Damage Control

Gloria Jeans have issued a media release in response to those dreadful allegations ( kudos to Oz for putting me on to it).  The make it clear that they won’t remove their sponsorship without due diligence (how they could invest in the first place makes me suspicious of their idea of diligence – hey let’s support an exclusively christian group).

We believe this however should not outweigh the positive impact Mercy Ministries has had on the lives of many young women. By removing our sponsorship without due diligence, we would be removing our support for the many young women dealing with eating disorders, unplanned pregnancies, abuse and other life controlling issues that are in desperate need for help to turn their lives around.

So apparently they are in negotiations with Mercy to clear up what elements of their program could have caused such "confusion".

They also clearly outline that they have no official ties with Hillsong

We have no relationship with the Hillsong Church. Gloria Jean’s Coffees is an Australian-owned private company and there are no financial or legal ties between Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Hillsong Church (my emphasis).

Funny I could have sworn that Tanya Levin(former Hillsonger and author of People in Glasshouses) mentioned that they supplied Hillsong events with coffee.  Indeed according to Matt Stone a christian blogger this was the case on his visit in March last year.

I am sure Hillsong put the catering out to tender. 

Then there was Peter Irvine who until recently was both Managing Director of Gloria Jeans and a director of  Mercy Ministries at the same time.  Conflict of interest anybody?

Followed by there’s Mercy Ministries’ accountant, Stephen Crouch, married to an organiser of the Hillsong conference, Pastor Donna Crouch.

So there are connections here and connections that enable quick efficient Christian business to be done.  The kind of ties that bind you know family, brotherhood, sisterhood, the old boys,/girls networks, religious affiliation.  Threads connecting three companies.

And its to Peter Irvine’s press release I turn to next in his capacity as Director of Mercy ministries.  Which breaks down into

1. The reports are inaccurate (show us yours, oh what’s that they are being create…collated)
2. We’re a Christian based charity (what so we are automatically nice ethical and above board- see catholic church)
3. All women are made aware of the details of the program(whether they are capable or of sound mind or body doesn’t factor)
4. Our people are qualified (lets hope its australian qualifications not doctorates from a bible college)
5. People are free to leave at any time( a prison of the mind/sprit is still a prison)
6. We work closely with Centrelink
7. We receive lots of good feedback
8. We are transparent , honest (so transparent we see right through you)

Now Z a fellow blogger who has been covering the same story points out that

The whole "it’s voluntary!" thing sort of overlooks the fact that women are required at the start to put down a $200 dollar deposit that covers "incidental and medical expenses", per question 6 of Mercy Ministries’ own Frequently Asked Questions

So I am not convinced that these girls are just disgruntled failures, I think Mercy Ministries has failed them.

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