by Fleur Beale
The men built the first methane gas converter used in New Zealand, converting cow, pig and chicken manure from neighbouring farms into methane gas, with which they ran all their vehicles. The community’s increasing self-sufficiency reduced the opportunities for worldly contact, as did the fact that gradually members gave up their paid jobs to work inside the community. Money was tight, but everyone was in the same situation and cohesiveness came from supporting each other and working together for the common good.
Phil was in Coffs Harbour during the transition, when some families were in accommodation blocks at Springbank, and others in their own homes in Rangiora or the surrounding towns. Ironically, Neville was preaching equality and freedom of choice, but not dispensing them. Often, it was just small things, such as those living on site being able to get their washing in if it rained during Saturday working bees, while those who lived outside could not, and they’d get upset about the unfairness of it. The working bees had changed, too. Whereas they used to be voluntary half-day sessions, they were now compulsory all-day affairs, and if you didn’t turn up, somebody would be coming and knocking on your door to ask why.
As more of them began living at Springbank itself Neville’s increasing control over his followers disturbed more people than just his wayward son. Disquiet was growing as Neville moved closer to his ideal of having all his followers on site, and people began leaving his flock as more rules were introduced and his control tightened.
CHAPTER TWO: THE EVOLUTION TO COMMUNITY
To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God, for friendship with the world is enmity with God.
WHAT WE BELIEVE, P. 35
A change that caused many to break away from Neville was his expectation that his followers espouse the concept of what he called the sharing life. Those who were employed would pool their money to support others in the community. Those who were rich in possessions would sell them and give the money to those in need. He cited the apostles who gave up all they had, claiming ownership of nothing so that all possessions were held in common to be used for the good of all. This, Neville believed, would create a true Christian community where nobody wanted for anything and all were cared for equally. Faith and Alan felt that the principle was good, but that people should only give up their possessions if they chose to; it should never be something that they were forced to do.
In 1977, eight years after he broke away from City New Life in Rangiora, Neville Cooper formally set up his own church, calling it the Christian Church at Springbank. He introduced more rules, setting out how people must dress, how they must worship, the roles of men and women, and how parents should raise their children. He stipulated that women must always dress modestly in long skirts, sleeves to the wrist and without flesh visible on the chest. They must not cut their hair, which was to be worn loose and hanging down the back. Headscarves would be worn. Men, when they weren’t working, would wear long-sleeved shirts, ties, and dark trousers. Children, too, must be dressed modestly. Make-up and jewellery were forbidden.
The realm of women was the home and family, therefore young, unmarried women were not to work in the outside world. There was plenty for them to do helping their married sisters. Young men would be apprenticed appropriately and Neville would decide on the trade each would follow. Early marriages were encouraged because, according to Neville, only through marriage could young people manage their God-given sexual urges. He set up protocols about marriage, one being that couples had to get his permission to marry. One of his sons asked permission to marry Sandra Benjamin – Neville refused and ordered him to marry another young woman. He obeyed his father – it was either that or leave and be cast out and cut off from his family forever.
Neville instituted timetables and rosters. Meals were always at the same times: breakfast at 6.30, lunch at 12.30 and dinner at 6 p.m. He organised the work on a roster system so that the tasks such as milking, laundry, childcare, cooking and dish-washing were shared around. Each meal began with a grace and Neville would read from a book or newspaper to his assembled people while they ate. Life wasn’t all work – each weekend there was a young people’s night of singing, dancing, and sometimes a video approved by Neville. After church on Sundays members would gather to watch the young men play soccer.
For some, the regimentation and rules, along with the requirement to sell up everything they owned, was too much, and people continued to leave, but others stayed, believing that their leader was preparing them for eternal life.
In 1978, as Neville began drawing the year-old church further apart from the outside world, Alan decided he wanted to leave Springbank with all its rules and prohibitions, but Faith wouldn’t go. To leave would mean breaking from her family because she knew her father would disown her and forbid any contact with her siblings or her mother. It was difficult, too, to contemplate life outside the community at Springbank. Alan taught in its school and all their friends were members. It was a good life filled with friendship, where the details of daily living were taken care of: you had no money worries; you always had food and shelter. Your life had purpose as you helped others and worshipped God.
But they could see that Neville was tightening his control over his people.
Judah Benjamin also began to get twitchy. He feared that Neville was becoming like some of the infamous cult leaders who had wrought such devastation on their followers. He asked his wife Naomi, ‘Do you reckon this outfit is getting like Jim Jones’s?’ He worried that Neville’s utter belief that his was the right way, the only way, was leading to trouble. He saw the gradual erosion of basic principles such as equality for all and personal modesty. But, like Faith, Naomi didn’t want to leave. On many levels life was good and she knew that if she left, her children would choose not to go with her and that she’d never see them again.
It was becoming clear that Neville felt he was invincible. He saw himself as called and chosen by Jesus. He believed that the leader should have others to help him make decisions, but that always his would be the ultimate authority. In the hierarchy of this ‘equal’ society, men had authority over women, whose headscarves symbolised their submission. Although they were allowed to read the scripture, women were not permitted to teach the gospel or to preach. Naomi fell foul of that rule when she expounded one day on a scripture she’d read. Neville rebuked her for usurping the role given to men. ‘If I said anything, or if a woman said anything, you were told to mind your own business, or to stop being a sticky beak and to get your nose out of it.’ A woman was quickly slapped down for any show of independence.
Men were also subjected to their leader’s control if they questioned a decision, as Alan did over the gardens. He was a good gardener and a generous one, giving surplus produce to others. But when Neville decided that the gardens would be made communal, gardening became a duty and it killed the joy of it for Alan. He told Neville this and as a result was summoned to a men’s meeting. (Those who sin before all, should be rebuked before all, that others may learn to fear. WHAT WE BELIEVE, P. 55)
The men’s meetings go on until the miscreant repents. Sometimes they will continue all night, with the men repeating the same messages: Why have you got such a selfish heart? Why are you so rebellious?
Alan’s protests that they were missing the point cut no ice. He was in error and he was the one who must submit. He did so because there was no alternative other than to leave the community.
It was partly this increasing control that Phil had run to Australia to escape, but he missed his family and when the feeling of loss became unbearable he went looking for somebody with a connection to home. Colin and Dawn who had become family friends after Neville’s conversion of Colin, welcomed him into their home and gave him work on their cane farm and tropical fruit orchard north of Cairns.
Eventually Neville discovered Phil’s whereabouts. He sent his daughter Charity to persuade her brother to come home, knowing that Phil would feel greater emotional pressure from his sister than he would fr
om one of the men. This was an example of the kind of inequality that Faith and Alan had objected to: perks such as travel were given to Coopers and Charity was a Cooper. But Neville would also have chosen her because she knew what to say, how to work on his guilt: Your family misses you; Mum’s very upset; how can you do this to her?
Phil refused to return. He’d left because he was sick of being caged and unable to go freely beyond the confines of the property at Springbank; he didn’t want to be harnessed and he wanted to experience the world. However he was still very young and Charity’s visit had the desired effect. Seeing her again intensified his longing for his family so that when Neville sent two of the men over to bring him back, he decided to go with them of his own free will.
Once Phil was home, Neville welcomed him. He was an obedient son again and was allowed to resume his apprenticeship.
However it wasn’t long before he was subjected to the discipline system. His boss belonged to the church and he didn’t like it that Phil had come back with a bit of an attitude – that he wore a worldly watch, and now owned a tape recorder and listened to worldly music on it. He called a men’s meeting. At one p.m. Phil had to turn up at the old farmhouse where Neville and his family still lived, go into Neville’s room and sit on the bed. All adult men of the community were there, as Neville required them to be, about 25 or 30 of them, sitting on the floor around the room and blocking the door. They tried to get Phil to talk, but he wouldn’t say anything. It went on for hours. What’s the problem? Why are you so worldly? There is sin in your life. You must submit to your elders. God’s going to judge you. On and on. The men dissected every aspect of his behaviour, asking him why he’d said this or that, why he was so disrespectful, how he could shame his family like this; couldn’t he see he was breaking his mother’s heart?
Phil sat there, refusing to react to anything. Neville demanded that he change his name. ‘I don’t want to be associated with you. Change your name.’
While Phil recognised the bombardment as another of his father’s mind games, he shrugged it off, but made a silent vow: he would never change his name. If his father wanted to disassociate from his son then let him change his own name.
After three hours of hounding, Phil experienced another defining moment, similar in impact to the incident at Queenstown. Neville said, ‘Philip, pass me your watch.’ Phil handed over his pride and joy – the digital watch he’d bought in Australia.
Neville took it, looked his son in the eye, then smashed the watch down on the edge of the table. It shattered and he threw it to the floor. Neither worldly objects nor disobedience would be tolerated at Springbank.
Phil got up and went to the door, walking past the men who all stood up. He walked downstairs to his bedroom and began packing. He was very focused; there was no emotion. But Neville hadn’t finished. He knew how much Phil adored his mother so he piled on the pressure by sending in Gloria and one of his sisters. Gloria was in tears. His sister kept asking, ‘What are you doing? You can’t do this.’
He hated making his mother cry, and he hated upsetting his sister but he was still determined to leave. At about seven o’clock Neville came in with the men. His message was brief: ‘You are no longer my son. I wish you’d never been born.’
Phil ignored him.
But still Neville didn’t give up. Somehow he would get a reaction. He couldn’t use his usual argument that the outside world was nothing but evil and wickedness because Phil had just come from there, so he chose another threat: if Phil were to leave that night something terrible might happen to him because God was going to take him down the road and judge him. Phil could have a major accident and die, or he could end up crippled for life and then what would happen to him with no family to care for him? What would he do, crippled in the outside world where nobody cared whether he lived or died? People outside were selfish, they’d rob him of anything he had and how could he protect himself if he was injured? Phil must realise that God had no love for the selfish of heart, for those who went against his wishes.
The threats of what could happen were graphic, detailed and relentless. It was a well-polished script, and Neville’s delivery of it was forceful and full of dramatic intensity.
At about eight o’clock, completely exhausted, Phil cracked. He took the worldly tape recorder, and threw it to the floor where it smashed. That action broke the deadlock. Neville had finally achieved his aim. His father hugged him, this obedient son whom he loved again. Phil was 16 years old.
Similar unfair and psychologically damaging incidents mounted up. Faith and Alan feared for the future of the community but they couldn’t change Neville’s ideas. In 1979, a year after Alan had first wanted to leave, Faith realised that they couldn’t stay. They had five children by this time and knew that if they wanted to keep their family intact they would have to go while the children were young. They had already seen families split when parents had left but their teenage or married children had stayed behind.
They left on a Sunday. Alan went to tell Neville they were leaving and Neville called a full men’s meeting that lasted all day. Neville wanted to bring Faith in, but Alan wouldn’t let him. She was grateful because Neville was her dad; she’d had a good relationship with him when she was growing up and she loved him.
But with each founding member who left, the principle they stood up for was lost. For Faith and Alan it had been important to stay connected to the outside world, and when they left there was no longer any opposition to the community isolating themselves further. That Sunday was the last time Neville held an open meeting in the hall in Rangiora, where anybody could walk in. Neville’s preaching was no longer open to public scrutiny. Rules could now be introduced without the need to moderate them against outside norms.
Faith and Alan packed up their five children and left with nothing except their car, household items, and clothes. Their departure was problematic for the community, because Faith and Alan owned the land, while the community owned the accommodation blocks and some of the farm buildings. Faith and Alan were too distressed to negotiate, but they were certain about one thing: they would not walk out of Springbank with bitterness and if they had to lose financially because of their move then so be it. They would do what was right.
They left in February of 1979, and Alan immediately found relieving teaching in Rangiora. Through hard work and careful management, they have prospered in the outside world, even though they eventually forfeited most of the value of the farm at Springbank. They have also had four more children.
Neville tells his followers that when people leave the community they stop having children, they get divorced, and their lives are misery. Faith and Alan live according to Christian values but that isn’t acceptable to Neville. He has disowned his daughter.
To begin with, Faith found life outside the Springbank community hard. Had it been right to leave, or was her father right, that she and her family would be damned? She drew on her childhood memories of going to church in Australia and compared the teachings she’d received there to the ones Neville preached at Springbank. The family hadn’t been damned then, so why would they be now? Logically, she could see that there was no reason they’d be damned to hell for leaving, but it was a struggle to overcome the belief. Looking back, she considers that the idea of eternal salvation being possible only for those living in the Springbank community crept in with all the other changes. It wasn’t espoused when they were part of City New Life. She realised that Neville, supported by a core group of men, used fear to bolster his control.
The worldly changes were less fraught to make. She and Alan took them slowly, thinking through each change until they felt it was the right thing to do. Some were easy, such as shortening hems and sleeves on their clothes. They worked through other issues such as playing sport on Sunday and women wearing trousers. They made what they would later consider mistakes, such as forbidding the children to play sport on Sunday, but they were always prepared to look at what they were doi
ng, and to change their minds if necessary.
Going to church was the hardest. All her life, Faith had been taught to accept authority, to criticise any ‘outside’ teaching but not to analyse it, and now she was being exposed to ideas that turned everything upside down. What was right?
She remembers very clearly sitting in church, bowing her head and saying, ‘God, I’m so confused.’ The thought came into her head as an answer to a prayer: when you eat something that’s good for you, like a T-bone steak, you discard the bones, and take the meat.
That was her answer: grasp hold of what was good and throw the rest away. It created a freedom in her, not just with the church but in daily life. She realised she wasn’t going to agree with everyone but that she could use her own mind and intelligence to work out what she should embrace and what should be discarded.
While Faith and Alan were working out how to live in the outside world, Phil also had to find a new way of operating. He had chosen to go back to Springbank, but if he was going to stay, he saw that he wouldn’t be able to continue to defy his father. He had no choice but to conform and, just as he dealt with everything in his life, he did it wholeheartedly. He worked every waking hour to become the ideal son, the apple of his father’s eye, the heir apparent. It wasn’t a conscious decision to give heart and soul to becoming the son his father wanted. He simply saw it as the only way to survive.
CHAPTER THREE: MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
I will bear my own burden, do my share of the work, and seek to bear others’ burdens also.
WHAT WE BELIEVE, P. 24
