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More than 500 people gathered in the Eulogy Lounge at the Whanganui racecourse for the New Approach hui hosted by Destiny Church.
Hannah Tamaki, the wife of Destiny Church’s Bishop Brian Tamaki, told the crowd it is possible to become a better person without God’s help.
The aim, she said, was to encourage participants to freely give and receive love and joining Destiny Church is not a compulsory part of the programme.
“You may not want the God part,” she said.
“But you can still benefit from the programme as others have done.”
The Man Up programme is directed by Brian and Hannah Tamaki’s son-in-law Caine Warren and his wife Jamie who leads the women’s Legacy programme.
Jamie Warren spoke about the 15-week esteem-building programme designed for women aged 18 and over.
“I have been fortunate to come from a safe and loving home so I haven’t experienced what some of the women in the programme have lived with.”
Warren said some women come to meetings wearing “ankle jewellery” or police monitors and their lives are very unstable.
“I realised that all I really have to do is listen and not judge them.”
The hui started with a convoy of motorcycles from the racecourse to Whanganui Prison in Kaitoke.
Although some in Whanganui opposed the visit because of Brain Tamaki’s condemnation of homosexuality, the anti-violence message was well received and the hui was without incident.
Caine Warren said raising the homosexuality issue detracted from the purpose of the hui – to turn violent and disillusioned men’s lives around.
“[The hui] is inclusive of all men who call themselves men and want to be better fathers, better husbands. That’s definitely our motto.”
“I guess that’s what I’m saying; the men who come to Man Up, they come as they are, whether they’re alcoholic, in a homosexual relationship.
“But I definitely know … when they do get healed, they do overcome some of these challenges they face, whatever they may be.”
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