ARISE FROM THE ASHES – A Letter To The Church

PART THREE – A LETTER TO THE CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND ON THE ARISE CHURCH CONTROVERSY AND THE WIDER BATTLE FOR THE HEART OF THE CHURCH IN AOTEAROA

By Alfred Ngaro

Introduction: The Church Under Fire

In recent years, New Zealand like many Western nations has witnessed an escalating hostility toward the Church, not merely for its failings, but for its faithfulness. Increasingly, Christian communities that dare to thrive, to influence, and to stand for biblical truth are finding themselves under scrutiny, suspicion, and coordinated attack.

What has unfolded around Arise Church and its founding pastors, John and Gillian Cameron, is not merely a media story or a tale of internal dysfunction. It is an emblem of a broader spiritual and cultural conflict, one that reveals the pressures facing the Body of Christ in an age of ideological intolerance and moral confusion.

To be clear, the Church is not above accountability. Leaders must always walk humbly before God and people. But accountability is not the same as vilification. Discipline is not destruction, and truth-seeking must never become a stage for public humiliation.

What has happened to Arise is a cautionary tale one that exposes both the need for integrity within the Church and the dangers of a society increasingly hostile to its message.

Where It All Began: A Stand for Truth

The story did not begin with controversy; it began with conviction.

In 2021, a coalition of senior pastors and influential church leaders from across New Zealand’s evangelical and Pentecostal denominations gathered to respond to the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation, a law that threatened to criminalise certain expressions of biblical counsel, preaching, or prayer relating to sexuality and gender identity.

Pastor John Cameron was asked to facilitate this moment of unity among Christian leaders who believed that the state was overreaching into the sacred space of faith, freedom of speech and conscience. Their submission to Parliament upheld both love and truth, advocating for the freedom to minister according to Scripture while caring for people compassionately.

That act of conviction would soon draw fire.

Journalist David Farrier publicly named the pastors involved, casting them as representatives of a dangerous, outdated faith. Activist Shaneel Lal declared that this was just the beginning, warning that all churches holding to traditional biblical convictions would be next in line for scrutiny.

The message was clear: those who stand for biblical truth would be targeted.

Weaponizing Allegations: From Critique to Campaign

What began as ideological opposition soon morphed into a coordinated campaign against Arise Church and its leaders.

Following Farrier’s initial articles, former interns and attendees came forward with grievances, some genuine, others exaggerated or distorted through the lens of personal offence. Instead of a fair investigation, the situation spiraled into a media spectacle.

In an attempt to act responsibly, Arise invited an independent review through a process later known as the Pathfinding Report. The intention was noble: to listen, to learn, and to foster healing. Tragically, what followed was a process that lacked rigour, transparency, and due process and became the tool by which the church’s reputation was publicly dismantled.

The Pathfinding Report: A Process Gone Wrong

Commissioned in 2022, the final terms of engagement with Pathfinding were expanded after the Cameron’s stepped aside from leadership. The Pathfinding Report gathered over 545 submissions from past and present members, many of them anonymous. It concluded that Arise had fostered a “culture of fear and control,” laying blame heavily at the feet of its founding pastors.

The report’s recommendations were sweeping: leadership resignations, structural overhauls, and public apologies. It even included social policy-style directives, such as banning “conversion therapy referrals” and funding counselling for critics.

However, the process behind these findings was deeply flawed:

No verification of whether submitters had ever attended Arise or in what capacity.
No right of reply for those accused.
Anonymous and hearsay evidence accepted without scrutiny.
No transparency in methodology or peer review.
No formal complaints were lodged with any external authority or police.

Even the report itself noted it did not investigate or verify the truth of submissions—yet its conclusions were presented to the public as fact.

This was not justice; it was trial by media and mob opinion. In the name of “listening,” gossip became gospel, and discernment was replaced by outrage.

Sifting Out the Truth: What the Evidence Shows

Subsequent inquiries, including internal reviews by Duncan Cotterill (law firm) and BDO (accountants), found no substantiated evidence of criminal or systemic abuse within Arise Church.

In addition, Official Information Act (OIA) responses confirmed that no formal investigations were ever initiated by authorities in relation to the allegations.

That said, it is also true that some individuals within the church community expressed feelings of hurt, disillusionment, or exhaustion particularly around leadership culture and volunteer expectations. These experiences should not be dismissed. Large and fast-growing churches often face challenges in maintaining consistency of pastoral care, communication, and organisational oversight.

However, the broader narrative that Arise Church was fundamentally toxic or abusive was not supported by verifiable evidence. Instead, what appears to have emerged was a complex mixture of genuine concerns, isolated failings, and a rapidly escalating media storm that magnified perception far beyond reality.

As for John and Gillian Cameron, their decision to resign from leadership after more than two decades of service was a pivotal and painful moment. While the Camerons acknowledged areas where leadership culture could have been healthier at different times of its history, they have consistently denied the more serious claims made against them.

In hindsight, many within the wider Church see this as a case where the balance between accountability and grace was lost where leaders were judged not through due process, but through the lens of public pressure.

READ PART 1 – “THE UNTOLD DETAILS“
The allegations made against Arise Church were very serious. Sexual misconduct, sexual grooming, underage relationships, rape, racism, homophobia, body shaming, sexism, mental health stigma, bulling, ageism, financial mismanagement, and more. What happened to all of these allegations? WE ASKED. You may be surprised by the outcomes. Or maybe you won’t…

READ PART 2 – “THE ROCKY PATH“
It wasn’t just what was in the Pathfinding report that should concern you. It was what wasn’t included, the background to how the report was formed & the lack of natural justice.

The Underlying Agenda: Silencing the Church’s Prophetic Voice

Viewed in isolation, the Arise controversy might appear as an internal church governance issue. But within the wider context, it reflects a strategic cultural battle.

The real issue is not just one church’s internal struggles, it is the growing pressure to silence the Church’s prophetic voice in society. When Christian leaders publicly oppose ideological legislation, they become targets. When churches grow and influence culture, they are accused of manipulation. When they stand for biblical truth, they are branded intolerant.

This is part of a global pattern, seen in Canada, the UK, Australia, and now New Zealand, where media and activist networks work in tandem to erode public confidence in Christian institutions and replace moral absolutes with secular relativism.

As one commentator put it: “This was never just about Arise, it was about who controls the moral narrative of our nation.”

Lessons Learned: Accountability and Discernment

True accountability is essential for the Church’s witness. But accountability without truth becomes persecution, and correction without love breeds division.

If we are to mature as the Church, we must learn to distinguish between valid criticism that brings growth and manipulative attacks that seek destruction. Processes of review must include fairness, right of reply, and the spirit of restoration, not public spectacle.

Arise’s internal reforms addressing HR, leadership culture, and pastoral wellbeing had already begun before the crisis erupted. Those efforts were eclipsed by the noise of accusation, leaving little space for genuine reconciliation between real people who needed it.

A Pathway Forward: Faith, Courage, and Conviction

The Arise episode must serve as a wake-up call to the wider Body of Christ. If this can happen to one of the nation’s most visible churches, it can happen to any ministry that grows, influences, or dares to speak the truth in love.

The pathway forward must therefore be marked by both integrity and intercession:

Establish Truth and Pursue Reconciliation
Build transparent, biblically grounded accountability processes that protect all parties and promote genuine restoration.
Stand Together in Love and Loyalty
Defend one another against unjust attack. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity.
Engage in the Public Square
Speak truth to power with wisdom and compassion. As Charlie Kirk warned, “Silence in the public square is surrender.”
Equip the Next Generation
Strengthen believers in apologetics, biblical worldview, and civic engagement to stand firm amidst hostility.
Pray Without Ceasing
Recognise this is not merely reputational it is spiritual warfare. Only through prayer, discernment, and unity can the Church prevail.

Conclusion: Arise and Overcome

The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18). But that promise assumes a Church that does not retreat, that stands united, and that discerns the times. As the late Charlie Kirk noted, “silence in the public square is surrender” and surrender is not a biblical option for an effective church.

The attack on Arise Church is more than a moment it is a message. It reminds us that the battle for truth, justice, and faith is alive in our nation. Yet even in adversity, God calls His Church not to shrink back but to arise, to stand, and to overcome.

This is the hour for the Church in Aotearoa to regain its voice, to rebuild trust with integrity, and to walk boldly in both truth and grace. For though the fire may rage, it will only refine those who refuse to bow.