Skip to main content.
Related sites:
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
Jesus Christians:

Australian cult member freed in Kenya

AAP, via Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
July 12, 2005
www.smh.com.au
  • Article Tools  • Share This Story

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 11657 • Posted: Tuesday July 12, 2005  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Jesus Christians

An Australian member of a religious cult facing abduction charges in Kenya has been released from jail.

Roland Gianstefani, a leader of the Kenyan branch of the international cult Jesus Christians, was released from police custody in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Jesus Christians

The ‘Jesus Christians’ movement also calls itself “Followers of the Lamb,” “Rappville Christians,” or simply “Christians.” However, theologically this high-demand group is a cult of Christianity. The manipulative group also displays sociological cultic characteristics.

Among other things, the group insists members reject their families, friends, and jobs. Based in Australia, but is active elsewhere as well (notably, England and India). The movement makes extra-Biblical demands, has a theology based on unsound Bible interpretations.

The group’s leader, David McKay, is believed to be a former member of the Children of God.

While the group militates - often in extreme ways - against established churches, denominations, and Christians who do not share the group’s theology, ”Jesus Christians” itself appears to have somewhat of a persecution complex.

The founder of the Sydney-based Jesus Christians Dave McKay claimed that as well as securing the 600,000 Kenyan shillings ($A12,000) bail, the group had to pay a bribe to secure Gianstefani’s release.

“They accepted the bail but still when we went to jail they wouldn’t let Roland out until he paid a bribe, although I don’t know how much it was,” he said.

“Now he’s out, he’s pretty fragile. Emotionally he’s weak and very frightened.”

Gianstefani, 42, from NSW, has been charged with abduction following the disappearance of journalist Betty Waitherero Njoroge and her seven-year-old son, Joshua.

However, in a statement released by the Jesus Christians last month, Ms Njoroge said the group had done nothing wrong and she was in hiding.

Ms Njoroge said her wealthy father had convinced police to keep Gianstefani as a “hostage” until she relinquished custody of Joshua.

Mr McKay said Ms Njoroge was willing to testify at Gianstefani’s trial.

Gianstefani, who is due back in court on September 2, has been barred from leaving Kenya.

If convicted, Gianstefani, who is also facing a charge of hawking without a licence, faces up to three years and four months in jail, according to the Foreign Affairs Department.

Mr McKay said Kenyan authorities issued a warrant out for the arrest of Gianstefani’s Australian wife, Susan, 37.

Roland and Susan Gianstefani were given suspended six-month jail sentences in 2000 by a court in Britain after refusing to reveal the whereabouts of an English teenager who left home to join the Jesus Christians.

Bobby Kelly, 16, disappeared in June 2000, saying he wanted to stay with the group and was found a month later living with two men in a tent in a Hampshire forest.

The Jesus Christians gained attention in Australia last year when they lied to health authorities so they could donate their kidneys to strangers.

NSW later introduced legislation to legalise the practice.



Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe: Religion News Blog RSS feed  |  Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe by topic: Jesus Christians
more cult news articlemore religion news More articles about Jesus Christians

Like this story?

Today's Most Popular Articles

Share this

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




Article and Site Tools

» PermaLink to: Australian cult member freed in Kenya
   Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final /
» More news articles + news archive on Jesus Christians
» More religion and cult news

Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?]
» RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed
» RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Jesus Christians
» Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines

More Article Tools
• Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us
• Bookmark / Tag: Furl
Save this article
Email this article
Print this article [Temporarily out of order]

More Information
Books about Jesus Christians
Relevant books (and other goodies)

more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine