Waipara sect supported in ‘St John’ debate

Press, 3 May 1982, Page 12

Waipara sect supported in ‘St John’ debate

The Camp David religious sect at Waipara may be within its rights to have the words, "St John,’’ and the Maltese cross on the vehicles it uses to help stranded motorists. .There has been criticism

of the sect for having the words, “St John Volunteer Corps,” painted on the side panels of its “good Samaritan” vehicles. The Maltese cross is also on several parts of the vehicles. The St John Ambulance

Association was concerned that the public might be confused by the similarity of names. The association was considering action against the sect.

According to an expert on heraldry, the Camp David sect does have the right to use the words and the cross. The man said there were several orders throughout the world us ing “St John” in their titles along with various forms of the Maltese cross.

The Camp David right to use the title comes from the Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, which derives from an earlier Spanish priory, which spread through France, Ireland, and Scotland to America.

Working through the American branch of the order, the Camp David sect was granted a royal charter in 1967 by the late King Peter II of Yugoslavia, who was then the grand master of the order.

Because of that, the Camp David use of the Maltese cross features a Serbian eagle between the limbs of the cross or a cross surrounded by a belt.

On the vehicles used to gve aid to motorists, the rbian eagle is featured on the front door panels. Many variations of the cross are in use.

The parent St .John body generally uses a plain white cross, while the British order, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in the

British Realm (commonly referred to as the Order of St John), incorporates a lion and a unicorn between the arms of the cross.

The Brandenburg Order of St John (sometimes termed the German Protestant Order) uses a German eagle between the limbs of the cross.

The local heraldry authority said that it was possible for a person to be a member of more than one order of St John at the same time and he knew of at least one highly placed person overseas who was a member of the British Order of St John and of the order which issued the charter to the Camp David sect. Confirming the 1967 granting of the charter, the head of the Camp David sect, Dr D. A. Metcalf, said its St John work was supported by the Camp David Christian Community, a full gospel mission, which was connected with Eastern Orthodox religious groups. The sect had been functioning in New Zealand since 1924. Also the director of that order of St John in New Zealand, Dr Metcalf, said that the group was basically a religious order doing good works. The members helped motorists in trouble by mending punctures, towing vehicles, and accommodating stranded persons. The group also ran a fire brigade. This cost the sect about $40,000 annually. Donations were not solicited, and only about $4O was. received through donations each year, Dr Metcalf said.