New Zealand Cults, Sects, Religions, Christian Organisations, and other groups.

Groups List: G

Hot picks: Gentle Wind Project, Gloriavale Christian Community, Glyconutrients

G

Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelical Association. Founded in 1995 and based in Tyler, Texas, USA. The GTAEA is represented in New Zealand by the Intercontinental Church of God. More information can also be found in the Garner Ted Armstrong listing.

Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. Actively promotes the scam product Miracle Mineral Solution – which is apparently the only purpose for which the "church" exists. Founded by American scammer Jim Humble, who brought it to New Zealand in 2010 or earlier. Operated in New Zealand by the scammer Roger Blake. Also present in Australia, where ABC News reports it "has been issued infringement notices totalling [AUD]$151,200."

Genetic engineering/genetic modification. Normally referred to as GE or GM. Using GE to "solve the world's food problems" is a solution based on greed to a problem caused by greed. (Further comment, including possible appropriate uses of GE, is actually outside the realm of this web site.)

Gentle Wind Project. Extreme New Age group, formerly represented in New Zealand. Basically a New Age cult/business cult/scam. In August 2006 this group was wound up in Maine (USA) by the Maine Attorney General. See the History page in the Closeup for more information. GWP announced they would be continuing in the other states and in other countries, and have resurfaced as Family Systems Research Group.

A group officially launched in New Zealand in early 2004 by Mary Miller, with the (then) NZ contact person Grace Maiden. The Gentle Wind Project (GWP) has been described as being "a Cult" by former members, who have a web site called Wind of Changes. We have a detailed report of their Insiders' Stories (PDF, 51kB) available for download so researchers can make up their own minds on these claims. (An author statement regarding the report is available on their own web site.) Their descriptions of GWP's practices include many of the standard mind control techniques such as deceptive recruitment, control of information, etc, as well as a slightly more original angle – sexual rituals to provide energy for GWP's "healing instruments" which the group makes and distributes. The members involved in the sexual practices – mostly women – are supposedly warned not to tell outsiders (or even their husbands) about these practices. Naturally, GWP denies the claims.

GWP charges/requests donations of anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars for the various healing instruments, which do absolutely NOTHING for the well-being of the user apart from that easily explained by expectation, dependency and the placebo effect. Being large, brightly coloured and very expensive, the healing instruments should make really great placebos – just don't take them orally. Caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware" – although if you misinterpret that Latin as meaning "the buyer has an empty head" you might not be far off). False claims of credibility (especially relating to the healing instruments), deceptive marketing and sales practices, the questionable end destination of money raised, etc, are signs the Gentle Wind Project is also a business cult and scam.

Our original GWP listing (not very dissimilar to the paragraphs above) resulted in this page (not the site) being included on their own web site in a list of targets (since removed) for legal action. Intimidation is a classic cult trait. We note that their international web site has plenty of information available which makes their beliefs and many of their practices (not to mention the ridiculous price of their healing instruments!) quite clear.

The Gentle Wind Project has used straw man arguments to rebut the claims of former members. The GWP states that "rape, molestation, and domestic violence" did not take place in the "energy work" – their euphemism for the sexual practices that supposedly provide energy for the healing instruments. No such claims have been made by former members. We note the GWP has not denied that the "energy work" actually involves sexual activity. Another straw man argument is on their home page where they state "We are not ... part of a ... science fiction alien takeover of earthlings as found in the movie and television fantasies (as some of our critics would have you believe)..." No critics we know of have made such a claim. (So who's writing the science fiction again?)

Since we had received no information to lead us to believe that Gentle Wind Project would be withdrawing from New Zealand, to provide more information for New Zealanders interested in researching this group we prepared a Gentle Wind Project Closeup.

It seems that Gentle Wind Project also poses a serious danger to trees, since they have been ultimately responsible for many trees being pulped to provide all the paper for their donation-wasting law suit (PDF, 214KB – a whopping 45 American sized pages in this document alone).

Urgent Notice: A worldwide product recall has been announced for all "healing instruments" manufactured by the Gentle Wind Project. These "healing instruments" apparently do not meet the specifications of the original designers and may cause harmful side-effects.

At the end of June 2006 the Maine Attorney General's Office (in the USA) filed a lawsuit against GWP. In August 2006 this group was wound up by the Maine Attorney General. Read more on the History page in the Gentle Wind Project Closeup. President Mary Miller expressed her intent to continue GWP work in the other States and around the world. This she has done under the name Family Systems Research Group.

Written submissions for this listing are still being accepted (although please read the Gentle Wind Project Closeup first). Please see the Contact page. We note that to date no submissions of any sort have been received from the Gentle Wind Project or anyone representing them (legally or otherwise).

Gillott, Ian H. Member of the Scientology cult. Ian Gillott has attempted on at least three occasions to have this site (in its present and previous forms) deleted or edited to remove the information about Scientology. (He has not succeeded on any of those occasions – ironically his complaint to the former host of the NZ Cult List arrived just after the move to the present location. We don't think he realised the site was no longer there when he complained.) As humorous as his efforts are, this activity is clearly an attempt at religious suppression of our Scientology information – something he has the gall to imply this site is guilty of. Compare this activity to what Jesus Christ said – "In secret I have said nothing." (John 18:20.) Cults.co.nz has to date received no direct communication from Mr Gillott. If he expects to be awarded the coveted Danger rating he's going to have to do better than that.

Gisborne Christian Fellowship. A William Branham church in Gisborne led by Howard Searle, who also runs Gospel Tape Ministry.

Global Association of Culture and Peace. Front group for Providence Church. See Wikipedia's Global Association of Culture and Peace article for alternative names.

Global Church of God. Cult. Based on the teachings of Herbert W Armstrong. Legalistic, sabbath worship, etc. Founded in 1992 as a breakaway group (founded by Roderick C. Meredith) from the former cult Worldwide Church of God when the "Global" group decided they wanted to keep the doctrine of Herbert Armstrong rather than accept the reforms that were happening in the Worldwide Church of God.

Gloriavale Christian Community. Gloriavale Christian Community is a large farm (1700 ha according to the Gloriavale website, or 1687 ha according to this article) at Haupiri River (inland from Greymouth) on the West Coast of the South Island, and is named after founder Neville Cooper's deceased first wife. Since 1991 this has been the home of the Cooperites, after they moved from Springbank Christian Community on the East Coast. The move was completed in 1995. The community is presently led by Howard Temple. See the Cooperites listing for more information about the group.

Glory Realm conference. See The Glory Realm Conference.

Glyconutrients. See Mannatech.

Gnosticism. See Gnosticism in the Glossary.

God's Squad. Nickname for the Full Gospel Mission Fellowship.

Godfuel Media Ministries. Promotes the occult teachings of John Crowder, Ben Dunn, Extreme Prophetic, Bill Johnson, etc.

Goff, Phil. Labour MP for the Roskill electorate in Auckland, former Minister of Justice, Leader of the Opposition etc. Political figure rather than religious, but assigned a Danger rating for the incredible danger he posed to the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of New Zealand children because of a law he tried to pass through parliament in May 2005. (See the Election Results PDF, 69KB).

Gospel Tape Ministry. Disseminates the seriously bad teachings of false prophet William Branham. Based in Gisborne. Led by Howard Searle.

Grace Communion International. Current name in the United States of the Christian denomination formerly known as the Worldwide Church of God. The name Worldwide Church of God is still used by those branches which wish to do so. Interesting reading is this explanation of the name change.

Grail Movement Foundation of NZ. Publishes the book/pamphlet In the Light of Truth.

Gray, Jonathan. Con artist. Represented Wyatt Archaeological Research on a speaking tour of New Zealand a few years ago, plugging the bogus claims of Ron Wyatt. Those claims have been thoroughly refuted. Like Ron Wyatt, Jonathan Gray hasn't been given a Danger rating because his claims are not likely to do any damage other than to people's wallets.