Graham Panes

Graham’s father, Roger Panes, was a cattle dealer in Andover, Hampshire, England. In November 1973 Roger 41, his wife Pamela 39 and their three children Graham 7, Adrian 4 and Angela 6 were all members of the Exclusive Brethren.

As a direct result of harsh Exclusive Brethren discipline, Roger Panes killed his wife and three young children before hanging himself on March 4th, 1974. It remains one of the most senseless and unnecessary murder suicides on record and is entirely due to the way that the Exclusive Brethren demand total and complete control over individuals.

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Angela’s father, Roger Panes, was a cattle dealer in Andover, Hampshire, England. In November 1973 Roger 41, his wife Pamela 39 and their three children Graham 7, Adrian 4 and Angela 6 were all members of the Exclusive Brethren.

As a direct result of harsh Exclusive Brethren discipline, Roger Panes killed his wife and three young children before hanging himself on March 4th, 1974. It remains one of the most senseless and unnecessary murder suicides on record and is entirely due to the way that the Exclusive Brethren demand total and complete control over individuals.

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Adrian’s father, Roger Panes, was a cattle dealer in Andover, Hampshire, England. In November 1973 Roger 41, his wife Pamela 39 and their three children Graham 7, Adrian 4 and Angela 6 were all members of the Exclusive Brethren.

As a direct result of harsh Exclusive Brethren discipline, Roger Panes killed his wife and three young children before hanging himself on March 4th, 1974. It remains one of the most senseless and unnecessary murder suicides on record and is entirely due to the way that the Exclusive Brethren demand total and complete control over individuals.

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Mrs Anna Joy (Brock) Napthine died on 25th August 1981.

She was found by her husband Peter when he returned to the family home in London, UK, after he had been out to the park with their two little children, Rebecca and Gary.

Anna was being subjected to extended Exclusive Brethren ‘Assembly Discipline’ needlessly caused by one of the toughest Exclusive Brethren cult Leaders of recent years.

In 1981, the Exclusive Brethren leader was a pig farmer from North Dakota, JH Symington. This ‘Elect Vessel’ announced ‘new teaching’ known as ‘The Seven Day Matter’.

Anna had confessed to a wrong-doing some years before. She was not withdrawn from and until Symington announced the ‘7 Day Matter’, as far as she and her fellow Brethren were concerned, she had been forgiven. Anna, and hundreds like her in the Exclusive Brethren worldwide, now had to be confronted with their ’sin’ all over again. This ridiculous and unscriptural process involved being temporarily excommunicated (withdrawn from) for a statutory minimum of 7 days. It is worth highlighting that the invention of outrageous rules is considered by many to be a classic symptom of a cult.

It was expected that Anna would be restored to fellowship after Symingtons’ statutory week, but her case went on for some time longer. In fact, it went on until she took her life.

The Exclusive Brethren in London buried her, and attended the Coroner’s inquest which was held on 9 September 1981. According to the Police she was not on any medication at the time of her death. The cause of death was recorded as hanging, and the Coroner concluded that she killed herself.

Anna was known to be vulnerable. She suffered with a nervous condition. This did not stop the Exclusive Brethren from inflicting on Anna a needless man-made doctrinal exercise that caused her more pain than she could bear.

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In the mysterious and untimely death of Edward ‘Ted’ McGaveston, we base our Memorial of Ted on a well-written newspaper report of the time. It was a major report and is reproduced here in full. Others who knew of events at the time have contributed their comments and these are shown inserted as appropriate.

The original title is missing from the cutting in our archives. It was “in huge letters and spanned two pages”:

Cast Out to ‘Walk the Paths of Hell’

NZ Truth,
October 18th, 1977
pages 4 and 5

The Exclusive Brethren forced Dad over the edge…

“As far as I am concerned he took his own life and the Brethren drove him to it.”

“They wrecked him and his life, just as they split and shattered homes and families of others who got out of line.”

Motueka farmer Dave McGaveston, 26, spat out the words with conviction.

“Dad was a sick man,” he said.

“He’d been a semi-invalid for many years with heart trouble, and his wife had become dependent on local leaders for support, therefore another case of divided loyalties! I’m sure she loved her husband, but bowed to brethren pressure to punish him by separating / ostracising.”

“I’m vague about what he was being punished for, but pretty sure it was an historicial “sin”. I don’t know how long the punishment went on for, but certainly several months, and I remember having the feeling that he’d decided to exit this life on a vicarious basis - it would free his wife and children to return to the bosom of the brethren.”

“They drove him out of the church and hounded mum and the family.” Now Dad’s gone and I know who to blame… the Brethren.”

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Bevan Malcolm’s 1980 suicide is one of the best researched examples of a death directly attributable to the evil doctrines of the cult known as the Exclusive Brethren. Convincing evidence that the 38-year old father of eight was intensely pressured by the Exclusive Brethren before he committed suicide led Timaru coroner Edgar Bradley to state:

“There is no doubt in my mind that there is a direct link between the pressures exerted by some members of the Exclusive Brethren Church and this suicide.”

With remarkable insight, the Timaru Coroner also stated:

“When religion ceases to be concerned with love, humility and tolerance then, whatever it is, it is certainly not Christian.”

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It seems shocking to record, but as soon as James Taylor Jnr took over the leadership of the Exclusive Brethren in 1960, the death rate started to rise.

One of the first casualties of this era was Martin Lawson, “a handsome, sensitive young man” who was a racing driver and a free-spirited young man. He objected to what he saw as rigidity and rules and as he was not a member of the Exclusive Brethren, he saw no need to comply with them.

In the manner that cults like to exert control and apply pressure, the targets became his parents. We leave the story of the result of this pressure to the media of the time and author Norman Adams. As the story of Martin Lawson demonstrates, Exclusive Brethren cruelty is not a recent phenomenon.

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An aura of mystery surrounds the 2003 death of Ivy Jones (Angus). From information received, the ‘hushing’ would seem to be intentionally created from within the Exclusive Brethren. Ivy was wife to William ‘Billy’ Jones and lived in Newtownabbey in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ivy and Billy had two children, Liz and Danny. Liz is married to Kevin Dormer, a senior Exclusive Brethren leader in UK. Dormer is particularly known for his appearance in the BBC documentary Everyman, also in 2003. Ivy took her own life shortly after the program aired, although it is not believed that the two events were related.

Described as a “very quiet and sweet lady” by those that knew her, Ivy was found hanging in the garage by her son Danny in October 2003. There is no record of a suicide note or indeed, of any in-depth investigation into her untimely death.

We are left with the inescapable conclusion that there must be something very wrong with a self-styled ‘christian Fellowship’ where members find that the only escape possible is to take their own lives.

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Ron and Olga Holt started life in Sydney before moving to Wagga Wagga. They had a family of sons. In 1980, Ron and Olga were excommunicated by the Exclusive Brethren. This process ripped their family apart when two sons remained with the Exclusive Brethren.

The sadness of leaving the Exclusive Brethren never left Ron and Olga. To be forced to sever contact with two sons and their families was a fearful price to pay. The Exclusive Brethren doctrine of Separation is a cruel taskmaster with much blood on its hands.

Over the years following the 1980 family division, two of the three sons who left with them, David and Robert, settled in Sydney. The third son however, Graeme Warren, became something of a world traveller. He also travelled under the name ‘Graeme Hansen’.

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Ben’s parents had been treated “real bad” by the Exclusive Brethren and Ben had been told by his Uncle Bill Harris:

” Because you have left the Brethren , you are on your way to Hell.”

Ben told friends that he had endured many nightmares because of this evil pronouncement.

Ben Harris shot himself in May, 1997.

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