by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
Neville's Yamaha decides to fight back
Neville's Yamaha decides to fight back
ROUND 5
-125cc farm bike (Continued) -
This round will not take long to record, it was all bike, bike, bike, and more bike, and nothing else but bike, including the usual long pauses. In one of these pauses, the deathly silence was broken by several stomachs deciding to squeak out simultaneously, a rumble in B flat, a squeak in F sharp and a chirrrrp in C major, with the chiming clock ending with the chorus, we almost had an orchestra. They almost harmonized ! I would take a peep at Pip as the old clock boomed out the hour (took about a minute when it got to 12pm), and she would be trying not to laugh and I would suddenly have to do a P. Fisher and hide my face, down between my knees.
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by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
“We feel you are a bad influence on the young people”
“We feel you are a bad influence on the young people”
ROUND 4
-125cc farm bike -
The next visit was about five months later. We were to be treated to another interesting turn of events. These priestlies were full of surprises!
M. Hamilton was nowhere to be seen and Merv Johnson walks in followed by his new ‘wet nurse’, Paul Fisher. M. Hamilton had been demoted (‘shut-up’ I think) for arguing with my brother-in-law over bulldozing rights in certain areas of Marlborough.
Paul Fisher was my age, and after several years of out-squirming us reprobates, he was near to achieving his goal of becoming an ‘ordained’ priest, so here he was eyeball to eyeball with me at my door. One trait that had enhanced his rise to Levitical glory was his ability to produce two faces on the same head. He had one face for outside the meeting room (quite normal as faces go), and another for when preforming a religious roll either inside during the meetings or when preforming as a priest while on official duties away from the meeting room. This trait I detested, and was not about to enjoy.
by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this deep, insightful, personal human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 3
- Trusteeship – Caravanning -
Seven months on and the phone rings: we were not excommunicated after all, because the priests want to visit us again.
In thirteen months of being ‘shut-up’ (other than at my work place and Pip buying supplies), we had only spoken to two brethren members, which were T. Deck and M. Hamilton at our first priestly. Trying to hold a young family together for 13 months was a long time. To our amazement our tormentors were now M. Hamilton and Merv Johnson. Where was the Chief of the Gestapo (T. Deck)? Hadn’t he recovered from his belly flop in our lounge?
Continue reading »
by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this deep, insightful, shocking and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 2
Keith Dartnell v Phillip Malcolm
After six months, the first visit is booked for our interrogation. We dress like brethren, check the magazine rack, kick the new cat outside (we weren’t allowed cats), dust and realign the Exclusive Brethren pedigree photo of the – five pure men of god – and peer out into the darkness to see how many are coming.
Would they smile, perhaps shake our hands, ask how work is going, tell us some Peeb gossip, have a whiskey, maybe forgive me on the spot? We were in for a shock, but so were they. This was to be the War Cabinet’s belly flop number two, but this time in private.
Continue reading »
by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this deep, insightful and often shocking human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 1
One law for the rich and another law for the poor
Background to our last meeting amongst the brethren in Blenheim.
Dave Fisher sold his bakery business in 1979 to a non-member, but retained the exclusive right to use a certain recipe. The new owner dishonoured this agreement regarding the recipe, by using this recipe, which goaded the local War Cabinet (Terry Deck and Malcolm Hamilton) into leading the charge to interrogate this new owner by visiting him, using a tape recorder during these visits, etc.
The above interference by these priests then spilled over into the meetings in a dramatic way. Almost every meeting was coloured by this issue, to the point where M. Hamilton finally threatened all of us in a ministry meeting, that if we did not join in the fight, for Dave Fisher’s recipe rights, then we were going to be in trouble. None of us were asked if we wanted to fight for Dave Fisher’s recipe problems, we were forced to join this ill-fated battle.
Two points were not adding up to me –
1 - Why was the assembly being forced into doing battle with something that was none of our business in the first place? It was a Fisher problem, and Fisher only.
2 - As JHS (James Symington, world leader) was being asked for his opinion, despite it being none of his business either, why did we not wait for his reply before threatening the brethren into making further decisions?
Continue reading »
by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Neville McCallum experienced the full wrath of the Exclusive Brethren in New Zealand during the notorious reign of James H Symington (cult leader through the 1970′s until his death in 1987). In Cast Outside The Camp, Neville and his wife Philippa recount how it felt to be pursued, interrogated and eventually cast-out of the Exclusive Brethren. They pull no punches in this deep, insightful and often shocking human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
Cast Outside The Camp by Neville and Philippa McCallum (2008)
CAST OUTSIDE THE CAMP
1095 DAYS (1979 – 1981)
REVIEWED (2000-2004)
by Neville and Philippa McCallum
Blenheim, NZ
WRITTEN 2008
AUTHOR’S EXPLANATORY NOTE
The motivation for this writing is explained in the text. A further inspiration for writing was the words of Bruce D Hales in a letter to the author.
“As to the truth coming out, let it, one is never afraid of the ‘truth’ and can never do anything against it.” – Bruce D Hales
If this was followed through with diligence and sincerity I could only expect that a happy restoration of relationships is inevitable. Fear of truth is preventing this. I hope this record brings healing and laughter rather than hardening.
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Bible & Gospel Trust - April 2010
The latest insight into the Exclusive Brethren comes from a document submitted to the UK Charity Commissioner just a few weeks ago. The Bible & Gospel Trust’s Summary Information Return (2009) has some remarkable details and a rather embarrassing typo for a printing company.
To begin with, what is the Bible & Gospel Trust?
If the Exclusive Brethren had a soul, perhaps a debatable concept, then it would reside at Chelwood House, Cox Lane, Chessington, Surrey, UK. This is the address of the printing and printed material distribution center for the Exclusive Brethren. The primary function since its birth, in the years following the 1970 death of James Taylor Jr, is to publish the words spoken by its recognized leaders, sometimes with embarrassing accuracy.
Very similar to the Watchtower relationship with Jehovah Witnesses, the Bible & Gospel Trust has an assured market within the Exclusive Brethren cult. Exclusive Brethren must purchase ‘ministry’, hymn books and bibles from this single source. As an EB teenager begins to earn money, the local EB Assembly ‘BGT Agent’ will approach the young person and let them know that they are expected to purchase the collected writings of all EB leaders, right back to J. N Darby and the mid 1800′s. It’s quite an investment – and the purchase is mandatory.
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