David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

This week, Trust Me is joined by David Farrier, journalist and filmmaker known for documentaries like Tickled and Netflix series Dark Tourist. He shares about his work studying strange subcultures and conspiracy theorists and what he's learned along the way, and then dives into his investigation into Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand. David explains how his interviews with ex members revealed the church's systemic pattern of exploiting harrowing unpaid internships--with work hours that led to multiple members having mental breakdowns. He discusses the financial exploitation and sexual assault cover-ups that occurred, how it all got exposed, and what became of the church. Plus: a couple of tangents, including one about Hell House, the Christian church-run haunted house that simulates hell to scare you into joining. SOURCES Webworm Flightless Bird Podcast

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David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church is an episode from Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and the Abuse of Power by iHeartPodcasts.

This episode is 72:42 long.

This episode was published on Jan 14, 2026.

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