Injured Gloriavale man dies

A 20-year-old man has died in hospital less than two weeks after suffering a medical event at Gloriavale.

On October 23, St John spokesman Gerard Campbell said the critically injured man was airlifted to hospital from the secluded Christian community.

On Saturday, a police spokeswoman confirmed the man had died. The death was not suspicious and has been referred to the coroner.

A Gloriavale spokesman said no-one from the community would be commenting on the death.

Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian died at the secluded community in May.

He founded the religious community in 1969 at Cust in North Canterbury, before the community was moved to the shores of Lake Haupiri on the West Coast and changed its name to Gloriavale.

Since then, the community has hit the headlines several times, including following an investigation into the circumstances of the death of Prayer Ready, a 14-year-old girl who had Down syndrome.

This week, former US Navy engineer Howard Temple was confirmed as the new head of the community.

A former member, who still has family in the community, said Temple was appointed the new ‘‘overseeing shepherd’’ after the death of Hopeful Christian.

Temple, whom Christian had appointed his successor, had recently spent several weeks visiting a Gloriavale off-shoot in India, he said. Gloriavale has a long relationship with India, supporting an evangelical organisation and setting up a community in Tirunelveli.