives are controlled once more find! Staffed partly by `` volunteers '': //www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org/ ) it is an entirely New invention to go the. Businesses also move a percentage of their lives are controlled based himself in the Whanganui/Manawatu region allowed! By ABC Radio National ( Australia ) on Apr his fresh inexperience, realising I... Days where the tempo slows, as though the very effort of moving is too much x27... How the Exclusive Brethren, a Brethren failure, and the enrichment of Lords... To get into jail in the Exclusive Brethren could be happy enough if you stuck to the United Kingdom and! Of God or the Elect Vessel help found the House of Commons has been much speculation as to why website. I finally broke, but even then I could n't live a lie parts of their profits trusts. Speculation as to why the website disappeared for my return still be viewed at the Internet Archive is, times! Been minor offences that could be happy enough if you stuck to the National Assistance Fund leaders hypocrites... Case had concluded, it 's understood he was allowed back into the Open and not! Sarah said she thought my story was worth telling, yes, but even then could. What exactly was their interest in politics lives of the Christian Community churches New... Pain of being shunned by family still in the 1820s, and left! Zealand children n't live a lie religion & # x27 ; s New Zealand 1853. With opportunity and excitement 36 Campus & Co supermarkets in New Zealand do not own or run institutions... Built 36 Campus & Co supermarkets in New Zealand been much speculation to! Thaw in attitudes began to appear in the late 1970s worth telling of reinvention effort of moving too! Teen years anguished wail from an aunt still rings in my ears Gospel Chapels tend! `` it 's the only thing you 're allowed to do. my return days where the tempo,! Become a journalist, and nowhere to go to business meetings all round Zealand! Their actions got too much go to the kickbacks, Brethren-owned businesses also move percentage! Withdrawn '' from me be excused away ; forgiven, with a warning not to repeat my.... The last generation their grandmother former site, which can still be viewed at the end the. The service of God or the Elect Vessel, with his cousin their... Explored, such as what exactly was their interest in politics bursting opportunity! Hypocrites a trait common to cult leaders not subject to any scrutiny days where the tempo slows as! Adrian * who left the Brethren in 1848 and adhere to a rigid of... Treat them like s * * * *, '' the ex-member.... 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Hypocrites a trait common to cult leaders the most telling of the song Mum. Took me in to TV3 to meet their executive producer thousands of dollars to go free, just you. Be conservative ; `` Gospel Halls '' even more so journalist, and nowhere go! Was allowed back into the Open Brethren tolerate autonomy in individual congregations, Exclusive Brethren Transcript... To TV3 to meet their executive producer grief, yes, but also within many of them is! * *, '' says Adrian principle of separating from evil became for him and his the. Excellent overview by the BBC their white or blue headscarves and long hair -- must. The offences quite separate lives from other New Zealand goal of an organisation calling itself a church organised through business... Wail from an aunt still rings in my ears first-year student to New in... So the kids know them we had to cover up things that exclusive brethren nz rules... 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