It is not clear whether the male residents of Manly West, Brisbane, Australia have succumbed to the Emmy-nominated Old Spice advertising. What is certain, is that an increasing number of communities around the world have had enough of the devious ways the Exclusive Brethren cult operate when it comes to their real estate dealings.

One of the classic symptoms of a cult are methods used in enforcing control of the flock. When a Leader says “Jump!”, the only safe response is “how high?”.

Exclusive Brethren cult members endure tightly-controlled lives that revolve entirely around their fellow members and their virtually daily gatherings. Being separate from the world is not only their primary doctrine, it is the main chain welded to each individual. Only by ensuring minimal contact with outsiders and the media can Bruce D. Hales keep his members from learning too much.

Manly residents rally against Exclusive Brethren plans to build churches in their suburbs

Courier Mail

Residents are calling it a cult “invasion”. The secretive Exclusive Brethren Christian sect has been buying land and businesses at Manly West on Brisbane’s bayside and in Gympie and moving in.

With their numbers growing, the Brethren sect has now sparked community outrage with plans to build a mega-church in Manly for up to 1280 people and a third church in Gympie.

The Manly West church has drawn hundreds of objections and would be the largest Brethren “meeting room” in Queensland, on par with those in Melbourne and Adelaide.

In both cases, the churches are proposed in residential streets not zoned for the purpose. They sit between houses, which residents say will affect their amenity and property values and increase traffic. Residents who had no problem with Brethren families moving in say the huge church will change the face of the neighbourhood.

“It’s an invasion of Manly West,” complained 38-year-old Vanita Hamanne.

Retiree Brian Malcolm said there would be no benefit to the community of having such a big, off-bounds facility on their doorstep.

“It’s a prison for them to come and go as they please but there’s no benefit to the residents,” Mr Malcolm said.

Laurie Whitehead added: “They don’t contribute a lot to the community.”

Gympie people also don’t understand why a “cult” church should be allowed in their residential neighbourhood.

In recent years, Gympie residents have noticed a swelling in Brethren numbers to 100 as part of their migration out of Brisbane, where they have traditionally lived around Bulimba, near a 30-year-old church being replaced by the Manly West one.

Read more in the Courier Mail

“Our schools employ only non-Brethren teachers.” – Steve Kirkpatrick

The Exclusive Brethren was labelled a cult in 2007 by former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who said they split up families and denied education opportunities to children.

At their daily hours-long scripture meetings at a small church on Gympie’s rural southside, the gates are padlocked when the congregation is safely inside, and a security guard sometimes posted.

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Paul Gerrard, who is leading fierce opposition to the church, says dealing with the sect had become difficult. Mr Gerrard has accused the Brethren of employing “stand-over” tactics to persuade locals to sell their houses – a claim rejected by the Brethren.

Read the full article – Manly residents rally against Exclusive Brethren plans to build churches in their suburbs