Gloriavale leader forced out

GREYMOUTH: A Gloriavale leader has been forced out after criticising church leadership’s ‘‘ungodly’’ rules and lack of accountability.

Zion Pilgrim, a longtime trustee of the religious group, penned a letter to leader Howard Temple raising his concerns of ‘‘sexual immorality’’ and a ‘‘preeminence of sin’’ in the community, Newshub reported.

‘‘We do have some serious concerns about some of the fundamental ways of thinking and behaving here that we believe are not in line with God’s word,’’ the letter read.

‘‘There is also some very concerning fruit that cannot be ignored; the sexual immorality issues and the preeminence of sin, pride, lack of love.’’

Mr Pilgrim was critical of the fact that church members often had to agree with what the leaders said, even if it was wrong, and a lack of accountability among leadership.

Newshub reported Mr Pilgrim was given an ultimatum by church leaders: to either support leaders or leave the community.

Mr Pilgrim consequently left Gloriavale and moved to South Canterbury with his wife and 12 children.

The issue was outlined in a list of concerns to Charities Services by the Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust, with exmembers saying those still inside did not have free access to the internet or news sources and were told as a collective who to vote for.

James Harrison, who left Gloriavale in 2015, told RNZ members did not have free access to the internet or news sources.

‘‘The group of people who go into town for the weekly shopping trip would bring back old newspapers and then some stories would be cut out and be put on the pinboard, but everything we would see is censored.’’

Another former member, who did not want to be named, said Gloriavale leaders would choose which politicians would come to talk to the community before an election.

The former member said they were even shown voting papers before they went to the polling booth.

‘‘They would say tick here and here just in case we forgot the name or what to do when we got there,’’ she said.

The Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust has given a list of concerns to Charities Services, which they want to reinvestigate the community.