US minister revealed as sexual abuser attended sect’s NZ gatherings
Amy Williams of RNZ May 05, 2024, • 01:22pm
The sects annual gatherings are held on rural properties around the country over four days.
Warning: This story discusses details of sexual abuse
An American minister of a secretive global sect who was outed as a paedophile and sexual predator after his death visited New Zealand multiple times to attend the religious group’s annual gatherings.
The FBI is working with international law enforcement partners to investigate abuse within the group known as the Two by Twos or The Truth, and police here are investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse.
The sect said it was not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand but it had received one historical sexual abuse complaint arising from its annual gatherings.
The closed sect has many unspoken rules, no official name or church buildings, and its itinerant ministers are volunteers who are celibate and stay in members’ homes.
The sect’s faithful gather in their hundreds on rural properties across the country where rows of canvas tents are set up for the annual conventions, usually held over four days.
Elliot* recently left the sect but attended the conventions every year – often listening to ministers who had come from overseas.
“The point of concern that’s become apparent is that there’s been people who visited here that now there’s allegations against… It’s not clear that there’s ever been any kind of vetting or the country of origin letting us know.”
Those who had faced allegations included an American minister, Dean Bruer, whose sexual abuse of children and young people was revealed after he died in 2022 – and was the catalyst for hundreds of victims disclosing abuse at his and others’ hands.
“Some people call it Bruer-gate. I would say that most people in the group know that there was an issue with Dean Bruer who passed away and that has started this whole situation,” Elliot said.
After Bruer died, an internal letter by his successor in the sect leadership was leaked on social media. The letter stated that Bruer was a “sexual predator” whose actions included “rape and abuse of underage victims”.
Two women set up a hotline just over a year ago, and the floodgates opened – their February update said more than 1500 victims had come forward from around the world.
The sect, founded in Ireland in 1897, is believed to have 100,000 members worldwide, including 2500 in New Zealand.
The sect’s New Zealand spokesperson Wayne Dean responded to RNZ’s questions by email.
He confirmed Bruer had visited conventions here in the 1970s before becoming a minister, and again as a speaker in 2007 and 2016.
Elliot said that was a concern.
“Everyone eats together, some people are in caravans, some in sleeping quarters which are communal, separated men and women but communal, there’s showers and toilets but you all eat together in the dining shed.”
The conventions were held each summer on members’ rural properties in Auckland’s Pukekohe, Ngaere in Taranaki, Masterton, and Winchester in South Canterbury.
People attending the conventions sleep in tents and caravans, or in communal bunk rooms segregated by gender.
Dean said the sect was not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand.
“To the best of my knowledge, the ministry has not been made aware of any victims of Dean Bruer in New Zealand.”
The sect was aware, however, of one instance of historical sexual abuse at its conventions and the person accused had been removed from the fellowship.
It had zero tolerance for any child being harmed and in recent years the rules for who slept in communal areas had changed, he said.
“Convention facilities are similar to public camping grounds, with accommodation options including caravan/campervan, tents or dormitories.
“Families are encouraged to use ‘family only’ accommodation areas – however, people can choose to use the on-site dormitory or tents in segregated areas. Children are required to be in accommodation with their parent/s.”
The current procedure for ministers visiting from overseas was to check with the “home region” to “ensure they have no current allegations or concerns regarding child sexual abuse or misconduct”, Dean said.
Visiting ministers also completed MinistrySafe training and signed a code of conduct, as did its local ministers.
Other safeguards and health and safety steps had been taken to ensure the safety of children, he added.
Australasian victim advocate Jillian Hishon runs the confidential hotline The Brave Truth, which had received more calls from New Zealand victims since RNZ broke the story.
She had heard from Australian victims who were abused at these conventions and said the communal sleeping areas were a problem.
“Sometimes that … can be a really awesome place for kids and they grow and meet new friends and all the rest of it – but other times it was places where children got abused.”
FBI update
The FBI confirmed it had launched a global investigation into the sect known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth.
“The FBI, in coordination with our Legal Attaché Offices around the world, routinely shares information and intelligence with our international law enforcement partners in an effort to identify and mitigate a variety of threats,” a spokesperson from its national press office said.
Its legal attaché offices, also known as legats and sub-offices, are located in key cities around the globe and provide coverage for more than 180 countries, territories, and islands.
About 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed in FBI legats worldwide.
The FBI has a sub-office at the American Embassy in Wellington.
“This international collaboration is always done with the consent of the host country and in cooperation with the Department of Justice and the US Department of State.”
The FBI said it encouraged reporting from anyone who thought that they may have been a victim.
“Because the FBI Omaha field office is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims, I can confirm an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
“In order to preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, I cannot share any details of the ongoing process. We encourage anyone with information to provide it through its website.”
The FBI declined to comment on whether it had alerted police in New Zealand to its investigation of the 2x2s sect, launched in February.
Its Omaha field office said it was seeking the public’s help in identifying victims or individuals with knowledge of abuse and/or criminal behaviour that had occurred within a religious group that traditionally has not had a name.
“The group has often been referred to by others outside of the group as “2×2,” “The Way,” “The Truth,” and “The Church With No Name,” among others,” the FBI said.
“While it is natural for parents to want to gain a better understanding of the potential exploitation of their child, further questioning of the child may lead to inaccurate statements and increased emotional trauma.”
* Names have been changed
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This article shows the reluctance to share information about abusers. The NZ ministry group may not have known about Bruer when he visited, but when the information emerged about him, they should have communicated to NZ members, some of whom may also be victims. Every ministry group who hosted him for conventions should have followed up with it. Again, it points to the priority of protecting the system over the protection of children.
“Dean said the sect was not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand.”
but that is expected because the NZ ministry hasn’t mentioned his name as a perpetrator, and in fact haven’t openly named the other perpetrators in NZ.
The ministry seems to be providing more information to the media than to their own members.
Yes. That is the point of our posting. They would not have known of Bruer’s abusive activities while he visited NZ. The NZ ministry should have communicated clearly to the membership upon knowing the information.
Were there any of his followers or their children a victim of CSA at
D Brewer’s hands? Most of have never heard the story if he was molesting innocent children or abusing the laws of the land by hiring underage gigolos or prostitutes from pumps or escort services.
Very bad either way, no doubt.
It’s so sad that these responsive only take part, when the police is involved. Is it a way for them to wash their hands again?
The Australian ministry has also failed to notify members in Australia of Dean Bruer’s visits to Australia in the same years as his trip to NZ. DB even shows up front and centre in the workers photos from conventions he attended in Australia. When the FBI case was mentioned to the workers here, they consider it an “overseas” situation, and doesn’t apply here. There are still people who haven’t heard of the Dean Bruer story and the subsequent outpouring of stories of abuse within the system, and wonder why people are “angry and bitter” and leaving meetings or reducing meeting attendance.
This individual was also traveling to conventions in Australia in 2022/2023 which hasn’t been clearly communicated by the Australian ministry either: Bruce Rickman – Canada
It’s on a need-to-know basis, and it seems they’ve decided nobody needs to know.
Do you mean the same Bruce Rickman who has an open RCMP case as of July 2023? The one who was known for years in Canada, but not dealt with because of #forgiveandforget So he was therefore able to visit Australia in late 2022/early 2023 and attend multiple conventions and stay in people’s homes in NSW where he was in contact with minors? That Bruce Rickman? No, as far as I know the Australian ministry hasn’t notified anyone of him, either.
Hahahah. How many more were transferred country to country. International sex traffiking ring money laundering.
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It’s very interesting. A worldwide FBI investigation. ““The FBI, in coordination with our Legal Attaché Offices around the world, routinely shares information and intelligence with our international law enforcement partners in an effort to identify and mitigate a variety of threats,” a spokesperson from its national press office said.
This type of investigation is not something that is usual done. This is large scale. This is a big whether people realize it or not. There is reasons for the investigation, where crimes were committed and laws broken. Past church groups, where the membership included earnest, good people and had leadership that was very corrupt included, FDLS, Branch Davidians, Peoples Temple and others.
The members were very devoted, faithful, obedient and endured sacrifice for the churches sake. These churches were also investigated and it did not end well for the leadership, and also some of the members.
Out of curiosity the words, “cults fbi investigated”, were put in the search bar. The results were very interesting and included from the top:
“FBI launches probe into church investigated by BBC”
“A Nameless, Insular Religious Sect Is Being Rocked by a Massive Sexual Abuse Scandal”
“FBI investigating Two by Twos for historical child sexual abuse claims, including in Australia”
“Sexual Abuse and Immorality within the “Truth Church”an ongoing problem”
….then other church groups are listed that the FBI is investigating. The “Truth Church”, that I belonged to for 50 years, made the top of the page post when the search, “cults fbi investigated”, was requested!
Also, a partial listing of court cases involving sexual abuse within the Two by Twos was listed:
It’s very interesting. A worldwide FBI investigation… wow…. this is a big deal!
The partial listing of court cases involving sexual abuse within the Two by Twos was listed and that list is very incomplete!!! There’s a huge amount of workers, elders and every day professing men that have been convicted of sexual abusing children and for being found with child pornography.
Other workers having affairs with married women, workers having illicit immoral interactions with other workers, and workers convicted of covering for other workers who are paedophiles, are all shown with the details of their actions, if they were convicted and sentenced, and when. Just scroll back in the history of Wings For Truth and the numbers are absolutely ridiculous.
The ongoing, continuous numbers of workers that have been exposed is abhorrent. How did this many sexually immoral men infiltrate the system and not have the members be completely outraged? I thought that I was well educated on this topic and I started to make a list of the sexual offenders names, the offense, and if they were convicted, or just “sent home”.
I was about halfway through the revolting material that Wings has so tirelessly posted, when the list was accidentally deleted. Maybe I will give another go at posting this list. It’s a big time consuming effort though, given simply the staggering number of workers, elders and everyday professing men that are known sexual perverts! The number of immoral actors still hiding in the shadows is anyone’s guess. I would say, it’s a lot, just from the ones that have been tripped up and exposed so far.
One piece of advice, if you’re still “carrying on”, if you have kids below 18, please do not trust any male worker. Disregard this advice at your own peril. If anyone cares to see what I am referencing, go to the bottom of Wings history and scroll up. Look at the stories. If you don’t believe them, copy the names of these sexual predators, and do your own research on the Internet. This stuff is real. Court dates, mug shots and sentencing information is available. Go forward with your eyes opened.
The partial listing of court cases involving sexual abuse within the Two by Twos was listed and that list is very, very, incomplete!!! There are many, many more that have been convicted, and many still out there mingling. Just those listed and exposed on Wings For Truth is staggering!
We are aware that this is a partial list, but we can not post ones that have not been vetted yet, and as they are, they will be added 🙂 My list has 177, and we know the list of predators that Cynthia has is over 840…and with a little overlap, Mike & Abbi have like 503? If you have a list, I would love to see it, and add any I don’t have listed. We have convention owners that need to know, because conventions are right ahead of us, and some convention owners are being denied the lists
Henoffour, thanks for your input on the number of people who are known sexual predators. I wonder if the lists includes the workers who were found to be carrying on illicit immoral interactions with other workers, were having affairs with married women, following porn sites… While these activities are not illegal they are immoral and those activities could lead to illegal activities.
It would also be interesting to know the approximate number of victims. Child sexual predators typically have many victims. Also, is there any educated guess how many more sexual predators may still be in the church given the historical perspective and data received so far.
I know research has shown offenders are more likely to be relatives or acquaintances of their victim than strangers. In 2006–07 there was a study in Idaho of 430 cases found that 82% of juvenile sex offenders were known to the victims (acquaintances 46% or relatives 36%). Since the church social network has workers living with the families that they minister to, this strange dichotomy makes the worker both acquaintance and relative like, at the same time, which it seems would greatly increase the risk level. (A social science researcher would love to get inside this group).
Henoffour, thank you. The same to Wings For Truth. Your efforts are appreciated.
Rob Newman, Harold Hilton and Richard Denherder were trying so hard to get sexual predator Gilbert Smith back in the meetings. And then you have convicted overseer Jerome Frandle and worker Bill Denk that did not report child sex molesters and were sent to jail (and then back into the worker).
Question for Henoffour, would these workers be on any of the watch lists? These guys are known sex molester sympathisers and protectors, posing a threat the same as those actually doing the abuse. They are holding the back door open for the wolf to get in.
It will be impossible to plug all the leaks in this boat.
Harold is off somewhere with the Donner party. Richard is hiding in China. Those two need to go away. Feel really sorry for Harolds co worker.
PD, what’s the status on Scott Rauscher? One wonders what he is studying these days?
Hey Wondering, I will give you the answer the workers give to the the victims of abuse. Where is Scott Rauscher, WHO KNOWS, WHO CARES.