MPs line up to attend Destiny Church opening

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014

At least six MPs, including Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples, and Internet Mana leader Hone Harawira were among those attended the official opening of the Destiny Church’s ‘City of God’ headquarters in Manukau last Friday evening.

Church spokeswoman Anne Williamson told the New Zealand Herald that Destiny had no intention of inserting itself into this year’s election contest, despite its “Enough is Enough” march on Parliament in 2004 in protest against civil unions.

The new headquarters has been developed on a 3.1ha site of an old pillow factory in Druces Rd, Wiri, valued for rating purposes in 2011 for $7.65 million.

Destiny is not disclosing how much it cost to outfit the facilities which includes a school, early childhood centre, gym, recording studio and function rooms as well as an 864-seat auditorium called The Sanctuary.

The church asked each church to donate $1000 to supplement the proceeds from the sale of its previous base in Mt Wellington, valued at $4.9 million.

The complex boasts what is said to be New Zealand’s biggest permanent LED wall, a 24-metre-wide screen.

Giant photographs of founders Bishop Brian Tamaki and his wife Hannah hang in several public spaces in between the various buildings.

In his main sermon, Tamaki warned his congregation to watch out for false prophets and to maintain regular church attendance so Destiny elders could help them to detect wolves in their midst in sheep’s clothing.

Pastor Hannah Tamaki is the wife of Destiny Church’s founder Bishop Brian Tamaki. She denies the complex is “a gated community” and calls it a “gift to the community”.

“You don’t have to be a [Destiny Church] member to come along to the events here,” she says.
“You don’t have to be a giving type to come along here. It’s just part of what we want to give to our community.”Watch interview

10 things you may not know about Destiny Church

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