Christopher Luxon is unaware of MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to a religious sect that the FBI is investigating over child sex abuse allegations.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has downplayed the significance of Ilam MP Hamish Campbell’s involvement in a religious sect under FBI investigation for child sex abuse allegations.
Campbell acknowledges his family connection to the Two-by-Twos but claims his faith doesn’t interfere with his political role.
A former member described the group as a cult, highlighting serious “red flags” and personal trauma.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has downplayed Ilam MP Hamish Campbell’s connection to a religious sect that’s being investigated by the FBI over child sex abuse allegations.
More than 140 perpetrators linked to the secretive group known as the Two-by-Twos or The Truth have been identified around the world.
One of them is 79-year-old Northland man William Easton who admitted more than 40 charges of sexually abusing boys between 1964 and 1986.
National’s Hamish Campbell told the Herald he’s connected to the organisation through his family but doesn’t let his faith interfere with his day job.
“My wife and I are non-denomination Christians, but my faith is separate from my role as a politician, and I consider myself a social liberal. My views are shaped not only from my upbringing, but also my scientific career,” he told the Herald.
National MP Hamish Campbell.
Campbell said he was aware of historic allegations about the group but has “no personal knowledge of the individuals involved”.
The Herald has sought clarity from Campbell about whether he’s hosted private meetings of members in his home, and what aspects of the religious order’s beliefs he subscribes to.
The religious group does not encourage followers to associate with outsider and women in particular are expected to dress modestly and not cut their hair or wear jewellery.
Luxon told reporters there is a vetting process for MPs, but they are not typically asked about their religious beliefs.
“I’m not aware of his particular faith or the details of it. People are free to practise their faith as they wish. I don’t think we ask specifically what religion people are, whether they’re protestant or catholic”.
He has not asked Campbell if he’d hosted meetings for members of the Two-by-Twos at his home and stressed that anyone with knowledge of alleged sexual offending linked to the church should contact authorities.
“People experiencing abuse from any organisation should come forward to the police.”
A former member of the group told the Herald the Two-by-Twos was in her view a cult and there are serious “red flags” about the way it operates, and what is expected of followers.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said she’s endured years of therapy to get over the trauma of growing up in the group.
“You are shut down, psychologically, physically and intellectually,” she told the Herald.
She felt Campbell needed to be upfront about his involvement with the group.
“There are plenty of friends on his Facebook page who belong to the sect,” she said.
She wasn’t surprised there was a global child sex investigation into the group and recalled an incident she encountered as a 12-year-old.
“One of the male workers came and I was by the back door scrubbing and he knocked on the door, and there I was, and he said to me, ‘You know, you really do need to keep covered up and be modest because it’s hard for us men’.”
As a child, she said she was completely blocked off from normal society and remembers seeing other teenagers wearing trendy tent dresses which were not permitted as part of the group’s beliefs.
“I became stunted at that age and didn’t continue to develop like my peers,” she said.
She said large group meetings or conventions would be held each year which would last several days, and the women and men would be separated during meals and had separate sleeping quarters.
However, the “good girls” who wore modest clothing and had long hair would get the privilege of being allowed to serve the men dinner.
“My life has been really challenging because of my social inadequacies and not knowing how to be and feeling inferior and shut down”.
The groups is known as the Two-by-Twos because of the group’s rules that its ministers or workers should travel in pairs, which aligns with a section of the Bible which describes Jesus dispatching his disciples in pairs.
The group does not have a formal name, no central headquarters and leaders typically stay at the homes of their followers.
The group’s interim leader Tim Hamilton has previously encouraged anyone who was abused to come forward.
“We encourage and support the reporting of abuse to the authorities and respect all action taken by the authorities in response to criminal behaviour,” he said.
Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won the best coverage of a major news event at the 2024 Voyager NZ Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.
