Exclusive: Secretive religious community Gloriavale's 'Declaration of Commitment' - revealing the rights members must sign away for the rest of their lives

1 NEWS has obtained a copy of the religious community's joining pledge, that has been labelled a human rights breach.

1 News has obtained the document at the heart of the secretive religious community Gloriavale - revealing the rights members must sign away for the rest of their lives.

For the first time, the full details of Gloriavale's "Declaration of Commitment" document can be unveiled. It includes an array of sweeping waivers, including how the religious group tries to legally bind people to a lifetime of servitude and secrecy.

1 News has shown the document to top lawyer Frances Joychild QC, who called it a blatant breach of human rights.

The agreement begins with signing over all assets to Gloriavale.

"I forsake all that I have to follow Christ, renouncing all personal ownership of houses, lands, money and other possessions…" the document states. "…I will never at any time claim anything back for myself, my relatives, or anyone else."

Members must also turn their backs on an outside world that Gloriavale suggests is "the enemy".

"I will not love the world, nor anything in it, nor have friendship with the people of this world, nor find pleasure in their company or way of life… To be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God."

Birth control and abortions are also banned.

"I will never practise birth control of any kind, nor have any child of mine in the womb aborted…"

The final page of the document requires the member to sign it and confirm they have sought "independent legal advice" and also sees Gloriavale claim the document is legally binding, forever.

"…they bind me for the rest of my life; not only legally and morally before men, but also spiritually before God in heaven, so that if ever I break any of them, I do so to the peril of my soul."

Gloriavale did not respond to questions.

Lawyer Joychild QC said the agreement tries to remove the everyday rights of citizens.

"It's extremely controlling in a way that I haven't seen before outside of cults," Joychild said. "It's trying to stop them exercising the rights that every other citizen of this country has."

Joychild also rejected the legal power of the agreement.

"The law would never uphold any of those conditions," she said.

Former Gloriavale member Lilia Tarawa was born into the Gloriavale community before her family left around 10 years ago.

Tarawa described the treatment of members as "horrific".

"I'm just absolutely appalled by the horrific ways in which the Gloriavale leaders treat their residents," she said. "I still look back and see some of the ways that we were supressed and oppressed as human beings."

SHARE ME

More Stories