The Christian Church Community Trust
Gloriavale Trust deregistered for serious wrongdoing
The Charities Registration Board (the Board) has issued decisions to deregister the Christian Church Community Trust (the Trust) and disqualify one former trustee.
The Trust supports the Gloriavale community by governing and administering the community’s commonly owned assets.
After a period of information-gathering by the Department of Internal Affairs over several years, the Board issued a Notice of Intended Decision (NOID) in April 2025 to deregister the Trust and disqualify five trustees. The Board later spent two days with representatives of the Trust hearing their objections to the intended decision, as requested by them under the Charities Act, and considered more information in 2026.
After carefully considering submissions the Board has decided to deregister the Trust for three years on the grounds of serious wrongdoing. The Board considered findings of the Employment Court, the Teachers’ Council, and other relevant information.
The Board’s view is that the funding provided by the Trust supported the Gloriavale community to operate in ways found to be unlawful and inconsistent with the wellbeing of Trust beneficiaries.
The Board has also disqualified former trustee Howard Temple for the maximum period of five years to ensure he cannot assume a governance role again.
Having considered extensive evidence, the Board has accepted submissions made by four other current or former trustees that it is not in the public interest to disqualify them. A second former trustee, Fervent Stedfast, would have been disqualified for the maximum period but for his current state of health, meaning that such an order would have no legal effect and it is not in the public interest to make an order that is a legal nullity.
Three other current or former trustees have been actively and readily involved in improving Trust governance and the Board has determined it is not in the public interest to disqualify them.
“This has been a particularly complex matter”, said Jane Wrightson, chair of the Charities Registration Board. “The Board accepts that current trustees have worked hard to effect change in the community and to improve procedures to support their community. However the behaviour set out in the NOID did occur, and meets the threshold for serious wrongdoing: the behaviour was both grossly negligent and constitutes gross mismanagement”.
The Board noted it is in the public interest to ensure entities granted the privilege of charitable status meet their obligations with diligence and rigour. This is consistent with promoting trust and confidence in the charitable sector.
“The Board recognises the right of the community to exist as a religious minority within a free and democratic society” said Wrightson. “The Board regulates the Trust, not the community, and this decision does not determine the future operation of this religious community. The decision concerns whether the Trust should continue to enjoy the benefits of being a registered charity under the Act in light of the serious wrongdoing that has occurred. We have decided it should not.”
The Christian Church Community Trust and Trustees have the right to appeal this decision. The Board will not be making any further comment.
Read the full Trust and Trustees decisions below