New EB HQ planned for Diamond Creek
The Leader, Australia
by Engel Schmidl
March 11, 2009

A controversial Christian church is planning to make a proposed prayer hall in Diamond Creek, for up to 2000 people, its new Melbourne headquarters.

The Exclusive Brethren, which has built five smaller meeting halls in the north-eastern suburbs in recent years, has been accused by former members and critics of being cult-like and secretive.

The proposed hall in Diamond Creek Rd will replace the church’s main hall in Glenroy.

City Gospel Trust member Adrian Mead said the shift reflected where church members had moved over the past eight years.

“It’s a pleasant area for families and we’re a family-focused church,” Mr Mead said.

Nillumbik Council has received 15 objections from residents to the church’s planning application mainly concerning the size of the meeting hall, carpark and traffic issues and its visual impact on the area.

Local resident Andrew Purchase, who lives just behind the proposed site, said the architect’s plans made it look like a “gated factory with no windows and totally out of character with the local neighbourhood”.

“This thing’s going to be a huge eyesore coming up Diamond Creek Rd,” Mr Purchase said.

Mr Mead said he was sympathetic to objectors and a lot of work had gone into the application to minimise the impact of parking and traffic on residents.

He said the hall would operate at full capacity only up to five times a year for conferences. Smaller services would be held at other times.

Michael Bachelard, author of Behind the Exclusive Brethren, said he was not surprised by the move because one of the church’s leaders, John Gadsden, lived in Diamond Creek.

Nillumbik Council spokeswoman Allison Watt said residents had until April 14 to make submissions on the application.

Source – The Leader – New EB HQ planned for Diamond Creek