Editing Destiny Church (New Zealand) (section)

==History==
===Origins===
[[File:DESTINYCHURCH1.png|thumb|old logo|100px]]
The Destiny Church movement was founded in 1998 from 20 members of Lake City Church in [[Rotorua]],<ref>[http://www.destinychurch.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:our-history&catid=44:aboutus&Itemid=79 Destiny Church: Our History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513053957/http://destinychurch.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:our-history&catid=44:aboutus&Itemid=79|date=13 May 2010}}, destinychurch.org.nz, retrieved 31 October 2009</ref> initially calling itself City Church Auckland. Destiny Church was founded by Brian Tamaki and his wife Hannah Tamaki, who continue to serve as Visionary and Senior Ministers of Destiny Church.<ref name="About Us" /> Destiny Church had a close relationship with [[New Birth Missionary Baptist Church]] in Atlanta, USA, the church of Bishop [[Eddie Long]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.destinychurch.org.nz/our-church-about-us-103/our-church-about-us-103 |title=Our church |year=2010 |publisher=Destiny Church |location=Auckland |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100820141503/http://www.destinychurch.org.nz/our-church-about-us-103/our-church-about-us-103 |archivedate=20 August 2010 |accessdate=4 June 2012 |quote=The church corporate relates closely with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta USA, which is the home of Bishop Eddie L. Long, spiritual father to Bishop Tamaki.}}</ref> In his autobiography Tamaki described meeting Long, "my spiritual father", in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tamaki link to US sex-case bishop |first=Vaimoana |last=Tapaleao |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10675732 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=24 September 2010 |accessdate=4 June 2012 |archive-date=15 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215030334/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10675732 |url-status=live }}</ref> Historian Peter Lineham has compared Destiny Church's liturgy progression away from orthodox Christianity to the late 1920s [[Ratana]] movement's divergence and eventual excommunication. Lineham also notes the usages of the historic and strong belief within [[Religion of Māori people|Christianity in Māoridom]] to promote his reach and teachings.<ref name=lineham_among>Lineham, Peter (5 April 2006). "[http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=among-the-believers-05-04-2006 Among the believers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607123114/http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=among-the-believers-05-04-2006 |date=7 June 2011 }}". Massey University.</ref>

{{Blockquote|Destiny is in some ways very different from other Pentecostal churches. The latest Destiny stories have focused on its growing links with Ratana, its presence at Waitangi, its Legacy march down Queen Street and the title of bishop which its founder and leader, Brian Tamaki has taken ...<br />We must recall that it is Māori at heart, although not tribal Māori. It trains people in Kapa haka (and performed them all too vehemently at Waitangi); it captures the hearts of many Māori women, perhaps appealing particularly to detribalised Māori. And it has a political agenda which places treaty issues high on the agenda ...<br />Let there be no doubt, there are some deep tensions running through New Zealand society, troubles underneath the optimism, and fundamentally they are cultural differences. Culture and religion walk hand in hand. The issues facing us today involve a deep debate over values. We should never be confident that we know which side will win.|Peter Lineham|Among the believers<ref name=lineham_among/>}}

===Enough is Enough rally===
Destiny Church has campaigned for a return to what it considers to be "Christian [[morality|moral]] values" in New Zealand society, particularly for the "sanctity of [[marriage]] between a husband and wife".{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} In August 2004, Destiny members marched on Parliament under their "Enough is Enough" rally which drew 5000 protesters against [[Civil unions in New Zealand|civil unions]] legislation. The rally attracted considerable criticism. The black T-shirts and track-pants worn by many of the marchers prompted negative comparisons with [[Nazi]] [[Sturmabteilung|storm-troopers]] in the New Zealand media.<ref>"March arouses Nazi fears". ''The Press''. 24 August 2004.</ref><ref>"Black shirts spark anger". ''Dominion Post''. 24 August 2004.</ref> When the rally was in progress, Tamaki indicated that he did not want to be a politician, saying, "I have a higher calling than a politician, I am a man of God."<ref name="TVNZ_451171"/> A second march occurred in Auckland along with the Christian Life Centre and the City Impact Churches on 5 March 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=Auckland civil union march noisy but peaceful |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10113730 |agency=NZPA |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=5 March 2005 |accessdate=4 June 2012 |archive-date=19 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219020102/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10113730 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Plans for a "Destiny City"===
On 29 October 2008 it was reported that Destiny Church was planning on building a holy city in South Auckland. The report was based on comments made by Brian Tamaki at the church's 10th birthday celebration, and released on DVD, where he talks about a {{convert|10|acre|m2|adj=on}} site the church had procured, with a budget of $2.4m. He said the community would have its own maraes and medical facilities and that "every child of every member of this church will never go to a state school again".<ref name="3_News_77688">{{cite web |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Brian-Tamaki-announces-plans-for-standalone-community-in-South-Auckland/tabid/423/articleID/77688/cat/64/Default.aspx |title=Brian Tamaki announces plans for standalone community in South Auckland |date=29 October 2008 |work=[[3 News]] |accessdate=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004135723/http://www.3news.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Brian-Tamaki-announces-plans-for-standalone-community-in-South-Auckland/tabid/423/articleID/77688/cat/64/Default.aspx |archive-date=4 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The church subsequently denied the report, a spokesperson saying they only intended to build a new headquarters and supply "social help" programmes, despite Rotorua's ''Daily Post'' quoting Tamaki as saying Destiny planned to create a "city within a city" in 2006.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10540119">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10540119 |title=Destiny denies Manukau 'kingdom' plan |author=Eriksen, Alanah |date=30 October 2008 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |accessdate=28 September 2011 |archive-date=23 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523035821/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10540119 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the Church's 2012 annual conference in Rotorua, Tamaki presented plans including a library, bookshop, early childhood centre, three schools and a university and encouraged [[tithing]], saying "I don't care what the media say, I don't care what your relatives say, I don't care what the world says, nobody should be not tithing."<ref name=":5">{{cite news |title='City of God' dream becomes Destiny |first=John |last=Weekes |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810380 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=3 June 2012 |accessdate=4 June 2012 |archive-date=3 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603201257/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810380 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2012, Destiny Church moved its headquarters to a {{cvt|3|ha}} section in [[Wiri]], [[South Auckland]].<ref name="Ringer2021">{{cite book|title=Naming Manurewa: Place and Street Names in Manurewa, Weymouth and Wiri |first1=Bruce |last1=Ringer |publisher=Manurewa Historical Society |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-473-59363-6 |page=39}}</ref>

===Momentum conference and pledge of allegiance===
In October 2009, about 700 male members of the church attended a conference called "MoMENtum" in which Tamaki likened himself to [[King David]].<ref name="Secret-video">{{cite web |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Secret-video-reveals-the-inner-workings-of-Destiny-Church/tabid/817/articleID/127420/cat/221/Default.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223034329/http://www.3news.co.nz/Secret-video-reveals-the-inner-workings-of-Destiny-Church/tabid/817/articleID/127420/cat/221/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2013 |title=Destiny Church's inner workings revealed in secret video |date=29 October 2009 |work=[[3 News]] |accessdate=28 September 2011 }}</ref> Attendees swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Tamaki and were given a "covenant ring" to wear on their right hands. A document entitled ''Protocols & Requirements Between Spiritual Father & His Spiritual Sons'' contains the oath:
{{blockquote|Above all, we stand here today in the presence of God to enter into this sacred covenant with our man of God, Bishop Brian Tamaki ...
To you Bishop we pledge our allegiance, our faithfulness and loyalty. We pledge to serve the cause that is in your heart and to finish that work. Success to you and success to those who help you – for God is with you.<ref name="Covenant Document"/>}}
The document asserts Tamaki's authority as "Bishop" and "spiritual father" of the church he founded. Another section, "Conduct Towards Bishop", states that "Bishop is the tangible expression of God", instructs the "sons" to follow numerous protocols, to defer to Tamaki with unquestioning loyalty and obedience, to follow his dress code, and to never tolerate criticism.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10605956">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605956&pnum=0 |title=Tamaki's 700 'sons' swear oath of loyalty |author=George, Garth |date=29 October 2009 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |accessdate=28 September 2011 |archive-date=22 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122145113/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605956&pnum=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>