The Post
Craig Hoyle
September 23, 2023
Thousands of Exclusive Brethren dropped everything and flocked to Palmerston North this week, following a last-minute directive from the secretive sect’s world leader.
Brethren schools were suddenly closed, Brethren workers packed up and walked away from a trade fair in Auckland, and airports became a hive of activity as members rushed to attend meetings on Wednesday and Friday with Bruce Hales, who flew in from Sydney on a private jet.
Sources told the Sunday Star-Times that many members only learnt of the special meetings on Tuesday, giving them less than 24 hours to make arrangements - with costs running into the thousands for an average family.
Leaked documents suggest there has been turmoil within the Brethren in New Zealand, and former members said they suspected Hales was trying to re-assert his control.
The directive caused unprecedented scenes across New Zealand, as the sect’s approximately 8000 members spanning Kaitaia to Invercargill scrambled to comply; charter flights were put on, and the national air network came under pressure, though Air NZ said it was unable to comment on operational matters involving specific groups.
A number of Brethren also arrived on planes flown by Originair, a regional airline operating from Nelson. Fleets of buses were deployed to ferry Brethren between the airport and the sect’s $17-million compound on Johnstone Drive, completed in 2020; a reporter at the scene also observed Brethren being transported in vans usually used to move prisoners.
“There’s a lot of last-minute panicking,” said former Brethren member Peter Hart, describing how everyone in the sect was expected to drop everything when Hales visited.
“Generally, everyone over the age of five or eight is expected to attend, depending on the venue … It theoretically wasn’t compulsory, but if you did say no then it was suspected that you had doubts about Bruce Hales, and you would get talked about.”
Hart, who was excommunicated from the Brethren in 2020 for questioning Hales’ leadership, said the Palmerston North occasion was “particularly unusual” as members were usually informed at least a week or two in advance of such meetings.
“In the past you did get more warning, and they made sure that Brethren businesses were left with enough employees at home to stay open. But it seems this time some businesses have been forced to close.”
Sources inside the Brethren described shock and panic as thousands of members put their lives on hold.
“It’s just cruel,” said one insider, in comments posted to a private messaging forum for discussion about Brethren events.
Another current Brethren member described how a number of young families were “barely hanging on” trying to comply with church rules.
Professor Peter Lineham, a religious studies expert with decades of experience researching the Brethren movement, said sudden changes were key to maintaining control in a closed environment.
“Shock revelations are usually pretty successful at knocking people into shape, and fast moves work to the great advantage of the leader.”
Lineham added that the New Zealand Brethren had always been outliers when it came to following rules set down by the sect’s international leaders, and often “just played along”.
“If he [Bruce Hales] saw any signs of independence coming from New Zealand … he might regard it as a very significant threat.”
Leaked Brethren documents show Hales has been particularly upset by recent reports of drinking on meeting room grounds, which he described as “the bringing of alcohol in a covert, clandestine, secretive way into the precincts of the assembly”.
In relation to the New Zealand Brethren in particular, Hales said the devil was “trying to undermine the standard, trying to deceive the saints”.
In June, a letter circulated to all assemblies addressed “universal concern” about Brethren engaging in activities such as “overnight trips to other countries for pleasure”, “staying or camping overnight on islands, hotels, and other accommodation venues where there are no Brethren, including honeymooning”, and “travelling without reference to responsible persons locally”.
The letter, which was leaked to journalists and former members, came with an instruction to “destroy after reading”.
SUPPLIED
This letter, leaked from inside the Brethren, shows how leaders were concerned about members engaging in unapproved activities.
Early reports suggested Hales took a more conciliatory tone in Palmerston North, telling thousands of gathered Brethren that there was a need for “genuine care and compassion”.
Multiple sources told the Sunday Star-Times there had been a rolling feeling of discontent among the Brethren in New Zealand, and Hart said Hales had likely been rattled by the emergence of the Get A Life podcast series on YouTube, where dozens of former members have shared their stories.
“It’s causing a whole lot of unrest, which I think is possibly what this occasion is about.”
Lindy Jacomb, another former Brethren member, who left the sect in 2008, agreed the sudden gathering in Palmerston North was “unprecedented”, and said she wondered “if there’s something more challenging afoot”.
Jacomb is the founder of Olive Leaf Network, a newly-established charity to support those seeking to leave high-demand religious groups in Aotearoa.
“We’ve got a greater understanding now of coercive control and emotional abuse within domestic settings, but we’ve still got a long way to go to understand group coercive control,” said Jacomb.
“Olive Leaf Network hopes to stand in that gap so we can both support leavers directly ourselves, but also so that we can upskill and liaise with others who can support leavers.”
The network connects with five to 10 new people a week, “and many of those people are connected with the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church”, Jacomb said, using the name by which the Exclusive Brethren now describe themselves.
Doug Watt, a senior elder and spokesperson for the Brethren, said members had been attending a bible conference in Palmerston North to “study the scriptures, worship and enjoy fellowship together”.
“The church regularly organises conferences known as fellowship meetings for church members so they can get together to learn more about the Bible and enjoy each other’s company, however, due to the Covid situation, this has not been possible again until recently,” Watt said.
“We have a lot of younger members who enjoy getting together at these fellowship occasions to meet up with their friends, family, fellow Brethren and participate in the sessions.”
Watt described the Brethren as a “mainstream Christian church”, although that characterisation was disputed by former members.
“Many of the Brethren’s core doctrines are not aligned with generally-held Christian orthodoxies, such as their extreme ‘separation from the world’,” said Jacomb, describing the Brethren doctrine of avoiding social contact with non-members.
“As we speak, I’ve just found out that my beloved nana, who was a Brethren member, but who did secretly maintain contact with me, has passed away, and I am currently waiting to find out whether the Brethren will allow me and my other ‘out’ relatives to attend her funeral and graveside service.”
Lineham said Hales could be taking a cautious approach due to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, which has interviewed dozens of former Brethren members and is expected to deliver its report in March next year.
However, Lineham added, a conciliatory tone from Hales would not necessarily be enough to staunch the sect’s losses, and it was possible a period of turmoil lay ahead.
“A rebellion from the New Zealand Brethren would be most interesting to watch.”
Additional reporting by Alecia Rousseau.
- Sunday Star Times
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