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When Christchurch Turned: Arthur Bentley Worthington, the Temple of Truth, and the Night the Riot Act Was Read

As dusk settled over Christchurch, thousands of Cantabs converged on Lichfield Street, their attention fixed on a single object: a hired cab trapped in a dense, angry crowd. The vehicle had been summoned to remove preacher Arthur Bentley Worthington from the city under police protection, but the sheer mass of people surrounding it rendered it immobile. Hoarse voices rose in hoots and groans, sticks were waved, and the atmosphere grew increasingly volatile. The police struggled to maintain order as the crowd surged dangerously close to the cab, creating a real risk that it might be overturned and its occupant seriously harmed. In an unprecedented move, Magistrate Richard Beetham climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and read the Riot Act aloud. It was the first—and remains the only—time this ancient proclamation was formally read in Christchurch. Though the words were met with booing and hissing, they carried enough authority to prevent catastrophe. The crowd retreated under pressure from mounted police, regrouping elsewhere in the city. Inside the cab, whether Worthington looked out at the furious faces or not, he must have known that this moment marked the end. Christchurch had reached its verdict, and it was final.

Birth and Early Identity: Samuel Oakley Crawford of New York

Arthur Bentley Worthington was born in New York in 1847 under the name Samuel Oakley Crawford. He was the son of a lawyer, raised in a society shaped by ambition, religion, and upheaval. Later in life, he would claim that his spiritual awakening occurred during the American Civil War, amid the brutality of the battlefield. Whether this conversion was genuine or later embellished, it became central to the identity he crafted. The idea of a man transformed by war, touched by divine purpose, would prove useful in gaining trust and authority. By 1867, he had entered the Methodist ministry, presenting himself as a man of conviction and moral clarity, shaped by suffering and faith.

Charisma and Collapse: Ministry, Fraud, and Prison

As a Methodist minister, Worthington displayed remarkable personal charm. Contemporary descriptions consistently emphasise his smooth manner, his persuasive voice, and his ability to make people feel immediately at ease. He offered peace, reassurance, and hope, particularly to those searching for meaning or stability. Yet beneath this polished exterior lay a pattern of deception. His ministerial career was derailed when he was arrested for fraud and sentenced to two years in prison. This conviction marked the first public collapse of his carefully curated persona. Rather than ending his influence, imprisonment became a pause—a recalibration rather than a conclusion.

Reinvention and Exploitation Across America

After his release, Worthington embarked on a restless life across the United States. He changed names, occupations, and identities with ease, each reinvention allowing him to escape accountability for previous actions. Central to this period was a string of bigamous marriages. He married multiple women simultaneously or in quick succession, fathering children and abandoning families without financial or emotional support. Many of his victims were wealthy widows, women whose resources and vulnerabilities made them ideal targets. Through charm, spiritual language, and emotional manipulation, Worthington extracted money and loyalty before moving on. This period refined the methods he would later deploy in New Zealand: persuasion cloaked in morality, intimacy wielded as leverage, and disappearance as escape.

Arrival in New Zealand: Lyttelton, 1890

In 1890, Worthington arrived in Lyttelton with his wife Mary Plunkett and her two children from a previous marriage that he had helped dissolve. He entered the colony openly and confidently, advertising himself as a lecturer on metaphysics, natural philosophy, and religion. His timing was astute. Christchurch was both devout and intellectually curious, a city where traditional Christianity coexisted with interest in alternative spiritual and philosophical ideas. Worthington positioned himself at this intersection, offering learning, enlightenment, and meaning beyond orthodox boundaries.

From Lecturer to Spiritual Leader

Worthington’s lectures were well attended and soon evolved into revival-style meetings. His presentations blended moral instruction with metaphysical speculation, drawing audiences seeking both reassurance and novelty. He initially promoted conventional values, including marriage and celibacy, which reassured mainstream attendees. Gradually, however, he introduced more radical concepts, including reincarnation. Rumours soon circulated about his private counselling sessions with couples, which allegedly included sexual advice and demonstrations. He was also said to promote free love and wife swapping. Despite this, he continued to operate under the Methodist banner, a contradiction that alarmed established church leaders and deepened their concern.

Opposition and Investigation: Reverend Hosking Steps In

Concern within Christchurch’s religious establishment eventually crystallised into action. Reverend John Hosking of St Asaph Free Methodist Church undertook a deliberate investigation into Worthington’s past. This marked a turning point. Criticism shifted from theological disagreement to scrutiny of character and history. Hosking’s inquiries suggested that Worthington’s charisma concealed a deeply troubling pattern. Yet even as doubts grew, Worthington’s influence expanded.

The Temple of Truth: Monument to Authority

Worthington’s followers, known as the Students of Truth, funded and constructed a grand basilica-style building on the corner of Armagh and Madras Streets. Named the Temple of Truth, it closely resembled established churches in its architectural grandeur. Opened on 11 August 1892, the building conferred legitimacy through stone, scale, and permanence. To supporters, it was a symbol of enlightenment. To critics, it was evidence of how easily devotion could be mobilised and monetised.

Public Exposure: The Christchurch Star, 1893

In June 1893, the Christchurch Star published a scathing exposé, branding Worthington a fraudster, villain, liar, and swindler. The article accused him of sexual relationships with female congregants and of destroying marriages. Worthington did not publicly rebut these claims. Instead, he distanced himself from the fallout, allowing consequences to fall upon his wife Mary Plunkett. She was banned from the church and fled to Australia, but not before revealing details of life with Worthington, despite having signed an agreement to remain silent. Her testimony shattered the image of spiritual harmony that Worthington had cultivated.

Fragmentation and Conflict Within the Movement

By 1895, tensions within the Students of Truth intensified. Worthington sought legal recognition as an officiating minister under the Marriage Act. His application was initially rejected on grounds of character but was ultimately approved after a judge ruled that character assessment was a matter for the religious body itself. This legal victory did little to quell dissent. When Worthington announced his intention to marry again, outrage erupted among followers. Prominent members protested publicly, meetings descended into chaos, and dissenters were forcibly removed. A schism followed, with former supporters forming an independent group to continue teaching without him.

Marriage Controversy and Clerical Resistance

Worthington’s request for Pastor W. Birch to officiate his marriage exposed further controversy. After learning of potential legal and moral impediments—particularly the status of Sister Magdala, widely regarded as Worthington’s wife—Birch refused. In a carefully worded letter, he cited moral responsibility over legal ambiguity. Worthington replied dismissively, insisting no impediment existed and stating that the Registrar would conduct the ceremony. The exchange highlighted Worthington’s consistent strategy: bypass moral opposition by exploiting procedural loopholes.

Courtrooms and Performance: Libel and “My Life” Lectures

Worthington’s libel case against the editor of the Christchurch Sun collapsed in 1895 when he failed to properly pursue it, resulting in a nonsuit. Public attendance was high, reinforcing the sense that Worthington’s legal manoeuvres were performative rather than substantive. Shortly thereafter, he announced a series of lectures titled “My Life,” promising a full accounting of his past. He claimed all accusations would be addressed, documents verified, and proceeds distributed to creditors. The lectures transformed scandal into spectacle, framing Worthington as a persecuted truth-teller while maintaining control over the narrative.

Departure and Denunciation, 1896

Reports of Worthington’s departure for America in late 1895 were contradictory. Some expected his return; others suggested flight. By early 1896, cablegrams confirmed his departure for San Francisco. Satirical poems mocked his serial marriages, while former followers convened to formally denounce him. In March 1896, the Students of Truth passed resolutions declaring Worthington an accomplished liar and deceiver, unfit for leadership. The condemnation from within proved more damaging than any external attack.

The Temple Without Truth: Sale and Erasure

With Worthington gone, the Temple of Truth was sold, resold, and stripped of its symbolic trappings. Debenture-holders purchased it as a commercial asset, and its name was shortened to “The Temple.” By late 1896, it functioned as a venue for music and entertainment. What had once claimed spiritual authority dissolved into ordinary social use. Ultimately, the building became the Choral Hall and was demolished in 1966, replaced by a car park—a stark metaphor for the collapse of Worthington’s grand vision.

Return and Riot: 1897

Worthington’s return to Christchurch in 1897 reignited public fury. Barred from the Temple, he lectured at the Oddfellows’ Hall, drawing large crowds that included supporters, critics, and curious onlookers. Disorder followed each meeting. Police escorts became necessary, and violence escalated. On 27 September 1897, hundreds gathered on Lichfield Street, leading to the confrontation that culminated in the reading of the Riot Act. The city, through its institutions and its people, made clear that Worthington was no longer welcome.

Aftermath for the Victims: Mary Plunkett’s Tragedy

After Worthington’s final departure from New Zealand in 1899, Mary Plunkett returned to Christchurch. Though she remarried and regained custody of one child, she suffered profound depression. In June 1901, she was found drowned in the ornamental pond beside the church she had helped establish. Her death was ruled a suicide, a tragic reminder of the human cost behind public scandal and satire.

Final Acts: Fraud, Prison, and Death

Worthington resurfaced in Melbourne in 1902, arrested for fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison. After his release, he returned to America, reinvented himself once more as a Presbyterian minister, and continued deceiving followers. By December 1917, he was again incarcerated. He died of a heart attack after being confronted by one of his female victims. A judge later described him as one of the most dangerous conmen he had ever encountered.

Charisma, Credulity, and Civic Reckoning

The Worthington affair exposed the vulnerability of communities to charismatic authority, especially when wrapped in spiritual language. It revealed institutional limitations, moral blind spots, and the devastating personal consequences of deception. Christchurch built him a temple, then chased him from its streets. In the end, Arthur Bentley Worthington left behind no lasting doctrine or spiritual legacy—only a cautionary tale of trust misplaced, truth distorted, and a city forced to reclaim its moral boundaries.