Disneyland castle promised by God Squad head

Press, 8 August 1977, Page 1

Disneyland castle promised by God Squad head

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ALAN KNOWLES

The fort-like structure on the “God Squad ’ farm at Waipara is merelv the foundation of a fairytale castle—intended eventually to house the dozens of collections belonging to squad members, including the arms seized.

The Full Gospel Mission Trust finally opened its doors to a reporter of “The Press” yesterday, after the return of Dr D. A. Metcalf, the Church’s overseer. Dr Metcalf, who had been in Europe attending two conferences, and preaching in Full Gospel churches in Jerusalem, said there was absolutely nothing sinister about the farm at Waipara, nor any of the Church’s activities. The concrete-block tower and the castellated walls, which caused such puzzlement during thfe recent publicity about the church, were the beginnings of a “Disneyland-type castle,’’ he said. It was to house the collections belonging to church members, and would eventually be open to the public.

“We still intend to build a quarter to a third-scale castle down there. But we have gone as far as we can without a building permit,” said Dr Metcalf.

The swimming pool—shown in aerial photographs of the farm published in “The Press”—was built as a water reservoir for fire-fighting, because the faun was not on a water supply. It was about 30 metres long and was in three stages, to accommodate people with vari* ous swimming abilities. The castle would be built beside the pool. “I am a collector,” said Dr Metcalf, as he sat surrounded by curios, medals, - mounted butterflies, weapons, and bric-a-brac. One of his collections is of more than 100 horse

saddles from all over the world. He said he was a bona fide arms collector, and his collection of framed certificates backs him up. Dr Metcalf is a life member of the National Rifle Association of America, the New Zealand Antique Anns Association, the Cartridge Collectors’ Association, the Hand Loaders’ Association, and the New Zealand Military Historical Society. “I have applied to the Department of Internal Affairs for an artefact collector’s licence, but the application has been held up because of the adverse publicity. They wrote to me asking me to clarify whether I was collecting artefacts or rifles.

Throughout the interview, Dr Metcalf quoted from the Bible. He used one such quotation to explain the Church’s silence during the news media investigations

in June: “A soft answer turneth away wrath,” he said.

The Church was established in New Zealand about 1924. he said, as a result of the visit of a Yorkshire evangelist. Smith Wiggles worth. Dr Metcalf was vague about the early history of the Church. “Some of the older people in Christchurch may be able to enlighten us,” he said.

Each Monday, Church members meet in homes in Christchurch for prayer meetings, and on Wednesday evenings a Communion service is held in a corrugated iron barn at the farm. About 100 people

attend this service, which was the same as any other Communion service except that the washing of feet was practised. Instead of a cross, the Church uses the old Hebrew menorah—the sevenbraided candlestick. “We are non-smokers and non-drinkers, and don’t take drugs,” Dr Metcalf said.

However, this did not preclude prescription medicines. Doctors had their place in the Church, and were called at times to the farm, even though Dr Metcalf holds a doctorate in naturopathy from the Anglo-American Institute of Drugless Therapy. He is also a Doctor of Literature from the Sussex College of Technology, specialising in Middle Eastern literature.

Before the police seized the arms, Dr Metcalf had booked and paid for his air ticket to Europe. He denied allegations that he had "run out” on the Church. “I went with the consent of the Church elders,” he said. He attended the first international conference on drug abuse in Jerusalem and another in Stockholm on the Full Gospel Church.

During the interview, Dr Metcalf’s family listened in and added comments where they thought necessary. His son-in-law, Mr D. P. Williams, a teacher at the Waipara School, said the sect members were not conscientious objectors. “If we are called up by the country, we will go to fight. We stand behind Queen and country," he said.

He made this comment in reply to a question about the involvement of Royal New Zealand Air. Force staff in the Church. “If freedom is worth having, it is worth fighting for,” Dr Metcalf said. “But we are not out to make our own wars.” There was no sinister association with the R.N.Z.A.F., said Mr Williams- His brother, Bruce, had started the interest within the R.N.Z.A.F. He had been a member of the Christian Fellowship at Wigram in 1968, and it was through his contact with other Christians in the Air Force that the interest in the Church had grown.

Dr Metcalf said that there was no seditious conspiracy between the Church and the R.N.Z.A.F.,

"as the police had been trying to prove.” As members of the Church within the Air Force had been posted, so the interest in the Church grew.

Two Church members held ham radio licences, and had built the aerial at the farm for the transmitters. “They plan to erect two more aerials of similar height soon,” Dr Metcalf said. Several other members had citizens band licences. The interest in radio was a hobby, as was the collecting, with no sinister connotations-

Dr Metcalf described the 100-acre spread at Waipara as a “shoestring farm,” which was not run as a business. All of the money for the overseas trips and the farm came out of the pockets of Church members. There was a fouracre vegetable garden at the farm, and a few animals. “We try to live off the land.”

Aerial photographs of the farm had shown an array of vehicles, which were not explained at the time. A row of six caravans belonged to Church members in the North Island, who stayed in them when they visited the farm, he said. A large bus was bought because its wheels fitted the farm truck, and it sat in the yard without wheels and “could be used as a hen house." An armoured car, mentioned by the police, was only a shell, and was used as a shed. The Church in New Zealand had a hard core of about 300 members, and another 500 members throughout the country. It had five registered pastors who took care of the day-to-day running of the Church in their area. The Church was administered by a fully constituted trust, with a board of directors led by Dr Metcalf. Dr Metcalf said that as soon as the publicity about the Waipara farm broke, the Royal Insurance Company, Ltd, had cancelled the insurance policy it held on the farm buildings. The homestead was insured for $16,000 and the farm buildings for $3700. The sect bought the 100acre farm three years ago for about $30,000.

The Church is now insured with the State Insurance Office.