A US minister of a secretive global cult who was exposed as a pedophile and sexual predator after his death visited New Zealand several times to attend the religious group's annual meetings.
The FBI is working with international law enforcement partners to investigate abuse within the group known as the Two by Twos of The Truth, and police here are investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse.
The sect says it is not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand, but has received one historical complaint of sexual abuse following its annual meetings.
The closed sect has many unspoken rules, no official name or church buildings, and the itinerant preachers are volunteers who are celibate and stay in members' homes.
The sect's believers gather by the hundreds at rural sites across the country, where rows of canvas tents are set up for annual conventions, usually held over four days.
Elliot* recently left the sect, but attended the conventions every year, often listening to preachers who came from abroad.
“The concern that has become clear is that there have been people who have been here and now there are allegations against… It is not clear that any sort of vetting ever took place or that the country of origin gave us announced this.”
Those facing allegations included a US minister, Dean Bruer, whose sexual abuse of children and young people came to light after he died in 2022 – and was the catalyst for hundreds of victims to reveal abuse by him and others .
“Some people are calling it Bruer-gate. I would say most people in the group know there was an issue with the deceased Dean Bruer and that's what caused this whole situation,” said Elliot.
After Bruer's death, an internal letter from 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 minor victims.”
A little over a year ago, two women set up a hotline and the floodgates opened. According to their February update, more than 1,500 victims from all over the world had reported.
The sect, which was founded in Ireland in 1897, is said to have 100,000 members worldwide, including 2,500 in New Zealand.
The sect's New Zealand spokesman, Wayne Dean, responded to RNZ's questions by email.
He confirmed that Bruer had attended conferences 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 communal sleeping quarters, separate men and women but communal. There are showers and toilets, but you all eat together in the dining shed.”
The conferences were held each summer at members' rural properties in Auckland's Pukekohe, Ngaere in Taranaki, Masterton and Winchester in South Canterbury.
People attending the conferences sleep in tents and caravans, or in communal bunk beds, separated by gender.
Dean said the sect was not aware of any victims of the US minister in New Zealand.
“To my knowledge the ministry has not been made aware of any victims of Dean Bruer in New Zealand.”
However, the sect was aware of one case of historical sexual abuse at its conventions and the accused person had been expelled from the community.
There was 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 areas, with accommodation options such as caravan/camper, tents or dormitories.
“Families are encouraged to use 'family only' accommodation, but people can choose to use the dormitory or tents on site in separate areas. Children must stay in accommodation with their parents.”
The current procedure for ministers visiting from abroad is to contact the “home region” to “ensure they have no current allegations or concerns about child sexual abuse or misconduct,” Dean said.
Visiting ministers also completed MinistrySafe training and signed a code of conduct, as did local ministers.
Other safety measures and health and safety steps have been taken to ensure the safety of children, he added.
Australasian victim advocate Jillian Hishon runs the confidential hotline The Brave Truth, which has received more calls from New Zealand victims since RNZ broke the story.
She had heard of Australian victims being abused at these conferences and said the communal sleeping areas were a problem.
“Sometimes that can be a really great place for kids, where they grow up and meet new friends and all that, but other times they were places where kids were abused.”
FBI update
The FBI confirmed it had launched a global investigation into the cult 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 for the national news agency said.
The offices of the Legal Attachés, also known as legats and sub-offices, are located in major cities around the world and cover more than 180 countries, territories and islands.
Approximately 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed in FBI legats worldwide.
The FBI has a branch office at the US Embassy in Wellington.
“This international cooperation always occurs with the consent of the host country and in collaboration with the Department of Justice and the US Department of State.”
The FBI said it encouraged reporting from anyone who believed he/she might be a victim.
“As the FBI Field Office in Omaha seeks the public's assistance in identifying potential victims, I can confirm an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
“To preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, I cannot share details about the ongoing process. We encourage anyone with information to provide it at [www.fbi.gov/2×2 its website] .”
The FBI declined to comment on whether it had alerted police in New Zealand about its investigation into the 2x2s cult, which began in February.
The Omaha field office said it was seeking the public's assistance in identifying victims or individuals with knowledge of abuse and/or criminal behavior that had occurred within a traditionally unnamed religious group.
“The group is often referred to by others outside the group as '2×2,' 'The Way,' 'The Truth,' and 'The Church Without a Name,'” the FBI said.
“While it is normal for parents to want to better understand their child's potential exploitation, further questioning of the child can lead to inaccurate statements and greater emotional trauma.”
*Names have been changed
Where to get help:
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Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
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