Editing Brian Tamaki (section)

== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
In his autobiography ''Bishop Brian Tamaki: More than meets the eye'', Tamaki makes the following statements about his early life:<!-- Note [[WP:ABOUTSELF]] when fixing this up later. Most claims do not appear to need qualifying by [[WP:INTEXT]] attribution. -->

Born in [[Te Awamutu]] as the eldest in a family of five, Tamaki spent his childhood years on the family farm, called "Te Manuka", in the rural area of [[Te Kopua]]. His mother was "devoutly religious",<ref name="autobio">
{{cite book|last=Tamaki|first=Brian|title=Bishop Brian Tamaki: More than meets the eye|publisher=Tamaki Publications, Destiny Churches New Zealand|year=2006|isbn=0-473-11242-6|location=Auckland}}
</ref> taking her sons to the Te Awamutu Methodist Church on Sundays. Tamaki describes his father as an alcoholic who showed no interest in fatherhood.<ref name="autobio" /> Tamaki is of [[Tainui]] ancestry, from the Ngati Ngawaero and [[Ngāti Maniapoto]] tribes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lineham |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p_KcDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |title=Destiny: The Life and Times of a Self-Made Apostle: The life and Times of a Self-Made Prophet |publisher=Penguin Random House New Zealand |year=2013 |isbn=978-1742539164 |page=29}}</ref> During Tamaki's childhood the family moved from the farm to Te Awamutu and then on to [[Tokoroa]] in 1970. While in Tokoroa, Tamaki became interested in [[rugby union]] and a little later came to enjoy pig-hunting and participating in a [[rock band]] playing the pub circuit. Two of Tamaki's brothers, Doug and Mike, are tourism venture operators in Rotorua.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/local/news/tamaki-bros-to-expand-business/3753130/|title=Tamaki bros to expand business|date=25 October 2007|newspaper=The Daily Post}}</ref>

Tamaki dropped out of secondary school at fifteen, after, as he describes in his autobiography, dabbling in drugs,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11933787|title=14 things you might not know about Destiny Church|date=17 October 2017|newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] }}</ref> before completing the [[Education in New Zealand#Years of schooling|fourth form]] and took a labouring job in the forestry industry. In his teens Tamaki began a relationship with [[Hannah Tamaki|Hannah Lee]] and the unwed couple moved to Te Awamutu, where Tamaki worked on a dairy farm owned by his uncle and aunt. An incident occurred where Lee tried to stab Tamaki to death.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p_KcDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT36|title=Destiny: The Life and Times of a Self-Made Apostle: The life and Times of a Self-Made Prophet|first=Peter|last=Lineham|publisher=Penguin Random House New Zealand|year=2013|isbn=978-1742539164|page=36}}</ref> It is reported that he had to lock himself in the bathroom but that the blade pierced through the door, nearly wounding him.<ref name="hopelessness" /> Tamaki and Lee had their first child,<ref name="hopelessness">{{cite news|first =Mere |last =Mulu|url=http://www.qna.net.nz/news/772.html|title=Bishop Brian – saved from hopelessness| publisher = Sunday News|date=15 October 2006|access-date=8 May 2007}}</ref> in December 1978. Later at 21, Tamaki joined the Ngāruawāhia Apostolic Church. He lost his farm job and he and Lee returned to Tokoroa, where he attended the Tokoroa Apostolic Church. Tamaki became heavily involved with the church after pastor Manuel Renata baptised him in December 1979. Since Tamaki and his partner had not married, Renata would not allow him to carry out all the functions of the church. Tamaki and Lee then married at the Tokoroa Presbyterian Church on 22 March 1980. Fourteen months later they had their second child, a girl.<ref name="autobio" />

=== Destiny Church ===
{{Main|Destiny Church (New Zealand)}}
In 1982 the Tamakis attended the Apostolic Church's Te Nikau Bible College in [[Paraparaumu]], and also had their third child, Samuel. Tamaki became an ordained [[Elder (Christianity)|elder]], and then (in September 1984) a [[pastor]] in the Tokoroa Apostolic Church. Tamaki went on to establish the Rosetown Community Church in Te Awamutu, the Lake City Church in Rotorua, City Church and then Destiny Church in Auckland.<ref name="autobio"/>

On 18 June 2005 [[kaumātua]] and Destiny Pastor Manuel Renata<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10424770 | work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] | title=State religion for further debate – National – NZ Herald News | date=20 February 2007}}</ref> ordained Tamaki as bishop of the Destiny Church movement<ref>
{{cite news  | last = Crewdson  | first = Patrick | title = Bishop fulfils his destiny | newspaper = [[New Zealand Herald]] |date=19 June 2005 | url = https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10331506 | access-date = 30 April 2019 }}
</ref> (which at the time totalled 15 churches throughout New Zealand and Australia).

Tamaki advocates [[prosperity theology]], which has been criticised as immoral and potentially dangerous.<ref>Grimshaw, Mike (January 2006). "[https://www.ubishops.ca/baudrillardstudies/vol3_1/grimshawpf.htm Religion, terror and the end of the postmodern: Rethinking the responses] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017210726/http://www.ubishops.ca/BaudrillardStudies/vol3_1/grimshawpf.htm |date=17 October 2009 }}". ''International Journal of Baudrillard Studies'' '''3''' (1)</ref>

In 2017 Brian Tamaki and Hannah Tamaki moved into a 234 square metre house in Drury, [[South Auckland]]. While it is the residence of Brian Tamaki and his family they are not legally connected to the home and only reside there. In response to criticism that moving into a house of such size was an overreach of his wealth, Tamaki responded "Jealousy is part of the promotion of god".<ref>{{cite web |title=Destiny Church's Brian and Hannah Tamaki move into $1.58m luxury home |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/98196636/destiny-churchs-brian-and-hannah-tamaki-move-into-15m-luxury-home |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=24 October 2017 |publisher=Stuff.co.nz}}</ref>

In mid-April 2018, it was reported that Tamaki had sustained two second-degree burns to his face and body after a botched attempt to burn rubbish. Tamaki announced to members of his congregation that he was recovering and praised his wife and hospital staff for aiding his recovery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Destiny Church founder Brian Tamaki recovering after being burnt in a rubbish fire|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12037713|access-date=23 April 2018|newspaper=[[New Zealand Herald]]|date=23 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Destiny Church's Bishop Brian Tamaki severely burnt in rubbish fire|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103311135/destiny-churchs-bishop-brian-tamaki-severely-burnt-in-rubbish-fire|access-date=23 April 2018|work=[[Stuff.co.nz]]|date=23 April 2018}}</ref>

In February 2021, [[Otago Daily Times|''The Otago Daily Times'']] noted that he was being styled "Apostle Bishop" and that church members who paid various fees could be styled "Apostle's Sons".<ref>{{cite news |title=Destiny Church: Concerns over 'Apostle' Tamaki's latest venture |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/destiny-church-concerns-over-apostle-tamakis-latest-venture |access-date=4 July 2023 |work=[[Otago Daily Times]] |publisher=[[Allied Press]] |date=5 February 2021}}</ref>

In late July 2022, it was reported that Tamaki was facing a charge of careless driving after crossing the centre line and colliding with a car carrying two occupants near [[Rotorua]] on 6 May 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Makiha |first1=Kelly |title=Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki charged after road crash in Rotorua |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/destiny-church-leader-brian-tamaki-charged-after-road-crash-in-rotorua/DZRHOE7ZIXODIDN3WTINS4ZUW4/ |access-date=30 July 2022 |work=[[Rotorua Daily Post]] |publisher=[[NZME]] |date=30 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729175144/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/destiny-church-leader-brian-tamaki-charged-after-road-crash-in-rotorua/DZRHOE7ZIXODIDN3WTINS4ZUW4/ |archive-date=29 July 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Brian Tamaki facing careless driving charges after allegedly crossing centre line, crashing into elderly couple's car in Rotorua |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/07/brian-tamaki-facing-careless-driving-charges-after-allegedly-crossing-centre-line-crashing-into-elderly-couple-s-car-in-rotorua.html |access-date=30 July 2022 |work=[[Newshub]] |date=30 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730124855/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/07/brian-tamaki-facing-careless-driving-charges-after-allegedly-crossing-centre-line-crashing-into-elderly-couple-s-car-in-rotorua.html |archive-date=30 July 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref> He pleaded guilty to careless driving and was ordered to pay reparations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki admits crashing car into elderly couple's near Rotorua |last=Makiha |first=Kelly |date=11 August 2022 |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/destiny-church-leader-brian-tamaki-admits-crashing-car-into-elderly-couples-near-rotorua/G7MSAK735XED5J6C6OUL3626P4/ |newspaper=[[Rotorua Daily Post]] |via=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=12 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818025630/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/destiny-church-leader-brian-tamaki-admits-crashing-car-into-elderly-couples-near-rotorua/G7MSAK735XED5J6C6OUL3626P4/|archive-date=18 August 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Alexa |title=Brian Tamaki pleads guilty to careless driving charges after crossing centre line, crashing into elderly couple's car |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/08/brian-tamaki-pleads-guilty-to-careless-driving-charges-after-allegedly-crossing-centre-line-crashing-into-elderly-couple-s-car.html |access-date=19 August 2022 |work=[[Newshub]] |date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811063658/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/08/brian-tamaki-pleads-guilty-to-careless-driving-charges-after-allegedly-crossing-centre-line-crashing-into-elderly-couple-s-car.html |archive-date=11 August 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref>