Wilfred Allen Subritzky QSM (20 November 1925 – 23 December 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and property developer, active from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s. His company, Universal Homes, mass-produced houses in standard designs, and sold 14,000 houses over the 30-year period of Subritzky's involvement.[1][2]

Biography

Subritzky was born in 1925, and lived in Auckland. In 1971 he became involved in the charismatic movement, and became an independent evangelist and healer. Subritzky's faith healing ministry, Dove Ministries, distributes pamphlets, books and videos of his teaching and his evangelistic healing meetings. He was a charismatic Anglican but the style of his ministry was more similar to Pentecostals such as the late Derek Prince.[3]

Subritzky was a proponent of the Toronto Blessing and its introduction into New Zealand.[4] He frequently attributes problems, whether physical, spiritual, emotional or psychological, to the influence of demons, which he claims to "cast out".[5] He also claims to have insight through the "word of knowledge" into people's sins, which have made them vulnerable to demonic influence.[6] Skeptics have questioned his claim that he has ability to cure ailments such as asthma, arthritis and cancer; stating that he uses psychological manipulation to make people feel as though they are healed.[7][8]

Subritzky was a friend to the controversial Nigerian "prophet" T.B. Joshua and publicly supported him amidst criticism that Joshua's "miracles" were not of God.[9]

In 1986, Subritzky and other conservative Christians helped establish the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, a right-wing Christian pressure group formed to oppose the socially-liberal policies of the Fourth Labour Government.[10] He was married to Lucy Patricia (Pat), who died in 2011. Subritzky later married Kaylene.

In the 1991 New Year Honours, Subritzky was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service.[11]

Subritzky published his autobiography On the Cutting Edge: The Bill Subritzky Story in 1993.[12]

In 2014, Subritzky's 8.9 ha (22 acres) estate in Lynfield, Mount Roskill was sold to Ryman Healthcare with an estimated market value of $16.2 million. The property was developed by Subritzky and his first wife, Pat, in 1960 and featured several homes, a pool, tennis court, sheds and a separate office wing from where Subritzky ran his businesses.[13][14]

Subritzky died on 23 December 2015.[15]

Honorific eponyms

Subritzky Avenue in Mount Roskill was named after him.[16]

References

  1. ^ " The Cutting Edge : The Bill Subritzky Story " p 98.
  2. ^ "Prominent lawyer, developer and evangelist Bill Subritzky dies age 90" Archived 2016-10-09 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved October 6, 2016)
  3. ^ Shaw, Bob (29 June 1998). "Evangelist plans to make Good Word his last word". The Evening Post. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  4. ^ Arnott, John G; Arnott, James (1996). Fathers Blessing: A Refreshing Move of God That Is Shaking Toronto-And the World. Charismatic Media. p. 67. ISBN 9780884194040.
  5. ^ Brown, Andrew (15 September 1990). "Evangelist can find a demon for every ill". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  6. ^ Brown, Andrew (14 February 1990). "Evangelist delivers demon warning". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Sceptics question faith healing". Television New Zealand. 24 October 2006.
  8. ^ Crewdson, Patrick (21 May 2007). "Exorcism exercise for fired-up faithful". The Dominion Post. p. 3. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  9. ^ Egwugum, Jackson (30 June 2002). "T.B. Joshua Divides Western Christians". Charisma Magazine.
  10. ^ Jesson, Bruce; Ryan, Allanah; Spoonley, Paul (1988). "Chapter 4: Remoralising Politics". Revival of the Right: New Zealand Politics in the 1980s (1st ed.). Heinemann Reed. p. 56. ISBN 0-7900-0003-2.
  11. ^ "No. 52383". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1990. p. 31.
  12. ^ Published by Sovereign World Ltd (Kent, UK) ISBN 1 85240 107 9 PB; ISBN 1 85240 131 1 HB.
  13. ^ "Ryman buys central Auckland Subritzky estate". NBR. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  14. ^ Gibson, Anne (7 September 2016). "Ryman's plans for 600-resident Auckland retirement village". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Wilfred Allen (Bill) Subritzky". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  16. ^ Reidy, Jade (2013). Not Just Passing Through: the Making of Mt Roskill (2nd ed.). Auckland: Puketāpapa Local Board. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-927216-97-2. OCLC 889931177. Wikidata Q116775081.

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