The new and third season of LiSTNR’s podcast docuseries Secrets We Keep looks at the secretive religious group Geelong Revival Centre (GRC) led the late Pastor Noel Hollins who controlled every aspect of his members’ lives. Survivors are now blowing the whistle on abuse, violence and sexism from inside the group.
Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder is a nine-part investigation hosted by award-winning Australian investigative journalist Richard Baker (pictured below) about the GRC and its affiliated assemblies around the world, which blended the racist doctrine of the “British Israel” movement with doomsday predictions that Armageddon would soon be upon us.
Pastor Hollins dedicated his life to the movement and convinced followers he had a direct line to God. Members were encouraged to use physical punishment to discipline their children, women and girls were routinely oppressed, and abuse was not reported to authorities.
Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder features exclusive audio obtained by Baker as part of his two-year investigation of Pastor Hollins’ teachings. Baker secured testimonies from ex-members who share intimate details of how normal human urges such as affection and attraction were suppressed and replaced with rules, judgement, fasting and prayer.
According to Hollins, the answer to any hardship, ailment, fear or desire was simply to ‘Pray Harder’.
“It’s astonishing what these former members have shared with me,” said Richard. “The amount of human wreckage, particularly within families, is shocking and I’ve come away from several interviews kind of numb and in a daze.
Celeste is a voice you’ll hear in the series. She first came to the church as a vulnerable young girl and later returned as a single mother looking for solace having escaped a world of drug addiction and gang violence. However, the oppressive and controlling nature of the ‘church’ under Noel Hollins meant it didn’t feel like a place of solace, and she became increasingly concerned for the wellbeing of her young autistic son after he fell victim to the church’s practice of using physical violence to discipline children. Now in her early 30s, Celeste has left the church and reconnected with other ex-members to speak out.”
LiSTNR Head of Factual, Clair Weaver, said:
“While the podcast is shocking and revelatory, I hope it drives real change. We have strong principles that accurate journalism, combined with powerful and immersive audio storytelling, can have a lasting impact on society.
Our goal with LiSTNR’s Factual docuseries is to use our audio storytelling skills to enable great journalists like Richard to publish their investigations in an impactful way that engages audiences and motivates them to call for change.”
Pastor Hollins died at age 93 earlier this year.
All nine episodes of Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder are now available exclusively on LiSTNR. This is the first owned and original LiSTNR podcast to be mixed in Dolby Atmos to create a 3D sound environment.
All allegations and experiences in this podcast pertain to those under the control of the assembly of Pastor Noel Hollins. They do not relate to or represent the church under the current leadership of the Geelong Revival Centre.