Editing Gloriavale Christian Community (section)

== History ==
===Origins===
The group was founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper (aka "Hopeful Christian"), an Australian-born preacher who was invited to New Zealand,<ref name="au1" /> having earlier (as a member of the Voice of Deliverance Evangelist Mission) survived a near fatal 1965 plane crash in south-east Queensland.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Clayton |first=Mark |date=September 2017 |title=A Wing and a Prayer |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/%27A_wing_and_a_prayer%27,_Aviation_Heritage,_vol._48,_no._3_(September_2017),_pp.128-130.pdf |journal=The Journal of the Aviation Historial Society of Australia |volume=48 |issue=3 |pages=128–130 |access-date=28 August 2021 |archive-date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731110412/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/%27A_wing_and_a_prayer%27,_Aviation_Heritage,_vol._48,_no._3_(September_2017),_pp.128-130.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following a period as a travelling evangelist in New Zealand, Cooper returned to Australia and brought his wife and children to New Zealand. Following 18 months of travelling the country, the Coopers settled in [[Rangiora]] near [[Christchurch]], where Cooper helped found the local [[New Life Churches, New Zealand|New Life Church]]. Following a breakdown in the relationship with the local New Life pastor, Cooper established his own church called "The Christian Church" at Springbank near Christchurch, bringing half of the Rangiora New Life congregation with him.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} They became known as the Springbank Christian Community.<ref name="Stuff May 2015">{{cite web|url=http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/68166569/men-groomed-to-have-underage-sex-in-gloriavale-exmember-says|title=Men 'groomed' to have underage sex in Gloriavale, ex-member says|author=Ashleigh Stewart|date=1 May 2015|access-date=20 July 2016|work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818145009/http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/68166569/men-groomed-to-have-underage-sex-in-gloriavale-exmember-says|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Our Beginnings">{{cite web |title=Our Beginnings|url=https://gloriavale.org.nz/beginnings/  |publisher=Gloriavale Christian Community's official website |access-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812083026/https://gloriavale.org.nz/beginnings/|archive-date=12 August 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Springbank Christian Community acquired a farm in [[Cust, New Zealand|Cust]] from the Harrison family, two of whose sons married two of Cooper's daughters. The Springbank Community built a school, church complex, and established several plumbing, drainlaying, gasfitting, aircraft engineering, motor mechanics, waterbed manufacturing, and cabinetry businesses at the Cust farm. In addition, the Church also raised pigs, sheep and grew crops. While at Cust, the Springbank Christian Community established a point system for members to share wages and profits from the church businesses. Since the church provided food and basic needs, members shut down their personal accounts and came to depend on church distributions to live. In addition, Cooper instituted modest blue uniforms for members including long dresses for women.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

===Relocation to Haupiri Valley===
After the Springbank Christian Community outgrew its Cust site, they relocated to a larger property on the [[West Coast Region]] of the [[South Island]] between 1991 and 1995. This new settlement, located in the [[Haupiri]] Valley was named "Gloriavale" after the wife of Neville Cooper, and established the existing Gloriavale Christian Community, roughly {{convert|60|km|miles}} inland from [[Greymouth]].<ref name="Our Beginnings" /><ref name="Stuff May 2015" />

Cooper and his followers purchased two large dairy farms in Haupiri Valley and across the Haupiri river called Glenhopeful. From 1999, more infrastructure including a church called "Gloriavale," four large hostels, sheds, and a main centre were gradually built. The main centre housed a commercial kitchen, mess hall, school rooms, preschool, office spaces, commercial laundry, boiler room, and several living spaces. This main centre was also used for communal gatherings and feasts.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

In addition to the two dairy farms, Gloriavale established several enterprises including a [[sphagnum]]-moss export business called "Discoveries in Gardening," a deer farm, pet food manufacturing plant,<ref name="Stuff January 2010" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Black |first1=Eleanor |title=Life after Gloriavale: Hopeful Christian's granddaughter speaks out |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/95848006/life-after-gloriavale-hopeful-christians-granddaughter-speaks-out |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=26 August 2017 |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=22 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022191834/https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/95848006/life-after-gloriavale-hopeful-christians-granddaughter-speaks-out |url-status=live }}</ref> a helicopter-servicing business, and a hunting lodge venture called "Wilderness Quest NZ." Work in Gloriavale was organised along gender lines with women being limited to mainly hospitality and child-raising roles.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The community runs Gloriavale Christian School, a private coeducational composite (years 1–13) school with a roll of 200.<ref name="TKI school" /> The school moved to the West Coast in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 2004 |title=Private School Review Report: Gloriavale Christian Community School |url=http://www.ero.govt.nz/ero\reppub.nsf/Institution/5F1D8A54CE00A624CC256F69000F1D41/$File/1587.htm |publisher=[[Education Review Office]]}}{{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

On 10 August 2025, Gloriavale's Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple resigned after pleading guilty to 12 charges of sexual offending against women and girls in late July 2025. Stephen Standfast was designated as his successor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boswell |first1=Ryan |title=Gloriavale leader Howard Temple resigns after admitting sexual abuse |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/12/gloriavale-leader-howard-temple-resigns-after-admitting-sexual-abuse/ |access-date=13 August 2025 |work=[[1News]] |date=12 August 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250813223304/https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/12/gloriavale-leader-howard-temple-resigns-after-admitting-sexual-abuse/ |archive-date=13 August 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Air West Coast===
[[File:Dornier 228, Wellington, 28 March 2007.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A small plane flies over a wooded, residential area.|Air West Coast Dornier 228 on approach to Wellington in March 2007]]

Gloriavale owned Air West Coast Ltd in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Naish |first1=Joanne |title=Gloriavale Christian Community assets top $40 million |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/124420042/gloriavale-trusts-assets-and-profits-up-on-last-year |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=3 March 2021}}</ref>

Air West Coast's Christchurch service ended due to a lack of passengers in April 2003.<ref>{{cite news |title=Air West Coast shelves Christchurch service|publisher=[[Westport News]] |date=2 April 2003}}</ref> Air West Coast reviewed its service and dropped Westport stopover from the Greymouth to Wellington flight on 27 June 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Air West Coast reviewing the future |issue=1 July 2008 |publisher=[[Greymouth Evening Star]] |date=1 July 2008}}</ref>