God’s new kingdom in Maruia Valley?

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 3

God’s new kingdom in Maruia Valley?

PA Nelson A religious sect with more than 80 members is preparing an emergency retreat in a bush-covered gully near Murchison. The group, the Camp David community of Waipara, north of Christchurch, believes civilisation is about to end and the gully in Maruia Valley will be the birthplace of God’s new kingdom. Religious leaders of the church, the Full Gospel Mission, have hidden a large petrol tank on the 163-hectare block of land, sources close to the sect say.

One informant indicated that caves on the block could conceal firearms, but another source doubted this.

When the allegations were put to a sect leader, Mr Darryl MetcalfWilliams, he said if there were petrol or firearms hidden on the land they were likely to have been

put there by members who had left the mission. “Some people suggested that gear be stored there. If it was stored there I don’t think it would be stored now, do you?” he said.

Asked if the group was about ’to retreat to the Maruia Valley, he expressed concern that code numbers were being introduced now for all foods (so that the numbers could be read at supermarket check-outs). These numbers were the “mark of the Beast.” “Soon we will not be allowed to buy or sell without the mark of the Beast If we don’t believe in that we are going to have to live off the hills and natural areas. “If all New Zealand knows about the property of Murchison, where 1 or someone else was going, people would encourage us to take the mark when we dropped out.”

Mr Metcalf-Williams, who has the code-name Natanael, was a kind of “kingmaker” who wrote the mission’s doctrine, several sources said. The spiritual leader for nearly 30 years has been Dr Douglas Metcalf. At first, followers regarded Dr Metcalf as someone who had experienced a vision. Then they came to believe he was a prophet. But in the last two to three years many of his followers, including grown-up children of the original members, have become convinced he is Jesus Christ Dr Metcalf lives with the group at the Waipara settlement and is referred to by members as Lord Yahshuah Messiah.