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.
Where Pip suffers a terrifying experience!
Where Pip suffers a terrifying experience!
ROUND 12 (Part 2)
- Royal wedding on TV – Nudity – Richmond field day -
FIELD DAY
This charge had a funny side to it, and we scraped through without a scratch.
We decided to travel to Richmond (near Nelson) to attend a horticultural field day to look at the latest irrigation technology for our vineyard. We packed a picnic lunch, kids on board and away we went. We drive into the showgrounds with tents and stalls everywhere, and round a tree we go and nearly run right over Miles Deck (Pip’s brother-in-law) and his brother Phil, two very wicked excommunicated men.
Pip ducked and I swerved, but they were so close they spotted us. Speaking with an ‘out’, was almost an unforgivable sin. Much worse than speaking to a member, or one who was just ‘shut-up’, it meant the immediate excommunication of that culprit. How were we going to hide for hours at the same field days as we never dreamt that they would be there?
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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
UNSCRIPTURAL!
UNSCRIPTURAL!
ROUND 12 (Part 1)
- Royal wedding on TV – Nudity – Richmond field day -
This Round covers three charges, with a mixture of success for both sides.
Royal Wedding
The wedding of Charles and Diana was imminent. Because we were living like ‘moles in a hole,’ a neighbour felt sorry for us and invited us to come and see the wedding on TV. This was the most exciting thing that had transpired for us in years! We consulted with ourselves as to whether it was worth the risk, and we decided to accept the invite. Pip and I still talk about the trauma of that very first cuppa with a non member of the brethren cult. It was the first time we had eaten, drunk, or been in another persons home socially (other than a EB’s) since 1959; 22 years. 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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
A new Exclusive Brethren industry?
A new Exclusive Brethren industry?
ROUND 11 (Part 2)
- Claim to be a Good Boy & the Aphrodisiac Stag -
I was up on two charges:
1 - Claiming to be a good boy;
2 - Yarning with someone else who was also ‘shut-up’, and wait for it – not Feeling my Position in all of the above.
In nearly three years of interrogations, I had never been in the mire so deep. Now the long silences worked in my favour, I laid plans for my escape – somehow. The claim to be ‘a good boy’ was only a joke, but try and convince these two sour-faced, stick-in-the mud’s it was a joke took some time, but this was moving fast and they (priests) were losing ground, so now we had to get down to details.
PRIEST – “Neville, if it was a joke, what were you joking about?”
Now I was caught, because if I told the truth, that we were laughing about being ‘shut-up’, things would be worse for Norm and me. Two ‘shutter-uppera’s not feeling their position could be deemed to be, party activity, a coup, or worse! If I said the joke was about him working on a Sunday, it would have exposed him to further priestly interrogation. This joke was backfiring big time.
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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
Nev is careful but the cat comes out the bag this time
Nev is careful but the cat comes out the bag this time
ROUND 11 (Part 1)
- Claim to be a Good Boy & the Aphrodisiac Stag -
For this visit the priests had their weapons fully loaded as usual, but we had nothing. We were completely in the dark. I was going to have to be quick off the mark to win this one, whatever it was. Priest Merv, and his wet nurse Paul, seemed to be sharing equally in the responsibility of this round, until it got to the crunch question, when Paul did the deed.
PRIEST - “Neville we just wondered if you had come to anything over not ‘feeling your position’?”
I just kept playing the game as before, careful not to buck the priesthood. Finally I repeated the same statement as in Round 8:
N. McC - “You will have to tell me.”
The response to my question was beyond belief.
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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes downright sinister human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 10
- Not Feeling My Position -
This round turned out to be the most confusing of all, but had the most humorous ending. I was keen to meet them again after their KO in the last round, and see how they had recovered. As mentioned earlier, there was no need to prepare morally for these mind-bending excursions, just an early night prior to the night of the visit so ones brain was in sharp focus – a few deep breaths for increased oxygen intake and we were ready.
I let them in and walked behind them to see if their tails were still between their legs from the previous visit. We sit quietly, there are deep breaths, Merv’s mouth is working, something is about to happen, and it did, with the most obnoxious cliché on earth:
MERV - “Neville, we feel that since you have been ‘shut-up’, you have not been Feeling Your Position.”
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 downright sinister human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 9
- Sexual Promiscuousness (Concluded) -
A few months on and the next visit is booked. I warn Pip that if they continue for the third visit (spaning about 9 months), to shaft me about my past and ignore my truthful answers, I would deal with them. She decides to go to bed instead. I twig that if they could extract a sexual tid-bit out of me, they would be assured of an invite with the upper echelon to the War Command hideaway in Bristol. They were going to work hard for it.
All three of us glided across the room. I had given up ushering them to their favourite chairs, we were like cows drifting into our milking stalls, as we had done many times before.
If the girlie-thing was not on the agenda anymore, then I would keep my cool, if not, then I was looking for a fight.
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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes downright sinister human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
The priests try some digging...
The priests try some digging...
ROUND 8
- Sexual Promiscuousness (Continued) -
We are seated as usual, and it’s like the start of a play or a musical; the lights are dim, all goes quiet, all movement ceases. I expect to hear a rushing noise as a spirit descends to empower the two sexually over-active Pharisees sitting in front of me. Pip and I felt like two kids who had been caught in a haystack being over friendly with each other.
Look out! Paul is starting to fidget, up come the guns again!
PAUL - “Merv and I were just wondering if the lord (lord is getting earlier) had been working with you to help you to remember any matters that need assembly clearance.”
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 downright sinister human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
ROUND 7
- Sexual Promiscuousness -
The background for this sinister turn needs to be covered here.
About this time, the Neche Butcher embarked on one of his vicious marauding raids to further cement his control within his dictatorship by decreeing a Purge. This involved every historical misdemeanour being exposed in front of the entire fellowship, including the children. Any past sins repented of, forgiven and forgotten through the blood of Christ, were wickedly investigated and then dragged out into the open by the Wolf Pack for all to perv over, then cast the naughty culprit outside the camp (shut-up or excommunicated) for seven days or more. The sexually perverted priests must have had a ball. This was the first Exclusive Brethren public sex education, and it was free. The unmarried and very young could not believe their ears. The most intimate functions of the human anatomy were explained by way of repentance. The mind boggles at how this would have inflamed the carnal desire of some priests handling these colourful acts of human intimacy when they got home with their wives and blew the candles out. Is my imagination running a little wild? Not at all. I will recount my conversation with an ex-Gestapo member (now ‘out’ of course and name withheld) who was in this blood and guts campaign:
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 often deep, always insightful and sometimes hilarious human drama which is presented by peebs.net as a multi-part serialization.
Will Neville's strategy result in a Yamaha victory?
Will Neville's strategy result in a Yamaha victory?
ROUND 6
-125cc farm bike (Concluded) -
This visit starts as usual, with the long pause, head swayings etc. For this visit I had a plan, but I was a little worried that maybe they had lost interest in my evil little bike, which would have rendered my plan null and void; but no, luck was on my side…
Merv - “we were just wondering, with more time with the lord, how are you feeling about your position over the use of your bike?”
I noticed that sometimes in their opening salvo, the Lord’s name would be mentioned, but then it would be forgotten. I think this was to try and pretend that they had some special connection with the Christian faith, or a church, and so have a spiritual advantage over their victims. For all I know of course they could have been referring to that Neche butcher again. Hearing the Lord’s name had been used, I thought that any type of a war-cry or haka would be frowned on, so I put on the face of one who had been deep in exercise, a face that was staring defeat in that same face. This diversion worked, because they reacted to it. I still had my plan intact, and during the evening they increased the pressure on me to quit my bike.
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 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.
Continue reading »
