It’s heart-warming to know that just the possibility of an Exclusive Brethren contingent flying around New Zealand in a large chartered jet is news-worthy. After years of “flying beneath the radar” the Exclusive Brethren are being watched increasingly carefully – and rightly so!
Questions are being asked about Tax-Exemption, Property Deals, School Planning and the huge amount of government funding that is assisting the growth of their separatist education model. And then there is the matter of broken families, missing years, psychological damage and the sad impact following decades of abusive teachings.
Many hope that soon the Watching will stop … and the Investigation will begin.
Brethren party believed to be in city
The Southland Times
30 December 2008
By Amy MilneA large contingent of Exclusive Brethren is understood to be visiting Southland.
A private jet, believed to have been ferrying church members from Australia, landed at Invercargill Airport on Sunday.
MYSTERY PLANE: The aircraft at Invercargill Airport.
Details surrounding the aircraft last night remained sketchy, with no one willing to disclose who the mysterious passengers were.
Invercargill Airport operations manager Eric Forsyth said he could not confirm or deny whether Exclusive Brethren members had chartered the jet, which would be flying out some time this morning.
The aircraft had few markings except that it was a Sky Embrear 190 registered VH-SXK.
An internet search revealed it was owned and operated by Sky Air World, of Australia. Speaking from Sydney last night, Sky Air World technical development manager Peter Schott said the plane had been privately chartered.
He did not know how many passengers were aboard but said it seated 94 and had a crew of two pilots, three flight attendants and an engineer.
He could not disclose the name of the clients but said they had been travelling around New Zealand since Christmas Day.
Asked whether they were Exclusive Brethren, Mr Schott said that “sounded odd” and he had no knowledge of that. “They’re just regular people.”
Staff at Invercargill’s largest hotel, Ascot Park, said no large groups were booked there this week except for one that had come off a bus from the North Island.
sound just like the brethren doesn’t it, doing something without letting people out of fellowship know about it. oh that is so sad!