NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Petition to stop Destiny Church having tax-free status gaining support

Natalie Akoorie
By Natalie Akoorie
Local Democracy Editor·NZ Herald·
17 Nov, 2016 03:23 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Source: Facebook: Destiny Church. Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church has delivered a rambling sermon where he lays the blame for natural disasters on NZ's high murder rate and acceptance of gay marriage.

A petition against Destiny Church's tax-free status is gaining momentum as Brian Tamaki hits back over the backlash to his homophobic sermon blaming gays, sinners and murderers for earthquakes.

The petition, on Change.org, sprung up after the self-appointed Bishop's Sunday sermon in which he told his congregation the earth "convulses under the weight of certain human sin".

READ MORE:
Smalley: Tamaki greatest sinner of all
Bishop Brian Tamaki blames gays, murderers and sinners for earthquakes
Shock over Destiny leader Brian Tamaki's homophobic comments

The sermon came one day before a massive 7.8 earthquake struck central New Zealand killing two and leaving thousands stranded, with limited food, water, shelter and communication.

He also blamed a gay priest and the people of Christchurch for the devastating earthquakes that hit Canterbury in 2010 and 2011 which killed 185 people.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The land actually speaks to God. It spews itself up after a while - that's natural disasters. Because nature was never created to carry the bondage of our iniquity," Tamaki said.

The comments have attracted widespread condemnation and have been labelled homophobic.

Prime Minister John Key called the comments "ridiculous".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The facts of life are New Zealand is a seismically prone country, with a number of very well identified fault lines," Key told RadioLive yesterday.

"It's nothing to do with people's sexuality. I mean, it's just madness."

Attorney General Chris Finlayson, who is gay, said Tamaki was "a sick puppy."

"I think he needs a bit of counselling, frankly. He's a sick puppy."

Discover more

New Zealand

Brian Tamaki blames sinners for quakes

16 Nov 12:27 AM
New Zealand

Key calls Tamaki's comments 'madness'

16 Nov 03:04 AM
New Zealand

Blaming gays for earthquake 'plain loopy'

16 Nov 05:34 AM
Opinion

Smalley: Tamaki greatest sinner of all

16 Nov 07:02 PM

Today Tamaki hit out at media in a Tweet about the saga.

How's this for so called Media Fairness..not once did TV 1 & TV 3 nd Close Up at 7 contact me for response or comment..they hd an agenda

— Bishop Brian Tamaki (@BishopTamaki) November 16, 2016

"How's this for so called media fairness... not once did TV1 and TV3 and Close Up at 7 [sic] contact me for response or comment... they had an agenda."

However when contacted by the Herald this morning Tamaki said through a spokeswoman that he would not respond to the backlash.

The spokeswoman said Tamaki would speak on radio this afternoon instead.

In another Tweet Tamaki said "haters" had managed to hack and shut down his Facebook page.

"So if you think I've unfriended you... I haven't!" he Tweeted.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the same time a petition against Tamaki's Destiny Church and its tax-free status is growing.

The petition, set up by Aaron Smithson with a single signature, has now attracted a staggering 102,000 supporters.

"With the recent news from the self-appointed "Bishop" Brian Tamaki that gays were to blame for the earthquake in Kaikoura, I call upon John Key and the New Zealand Government to classify Destiny Church as a hate group and strip them of their tax free status," Smithson said on Change.org.

The Destiny Church spokeswoman said Tamaki was not concerned by the petition.

"It would create a precedent if our church was to be deregistered in New Zealand," she said.

"Other churches could potentially be deregistered. We're just about what we're doing and we're very busy with what we're doing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There's a Charities Commission in this country and they audit our books every year and see how valid and legitimate everything is and so that's our position."

To view the petition go to:
https://www.change.org/p/john-key-strip-destiny-church-from-tax-free-status

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Loveable rascal': Family, school mourns 6yo boy lost in boat tragedy

16 Jun 05:18 AM
New Zealand

50-year secret unveiled: Gardener who murdered pensioner had killed before

16 Jun 05:01 AM
New Zealand

Napier's only surviving CBD pharmacy raided for third time in 10 weeks - again for perfumes

16 Jun 03:39 AM

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

‘Rare opportunity’: Wellington’s floating boat cafe up for sale

‘Rare opportunity’: Wellington’s floating boat cafe up for sale

16 Jun 06:01 AM

The popular cafe, housed in a 66-year-old tugboat, has an asking price of $220,000.

'I’m gonna see you burn at the stake:' Paramedic bit partner on the nose, then strangled her

'I’m gonna see you burn at the stake:' Paramedic bit partner on the nose, then strangled her

16 Jun 06:00 AM
'Loveable rascal': Family, school mourns 6yo boy lost in boat tragedy

'Loveable rascal': Family, school mourns 6yo boy lost in boat tragedy

16 Jun 05:18 AM
50-year secret unveiled: Gardener who murdered pensioner had killed before

50-year secret unveiled: Gardener who murdered pensioner had killed before

16 Jun 05:01 AM
How one volunteer makes people feel seen
sponsored

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP