Old prison now a Christian mission

For the past eight years, Ōhura’s former minimum-security prison has housed a church mission called Hope International.

The prison opened in 1972 and closed in 2005, at its peak housing almost 100 male inmates. Its closure was a bitter blow for the isolated King Country community, which is a 50-minute drive from Taumarunui, lacks a store and numbers well under 200 people.

But Hope International has put the tiny King Country village on the map for followers of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination.

The mission, not officially a part of the main SDA denomination as it is funded independently, is active in the fields of dietary education, health spas and detoxification, and spiritual outreach. It employs a multi-national full-time staff of seven, supported by four or five volunteers, and runs events attended by supporters drawn from across the country.

On Monday, there seemed to be plenty of activity under way at the Tawa St complex, where the King Country News was shown around by manager Peter Henham and the organisation’s CEO, Evan Saddler.

Staff were tidying up following a health conference, which had attracted about 80 participants; Peter was preparing to leave for Fiji to head up a series of educational programmes to be held this month and, a few weeks after that, Hope International staff were to lead a spiritual outreach in Taumarunui.

Bible prophecy came up repeatedly in conversation. Peter and Evan reiterated the group’s belief that they were living in “The End Times”, which was a key reason they had chosen to purchase land in isolated Ōhura.

“We sense that if you go back to the Garden of Eden, people who lived back then effectively lived in the country,” Peter said.

“And we believe that is still God’s blueprint for our lifestyle today.

“It was a beautiful lifestyle, but also, we believe it [living in the country] provides a little bit of protection for the crisis we see looming.

“If the supermarkets start closing, due to food shortages, there is going to be a howl from the cities. But even in small towns people still have their half or quarter acre and are able to put a garden in.”

He said the group made the most of excellent soils at Ōhura, having planted large vegetable gardens and an orchard of 150 fruit trees.  

Its vegetarian staff were not quite fully self-sufficient in food, but neither would they starve if the supermarkets were one day empty, Evan said.

The group distrusts the sprays which are used to grow most commercially available vegetables and they also dislike improved strains of wheat, which are used to make bread. They import their own organically grown grain to bake their own bread.

And though not fully off-grid, their complex makes extensive use of solar panels to generate much of its electricity needs.

Peter said plans were afoot to greatly expand the detoxification therapy provided to paying guests.  

Recipients receive hot and cold baths, followed by time in a steam-tent, and then a massage.

Hope International has now purchased a corner property near the old prison complex, one boasting a large swimming pool (thought to have once been owned by the prison superintendent).

“As soon as possible we’ll be adding a sauna in there, so people will be able to swim in the pool and then get a sauna and spa. It’s an extra feature for our health guests, but one day we also hope to make it available to the public,” Peter said.

The group wants to offer a ministry with healing and spiritual teaching in balance.

“Wherever [Christ] went he was able to not only teach spiritual things but also show love and kindness and caring with his healing ministry. And we are seeking to develop that principle as well, so we have health programmes here,” Peter said.

“People can come and learn healthy lifestyle skills, and as well as that we are able to offer good vegetarian diets and recipes and also a nice detox for those who would like a little bit of juicing, a nice hot bath and a massage.”

The group follows eight laws of health: nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest and “trust in God.”  

“We believe we can help people with whatever health issues they have. If you understand those principles in relation to daily living it is amazing what natural remedies can do to help people get back on to the [right path] to be fit and active again.”

Evan said the group formed more than 25 years ago in the South Island, initially operating a literature outreach which distributed tracts and Gospel literature around the world.

“We were based at the back of Rangiora. We loved it but we were paying rent, which was dead money. Deciding to buy our own place, we decided it was time to move north as most of our business was located north of Taupō. I must have looked at seven or eight properties, including old hotels, a freezing works and a dairy factory.  Finding the (prison) premises at Ōhura was like a miracle. I knew right away that it was the right place for us.”  

Today, the Ōhura-based mission is still involved in producing literature, operating its own commercial copying machine. And it also produces and records videos for Firstlight TV, a Seventh Day Adventist television network.

Evan said preaching from the Bible went hand in hand with their health message.  

“Healthy lifestyle decisions are vital for your health. Giving up smoking and eating unhealthy food, and getting enough exercise will help keep you well and prevent some of the leading causes of disability and death, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.  

“A Māori friend of mine came here weighing about 160kg; his mobility was greatly impaired, for example unable to mow the lawns. A Fijian clinician worked with him and got him down to about 105kg, which gave him back his mobility and transformed his life.

“We also see miracles among people who come to us suffering from the side effects of having taken too much medication,” Evan said.