Members of a small Christian messianic community in Katoomba called The Twelve Tribes have labelled allegations of child beating and slave-like work practices made against them recently in the media “a load of rubbish.”
The Katoomba-based group — of which three families and several single men and women are members — opened up the popular Common Ground Café in their building above the corner of Katoomba and Waratah Streets in March.
Their Sydney-based colleagues run a café of the same name in Rozelle, an organic bakery and other businesses like a food stall at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Easter Monday included comments from ex-members of the Picton community alleging constant child beatings occurred based on spiritual leader Elbert Eugene Spriggs’ teachings of “using the rod as an instrument of love”.
It also contained allegations of slave-like working conditions, a 10 per cent tithe paid by each community to the group’s US-based headquarters and enforcement of strategies to prevent members from leaving the group.
The Herald story sparked several letters and comments to the Gazette in early April, some fully supportive of the group’s lifestyle and its café and others, including one by a Katoomba Street trader, expressing concern about its business practices and social values.
Twelve Tribes members Campbell Macklow and Peter Baker were quick to dismiss the allegations raised against them in the Herald when approached by the Gazette last week.
“There are things people have taken out of context,” Mr Baker said.
“If people say we are reclusive . . . well, we live on the main street of Katoomba and anyone can visit us anytime.”
Mr Macklow said Twelve Tribes members live together “for the same reason a man and wife live together”.
“We think He (Jesus) came to the earth to establish a place where people could restore friendship in the way He had with the Creator.”
Of the group’s business practices, Mr Macklow said “we are like a family”.
“It’s different to getting paid a wage in that here all your needs are met, food, accommodation, health, education, everything.
“We have industries to support ourselves and we’re not skirting any trees — we pay all taxes and council rates that are due.”
Mr Macklow confirmed the café does not employ people outside of the group, but said the café’s suppliers and contractors are local businesses that employ local people.
“We have a greater theme — we don’t want to just offer employment (to people), but a home,” Mr Macklow said.
He said the group pays no tithe to its US counterparts or any other group.
Mr Baker said members educate their children and raise them based on the Book of Proverbs.
“We make no apology for the fact that we spank our children— we don’t spank them out of frustration or anger,” he said.
“We think the old fashioned way to bring up children is supporting the conscience to see the consequences for not doing the right thing.
“We’re really comfortable with that and we see the good fruit that it brings, we see our children really thrive.”
Mr Baker said there are “free letters” (evangelical publications) on the counter inside the café, “but we don’t carry placards.
“For us our life speaks for itself, but if people ask us about it we’re happy to let them know.”
Of its members, Mr Macklow said “there’s no fences or barbed wire, they are free to leave if they wish”.
Since opening, the café has thrived as people have voted with their feet.
Katoomba Chamber of Commerce and Community president Robert Stock told the Gazette “from a tourism point of view, it really offers a different experience”.
Mr Macklow said the Twelve Tribes are here to stay in Katoomba.
“The building was in a dilapidated state, there were pigeons and street people living in it upstairs.
“We have restored it and it expresses our life.
“It’s been going better than we’d thought and in time we want to grow and supply organic food locally for our café.
“I’ve been stunned by the people who’ve come up and said we’re with you.”
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