Ballantyne, Walter Simpson. Walter Simpson Ballantyne (born 16 September 1937, died 16 July 2011) led the Tauranga-based School of the Prophets, which he founded in 1997. He was a marriage celebrant and a former pastor of Gisborne New Life Fellowship Church. (That church was renamed Mega Life Church a few years after he left, to reflect the change in management and distance themselves from what he had introduced.) He was said to not like the term Christian, using the word believer instead, and taught that believers must pray in tongues for an hour a day and that a person is not saved unless they pray in tongues. He claimed to have visions of angelic visitations (compare William Branham) and made hundreds of teaching tapes which are still in circulation.

Walter Ballantyne is rated Danger for his non-biblical teachings including serious misrepresentations of the person, role and position of Jesus Christ (some evidence suggests he may even be uncomfortable with the idea that Jesus Christ is an actual person with an adult, glorified body; for example, he has taught that Christ is a child growing inside him and his followers), and especially for the detrimental impact he has personally had on relationships, particularly marriages. Submissions for this listing are now being accepted. Please see the Contact page.

	Danger: The group/person or belief/practice is considered dangerous due to mind control or particularly bad doctrine. These groups (or people) have a strong tendency to damage their members/followers.
	Hot Topic: The group/person or belief/practice has recently featured in the secular news media, has generated notable correspondence, is a popular conversation topic, etc. Note that this rating has nothing to do with the "cultishness" of a group.

Printed on 24 April 2026 at www.cults.co.nz.
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