Members of Tamaki's Destiny Church have recently been charged for destroying rainbow crossings in Gisborne and Auckland, and were responsible for a series of drag events being cancelled around the country.

The image of the child and the head are part of promotion for an event last night in New Plymouth.

The next event is to be held in Whanganui on Tuesday evening.

Promotional material on social media for the events uses phrases like "Time to kill", "It's time to gather heads" and "I want a head (trophy) on my mantlepiece (sic)!"

But Tamaki said the imagery was used figuratively and the phrase "Time to kill" was from the Bible. Read more

The idea doesn't make sense to them.

What price community good?

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki (pictured left) doesn't think much of the tax reform suggestion.

The current tax law - which exempts churches from paying taxes - reflects the good that churches do in the community, he says.

"You've got to wonder where his [Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's] head space is, because a lot of churches pick up the mess that dysfunctional governments leave in society" he told NewsHub.

Tamaki says Destiny Church's social programmes are run without Government help and have a positive impact.

"When you think about it, he's going to tax that or he's going to tax our income, I think that's what he's talking about.

"I'm going to send him a big bill at the end of every year charging all the cost that we're doing for free."

Other Christian church leaders are also up in arms.

Chris Bethwait, who is chair of the InterChurch Bureau explains.

"There's probably some perceptions out there that churches have a free ride, and aren't doing much good in the community, so why should they not pay taxes or rates?" he says.

"It would be good to have the conversation and maybe a little bit more known about what churches actually do in the community."

Why tax churches?

Some say not taxing churches is "an ungodly law".

They argue that churches going tax- and rates-free when Joe Public pays up is wrong.

Luxon (pictured right) is "actually quite open to that consideration.

"I've actually been thinking through the broader dimension of our charitable taxation regimes" he says.

Under New Zealand law, churches are exempt from paying tax but Luxon has left the door open for changes.

"We will certainly be looking at things like that this term, yep."

For now though, he says church tax reform is "not a focus".

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is also in favour of taxing churches. They don't pay rates, he says.

Under the Rating Act, religious organisations are exempt. That should change, Brown says.

"Everybody that we provide services to, which are pipes and water and roads and footpaths and rubbish collections and all those things, everybody that uses them should pay for them."

Tamaki says Destiny's Auckland headquarters does pay rates as the property is leased.

If the city's rating law did change though, other churches in Auckland - some of them on expensive sites - may find themselves with annual rates bills.

Source

• NewsHub

Tamaki's focus was the election result and the state of Kiwi society.

The outspoken Bishop began his address with an apology for being late, attributing it to watching the All Blacks.

Still, his speech quickly turned political and confrontational as he addressed the election outcomes.

"So did National win last night on the back of the fact is that we're so anti-Christ that a person (Simon O'Connor former Tamaki MP) can't any longer stand up for their Christian faith?

"Just to say: I agree with the abortion changes in America?

"What sort of Christians are we breeding? ... Gutless Kiwis ... gutless Christians!"

Despite Tamaki's fervour, the Destiny Church-affiliated Freedoms NZ umbrella party managed to secure only 0.31 percent of the total votes, totaling 7031.

Hannah Tamaki, wife of the Bishop also shared her thoughts on the election results during the gathering.

"I'm actually quite glad that the prime minister of the day is a married man who has a beautiful wife and children because the exiting one told everybody last night that 'a lot of you don't know my partner Toni.' Well, we knew, but we didn't know," Hannah said.

This impassioned gathering highlighted the ongoing debates and divisions within New Zealand society over issues related to faith, politics, and societal values.

Source

• Stuff

Tamaki - Destiny Church founder and co-founder of the Freedoms New Zealand political party - says God gave him a vision of how he should run the campaign.

He's "had insight from the spirit world", he claimed.

Undemocratic

The disruption plan is raising fears that Freedoms New Zealand plans to subvert democratic norms in the run up to October's election.

Some disruptive action has already begun, in fact.

On Monday, a Freedoms NZ election candidate scaled a 2m-high fence to interrupt Opposition leader Chris Luxon's press conference.

Luxon asked the candidate to "be respectful" and talk afterwards. The disruption continued. Luxon moved the conference elsewhere so he could talk freely.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called the interruption an "anti-democratic" publicity stunt. It drowned out other people's voices and gave the public less chance to hear from politicians ahead of the election.

But Tamaki told church followers that Freedoms NZ was exercising its "right to protest and speak publicly".

He says his disruption plan will target Act Party leader David Seymour next.

'You're next David [Seymour], you're another one that hides the truth."

"This could spread right across, down the south and everywhere," Tamaki told his followers.

Security

This weeks interruption coincided with the Government's increased security budget for Members of Parliament, to protect them at their homes, offices and at Parliament.

Politicians have been reporting more confrontations with abusive, threatening protesters. In one case in May last year, Luxon was kept inside a venue in Palmerston North until police arrived.

He later said one of New Zealand's greatest strengths was that the public could easily talk to and approach politicians and that care was needed to preserve that.

But divisive and polarising politics could grow in New Zealand, politicians warn. These divisions are more commonly associated with the United States and are a danger to democracy, they say.

Tamaki's disruption plan

Tamaki told followers in his sermon that his comments about disruption followed politicians' accusations that his team wanted to be disruptive.

He discovered the word's Latin root means to "break apart".

"I love this word disruption, to break apart - break apart this hold they have on our Parliament where the people cannot get their voice in," he told church followers.

"Break apart that Parliament, break apart the lying politicians, break apart the dominant party spirit that does not allow the people to have a voice or access to their own Parliament."

A Destiny church Facebook post shows the Freedoms NZ candidate interrupting Luxon under the headline: "Be a weapon of mass disruption".

This is positive, Tamaki said.

Disruption can be "something that begins to create something better than what was there before".

But violence is not acceptable, Tamaki insists. "Break apart means to challenge by valid and lawful means."

Tamaki said Luxon's press conference interruption was not pre-planned - but "brilliant".

He now expected more of his party members would "pop up" unannounced.

Source

• NZ Herald

At least, that's Brian Tamaki's view.

The self-identified apostle, Destiny Church and Freedoms NZ political party founder says so in a rambling, disinformation-littered diatribe before his church fellowship.

His online sermon, lasting over an hour, draws heavily on the Old Testament's Book of Leviticus.

In it, Tamaki claims Gabrielle "should never have got near us".

"But no, it was swirling, it got strong and He [God] said, 'I'm coming for you, I'm after New Zealand'. Because that's where the most extreme abortion, that's the abomination that's coming up in the air to God. That's the place that has the queerest Parliament in the world."

His oration has been viewed online over 3,300 times.

Describing his research process in forming his opinion, he tells viewers:

"I was suspicious. Don't hate me for this … I see the perversion that is linked to bad weather.

"And I went online. And by the way I don't watch porn."

Nonetheless, Tamaki says he keyed "Porn in New Zealand" into his internet search bar "...and it gave me Pornhub.

"I was shocked by what I found... Hastings and Gisborne, has the highest number of porn watchers in the country and it's one of the biggest averages per capita in the world …

"And they're the biggest watchers on the porn site of gay porn. I know! And I closed it and thought, I can't do this in church, I can't say this publicly."

Despite his concern, he decided:

"I thought, no, God said...you've got it, the revelation, you've got to share it. [Otherwise] they will not see this, they won't connect the dots.

"You'll be mocked, they'll say you're a nutter, but don't worry it gets out and people can see the truth for themselves … Please, stop watching porn, New Zealand. It's getting us in trouble."

How does he know? "I have caught how God feels about it, so I feel how He feels … I transfer His feelings to my feelings, His thoughts to my thoughts."

The mayor of Gisborne, Rehette Stoltz, says Tamaki's comments are "disappointing, unhelpful and laughable".

"We have families struggling after losing their homes and their livelihoods and a much-loved community member lost his life.

"In true Kiwi style, the rest of NZ have mucked in and supported us ...The awhi and aroha have been heartwarming and humbling. We feel loved and nurtured in a very tough time."

Stoltz also notes: "It's worth mentioning that Tairawhiti was without internet access for five days, so Brian's ‘research' might need updating.

"I suggest Brian stop wasting his time ‘researching Pornhub, and instead join the rest of New Zealand who have donated time, energy and money to help us get back on our feet."

Last month Tamaki's Freedoms New Zealand political party successfully registered with the Electoral Commission.

Source

• The Spinoff

Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo is concerned about the effect of these gatherings, which involved many unmasked supporters, babies and tamariki.

While Tamaki and his wife Hannah say they are not anti-vaccine, they describe themselves as "pro-choice". They and the Destiny Church have led outdoor gatherings and marches in various parts of the country.

Last Tuesday, for example, Wellington CBD came to a standstill as thousands of freedom protesters marched to Parliament challenging its Covid restrictions.

Recently the Freedoms and Rights Coalition has organised several other protests around the country - including Covid hot-spots like Auckland and Hamilton.

Tamaki's iwi is calling on him to take a "whanau first" approach and tell his supporters to do everything they can to stem the pandemic.

"We all have the right to safety, and the right to life! If they object to measures that protect other people's lives, in our view they are not fighting for justice or freedom," Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo chairwoman Susan Turner says.

"We have a responsibility to ask our people to do everything we can to protect one another."

Turner confirmed the Runanganui supports vaccines and "dot" passports as a way of managing the pandemic.

The fight against Covid has been a collective one and it was not justice or freedom, to pull apart the systems that are saving lives, she says.

The iwi is particularly concerned about Tamaki's messages and perspective because its homeland- in the area around Kawhia and Te Awamutu - is on the verge of a major outbreak.

Tamaki was charged last month with failing to comply with an order under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act and Alert Level 3 Order by co-organising a lockdown protest in Auckland.

He has since appeared in court over breaching bail conditions.

Hannah Tamaki has been sharing her views on social media supporting those standing up for freedom and choice.

At last Tuesday's protest, she told them she was proud of them.

Destiny Church has not yet responded to media requests for comment.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Image:Otago Daily Times
  

In a statement to media, Tamaki slammed the decision to restrict gathering to a maximum of 10 people as "Nanny-State" and said that our politicians were acting as "overly controlling parents". Read more

Tamaki later said the tweet was not serious.

The department wouldn't go further into detail "relating to a threat, or our response," but said it took "all threats to the safety and security of our sites seriously".

In April, a war of words broke out between Tamaki and government ministers, including Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

Tamaki said he wanted Government funding to introduce his Man Up programme into prisons, but Davis stated Tamaki had failed to follow proper application procedures.

Among several tweets he posted about the funding not going ahead, Tamaki wrote that "we will plan thru private visits to inmates in every Prison to bring Man Up in and cause inmate revolts in evey prison (sic)".

He subsequently said his tweet came out of frustration from the obstacles the programme had faced.

"I put that tweet out because they refused to listen, so what do you do when you've got something that our indigenous people want.

"Inmates are writing letters every day, I can give you letters."

Tamaki said the tweet which talked of revolts was designed to get attention.

"The incitement is not serious, really, I can't cause that in prisons, how do I do that? We're not even allowed in ... but I got your attention, that's what it was."

Tamaki says the programme has a success rate for non-reoffending of 72 per cent.

The Man Up programme claims to have more than 300 groups operating in every main city and town in New Zealand, as well as groups running internationally in Australia and Cambodia.

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• Image: newshub.co.nz

Both ACT party leader David Seymour and Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki appear to agree that people should be allowed to express their opinions. But they appear to have travelled from opposite directions to arrive at the same conclusion.

Seymour says that what is insulting or offensive to one person may be seen by another person to be an honestly held and freely expressed belief.

He says freedom of speech is extremely important and politicians shouldn't be introducing any legislation that means people could be criminalised on the basis of opinion rather than fact.

So presumably Seymour does not object to Tamaki's tweeted opinion that, if anyone says any part of the Bible is hate speech, "This will be war".

"How dare secular, liberal, left-leaning atheists openly attempt to legislate our founding faith, Christianity or the Bible as hate speech."

Protecting religious groups
Seymour says the crimes act already makes it clear it is a crime to incite another person to commit a crime or threaten someone with violence.

But justice minister Andrew Little says the law that prohibits the incitement of racial disharmony does not apply to religious faith.

He has asked his ministry to work with the Human Rights Commission to look into whether New Zealand's laws sufficiently balance issues of freedom of speech and hate speech.

Protecting people from religious groups
In the past, Ardern has also been reluctant to say criticism of others by religious groups should be controlled by law. In 2018, when Israel Folau first expressed an opinion about LGBTQ, she told Newshub "I disagree with him but I'm very careful about how I categorise someone's speech."

Source

• newshub.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• Image: radionz.co.nz

He echoed comments made earlier by Justice Minister Andrew Little, who said Destiny had never actually made a formal application to partner with the Government to work in prisons.

"There have been no formal applications made to deliver the Man-Up or Legacy programmes in prison."

Tamaki wanted Destiny Church's Man-Up programme - an initiative focused on tackling family violence, depression, obesity, addiction and suicide - to be brought into prisons.

Last week Tamaki and 2000 others - including patched gang members - and presented a petition at Parliament urging the Government to allow the church to work within prisons.

"For all of my efforts to try and get into prison, they [the Government] shut us down," Tamaki told those gathered.

The Destiny Church says the Department of Corrections is breaching the Treaty of Waitangi by refusing to let it into prisons.

But Little said he wanted to talk with Tamaki about the programme and what he and the Government could do together.

Davis said in his statement that any community group or organisation wanting to offer a programme in prison is welcome to make a formal application in writing.

He said any organisation that wanted to help safely reduce the prison population should focus on preventing people from going to prison in the first place.

He said until there are no more drugs being baked, until there is no more domestic violence, and when people with addiction services are supported, there will be a need for churches in every community to "work their magic."

"No one needs my blessing to do that work."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• Image: newshub.co.nz

The Herald on Sunday reported the latest luxury purchase of the controversial Tamaki family.

They are fundamentalist Christian church leaders known for urging their religious followers to shower banknotes at the feet of self-anointed bishop Brian Tamaki.

Registration records show Brian's wife Hannah, who has previously talked of owning a $90,000 diamond ring, became the registered owner of the 2015 Mercedes SLK 200 on January 25.

Capable of reaching speeds of up to 239 kph - almost 2 times the legal motorway limit - Hannah's jet-black convertible also boasts 18-inch AMG alloy wheels and heated sport seats.

The flash German two-seater was listed online though Mercedes-Benz North Shore, carrying just 1800km on the clock and at a "drive away" price of $74,990.

Earlier this month a controversial American preacher who has faced allegations he sexually abused young men during a previous trip to New Zealand urged Destiny Church followers to "repent, repent, repent" at their annual conference.

American evangelist Eddie Long was the guest of honour at Destiny's annual get together at the "City of God" in Manukau, south Auckland, which attracted about 1000 followers who paid $120 for a weekend pass.

Standing just metres away in the church's hangar sized 'Sanctuary', ankle deep in tithed banknotes, stood self-appointed Destiny Church 'Bishop' Brian Tamaki who had invited Long as a special guest to the church's weekend Australasian 'Invasion' conference.

In 2010, several young men of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in US state Georgia, sued staunchly anti-gay Long for alleged grooming and sexual abuse, some of which allegedly happened in New Zealand.

By 2011 four lawsuits resulting from those allegations, according to US media, were all subsequently dismissed, unable to proceed in court.

The four former members of a youth group Long ran had accused him of repeatedly coercing them into homosexual sex acts, and of abusing his moral authority over them while plying them with cash, new cars, lodging and lavish trips overseas trips including, for one of the four, a trip to New Zealand.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: i.imgur.com

It appears church leaders Bishop Brian Tamaki and his wife Hannah may be building on the property.

Hannah Tamaki has been posting to social media about the spot, saying she had taken her parents "to have a look where we plan to build".

The real estate listing said the property has "a good sized character home, perfectly liveable but would respond well to a new owner who loves a character home they can be proud of".

The land can be divided into four separate titles and "the new building sites will have the most spectacular views".

At the beginning of November the Destiny School Facebook posted a story about children planting an orchard and native trees on the property.

"On Wednesday 11, Mrs Harvey took the year 9 class to the church property in Clevedon to plant an orchard and native tree bird garden.

"Holes were dug, trees were cleared firewood cut and stacked, and trees were planted- Kowhai and other native trees, fig, fejoa, red-current, blueberry, raspberry, loquat, guava, apple and plum were planted.

"It was such a great opportunity for us to apply our learning about sustainable forest and environments and for the students to work alongside Bishop Tamaki on a project."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• www.barfoot.co.nz
• facebook.com
• Image: facebook.com

Brown was convicted of domestic violence after attacking ex-girlfriend popstar Rihanna in 2009, with critics saying he should be banned from entering New Zealand.

But Bishop Brian Tamaki thinks he should be given another chance. Read More

A photo of Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki was uploaded to Facebook on Saturday night by an onlooker who saw him gambling.

"What does Brian Tamaki of Destiny's church do when waiting in Las Vegas airport? He plays the pokies!" Read more

Tamaki thinks he might have to "move to Limerick next after this".

A whole generation of children will be bisexual because the "perversion of homosexuality is leading the charge," he says.

"Gaypower, that spirit is so powerful it's changing political institutions and half of them don't even want it, but they're forced to."

"Churches are powerless. You go there now and you talk about that now and you'd be driven out of town." Continue reading

Destiny Church-affiliated charities received nearly $6million in donations in the last year after self-appointed Bishop Tamaki demanded churchgoers give generously for the so-called "City of God".

A Herald on Sunday analysis of Destiny's latest charity statements show its 14 charities received $5.75m in donations in the 2013-14 year, up from $4,610,023 the previous year.

The figures are in financial reports to the Department of Internal Affairs Charities Service. The charities include individual churches, the Destiny School, social services and housing organisations, and receive hundreds of thousand of dollars annually in Government grants.

Charity deed papers show Tamaki has been removed as a trustee from all of the church's charities, but retains "absolute power of veto of any decision made by the Trust Board" over the Destiny Church Auckland Trust, which received more than $2m in donations last year - the highest for any of the charities.

Hannah Tamaki is a trustee of 11 of the charities.

The Destiny charity statements were uploaded to the Charities Service register in October, after the Herald on Sunday revealed the 14 charities were overdue in filing their returns, in some cases by more than a year.

Destiny receives more than $1m a year in taxpayer funding for its school and social services.

Its trust Te Roto Taone Nui Trust, which provides housing, received $507,158, in Government funding, up from $392,460 the previous year. And the school received a Ministry of Education grant of $269,179, up from $266,400.

Source

• The New Zealand Herald

Photos tweeted by Bishop Brian Tamaki show a floor littered with $50 and $100 bills accompanied with the verse, "A Sweet Smelling Fragrance that is Acceptable to God (Phil 4:15-19) My God shall Supply all your need..."

Another tweet read, "The main stage at Destiny Church... this morning... littered with 10,000s of $100 and $50 bills....Attitude". Continue reading

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

Source

• New Zealand Herald
• 3 News
• New Zealand Herald
• Image: 3News

Lewis spent 13 years as Tamaki's right-hand man before resigning from the controversial church three months ago.

"I resigned from Destiny in September. I came to an end of that journey," Lewis said yesterday. "I served that vision with all my heart and am very thankful to have had that opportunity." Continue reading

His departure is the latest in string of high profile members leaving Destiny Church. Janine Cardno, the church's media spokeswoman for many years, and Paul and Michelle Hubble, who had been with Destiny leader Brian Tamaki since 1990, quit Destiny last year

Lewis, a former police detective and political candidate, is believed to be starting his own church and will this Sunday start preaching at the Dream Centre, a community facility in Manukau City from which seven other churches operate.

Associate Professor Peter Lineham of Massey University, who was granted access to the inner workings of the church when he wrote the book Destiny says, "I think very few of the church's achievements would have been possible without the firm hand of Richie Lewis behind because Brian [Tamaki] is a dreamer, an inspirational type of person."

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• TVNZ