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 ProjectCloseup.
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 ProjectCloseup. 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 ProjectCloseup
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).
Gerson therapy. Also known as Gerson diet, Gerson method, and Gerson treatment. Gerson therapy is basically a diet (including supplements, and enemas of coffee, ozone, and other substances) intended to treat and heal chronic medical conditions, especially cancer, by removing toxins from the body. It is not effective for that purpose, and has been linked to multiple deaths around world, including the death of 23 year old Paloma Shemirani in the UK in July 2024. (For more information on that death and the information that came out in the subsequent inquest, see this Stuff article or this BBC report – a very sad example of the way embracing conspiracy theories can twist a person's thinking and harm families.) Gerson therapy is rated Danger for the high probability of harm (including coma and death) the diet/regime can cause, even without any presence of cancer – the treatment itself can include severe side effects, including dehydration, inflammation of the bowel, heart and lung problems, and life-threatening sodium deficiency. For more information see Quackwatch's Gerson listing.
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.
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 was led by Howard Temple 2018 to August 2025, and is presently led by Stephen Standfast. See the Cooperites listing for more information about the group.
Goff, Phil.
Former 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.
Goudie, Sandra. Sandra Goudie is mayor of Coromandel and holds strong anti-vax beliefs, for example claiming without evidence that the vaccines are "hazardous". She has spoken at anti-vax meetings. It is disappointing for a public figure and leader to take such a reckless approach to public health. She is rated Danger for the risk of death and long-term disability her anti-vaccination disinformation poses to the general public.
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.
Grace Road Church. A Korean doomsday cult of approximately 400 members which moved (with most of its members) from South Korea to Fiji in 2013 because it believed the South Pacific would be a better place to survive the apocalypse. Not believed to be present in New Zealand, but has a strong and growing presence in Fiji, where its businesses – apparently staffed for free by its members – are welcomed and strongly supported by the Fijian government, possibly for the contribution the businesses make to the economy. In 2018 the original leader, Okjoo Shin, was extradited back to Korea and received a six year prison sentence. Her son, Daniel Kim, continues to lead the group in Fiji, but still has an arrest warrant in Korea.
Update: In 2023 Fiji cracked down on the doomsday cult, declaring six members "prohibited immigrants" and deporting two of them to South Korea. Leader Daniel Kim was also later arrested. The cult has 55 business projects in Fiji, funded by government loans. More information in this NZ Herald article or this slightly later RNZ article.
Grail Movement Foundation of NZ.
Publishes the book/pamphlet In the Light of Truth.
Gray, Jonathan.
Con artist. Jonathan Grey 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 has not been given a Danger rating
because his claims are not likely to do any damage other than to people's
wallets, and increasing the likelihood that people believing his lies will believe other similar lies.
Grenon, James. James Grenon is a Canadion billionaire and has been a New Zealand resident since 2012. In March 2025 he made a bid to try to take control of the New Zealand Herald – RNZ reported that he had just bought 9.3% of shares of NZME, the media company which owns the NZ Herald, and straight away wrote to the company's board to try to get them to replace all the directors with new ones, one of which should be himself. He has claimed he has 37% backing, and has been approached by "far more than another 10%". He is claiming he may have the ability for a takeover. According to the RNZ article Grenon helped found "alternative online news website The Centrist", which says the NZ Herald "lacks balance (on issues) including co-governance, climate science and the COVID response." And here we find motive for a takeover. All this certainly sounds like he is heading towards a takeover, and yet he says he has "no current plans" for that – simply not credible; his actions show he has been making plans. James Grenon has supported conspiracy theorist Chantelle Baker, and registered as a political promoter before the New Zealand 2023 general election, but refuses to explain why, sticking to only what he is legally required to say. James Grenon is rated Caution for the attempt to control and redirect the editorial direction of New Zealand's news services, including through The Centrist.
Grey, Sue. Sue Grey is a conspiracy theorist, anti-vaccine activist, lawyer, and co-leader of the New Zealand Outdoors and Freedom Party. As a lawyer, in November and December 2022 she led an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the possibility of a baby getting blood transfusions during an essential heart operation using blood from donors who have had a COVID-19 vaccine. The operation was delayed by her actions. Sue Grey is rated Danger because the conspiracy theories and disinformation she actively promotes could lead to people dying by not getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Her disinformation also delayed New Zealand's return to post-Covid life by encouraging people to travel into and through quarantined regions, and to not get vaccinated. In November 2021 Newshub reported Sue Grey is being investigated by the NZ Law Society. In December 2022 RNZ ran an article saying a complaint to the Law Society 18 months ago has yet to be resolved.
Gunn, Liz. Liz Gunn is a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine activist, former television and radio presenter, and leader of the New Zealand Loyal political party. The conspiracy theories she has embraced appear to have been affecting her ability to think clearly. For example, in October 2021 she launched into a tirade about "jab rape" and how an earthquake in the central North Island was Mother Earth reacting against vaccines and "the poisoning of our children". In January 2022 she "unleashed in a furious rant" when asked for proof of her claim that children collapsed at a vaccination centre on Auckland's North Shore; the claims have never been backed by any evidence. In November and December 2022, as an accomplice of Sue Grey, Liz Gunn assisted an unsuccessful attempt to block the possibility of a baby getting blood transfusions during an essential heart operation using blood from donors who have had a COVID-19 vaccine. On election night in October 2023 Liz Gunn claimed "We are being ruled by a criminal cabal and at the very least, utter bullies" about the people she lost to in a fair and democratic election. Liz Gunn has apparently had COVID-19 at least once, and said she had been very sick. She picked it up from the Wellington protest in February-March 2022. Liz Gunn is rated Danger because the conspiracy theories and disinformation she actively promotes could lead to people dying by not getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Founded in 1995 and based in Tyler, Texas, USA. The GTAEA is represented
in New Zealand by the 
Actively promotes the scam product 
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.)
Extreme 
Member of the 
Current name in the United States of the Christian denomination formerly
known as the 