Victory Church facing campus ban

Members of the Manawatu-based Victory Church are likely to face a ban if they turn up at the Whanganui UCOL campus.

The tertiary institution has already banned the church from its Palmerston North campus - following the lead of Massey University - after complaints of students being harassed.

UCOL spokeswoman Jean Archer said there had been no reports of Wanganui students being harassed but if church members turned up there they would be asked to leave.

She said so far all complaints had come from Palmerston North where the Victory Church was based.

Leaders of the church have not responded to requests for comment although people with past connections to the church have made public claims of practices such as financial coercion, alienating people from family members and leaders' authoritative attitude towards the congregation's student membership.

"UCOL is aware of concerns raised about particular members of the Victory Church and their presence on our Palmerston North campus," Ms Archer said.

"Providing a safe environment for students, staff and members of the public is our top priority.

"UCOL has been working with Massey for the sake of our students and - in line with Massey's actions - these church members are not welcome on our campus and will be asked to leave if they are seen at UCOL."

Ms Archer said that although UCOL promoted freedom of choice and support student and staff members' right to hold spiritual beliefs and be involved with community groups, the behaviour of some Victory Church members meant they were not welcome on campus.

The Victory Church is associated with the Baptist faith but Nigel Irwin, senior pastor at Wanganui Central Baptist Church, said there were several streams of Baptist churches in New Zealand.

Mr Irwin had heard about the bans at Massey and UCOL and said that reports about Victory Church were "disappointing".

"I don't really know enough about the situation to condemn the church members actions too harshly but I think it is a real shame that these stories crop up every so often.

"We can read the same Bible and have these very different interpretations - pressuring people for financial contributions and dictating how they live their lives are biblical distortions."

Victory Church was established in New Zealand 10 years ago and according its website, its mission is to "reach tertiary students with the Gospel and to see them discipled according to the Word of God under the authority of the local church".