Five members of Gloriavale’s leadership team have left in the last two years, and there are calls for more to stand down.
Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim on Tuesday resigned as shepherds in the West Coast commune.
Stedfast was accused of failing to handle employment matters during his time as Gloriavale’s financial controller. He had held the position since 1995.
He resigned from his position last year.
Pilgrim quit as principal of Gloriavale Christian School in 2020 over his failure to protect children in his care.
READ MORE: Gloriavale: 2 senior leaders step down from roles
A community spokesperson said he has also resigned from his position as a senior community leader in order to take full responsibility for the situation.
The resignations have been described by Gloriavale as “part of its commitment to change”.
READ MORE: Gloriavale leaders issue apology for failing to 'protect victims'
Salem Temple, James Ready and Vigilant Standtrue stood down in 2021 over policy changes.
Howard Temple remains the head of Gloriavale, and has been the overseeing shepherd since founder Hopeful Christian died in 2018.
There are now four shepherds – including Temple’s successor, Stephen Standfast – and the chairperson of Gloriavale’s trust, Samuel Valour.
Another seven servants make up the leadership group, including Peter Righteous and Mark Christian, who are in charge of the boys work allocation. The Employment Court found the work children were doing at Gloriavale was child labour.
The leadership said in a statement released last week, after a number of companies threatened to end their working relationship with Gloriavale, that it was committed to change and apologised for worker exploitation and sexual abuse.
READ MORE: Sanction of ex-Gloriavale school principal 'soft' - trust
It said procedures are now in place for members to speak out safely and a child protection team is being overseen by Oranga Tamariki.
Former member and the son of Fervent Pilgrim, Zion Pilgrim, said even with the resignations, he doesn’t hold out much hope.
“From the running point of the organisation, I don’t see it making a huge difference because it’s not a structural change,” Zion said.
Gloravale Leaver Trust spokeswoman Liz Gregory said she wants a “wholesale change of leadership”.
“The problem is Gloriavale doesn’t have anyone coming up who could lead the change that’s needed so I would be thinking surely, there are some agencies who are looking to put Gloriavale in statutory management to make sure the 600 people still in there are cared for during this rocky transition,” she said.
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