Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

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 / Rotorua Daily Post

Preacher to Destiny Church protesters: Stop judging Muslims, show love

Lincoln Tan
Lincoln Tan
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
27 Apr, 2019 03:29 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Linwood Ave Mosque in Christchurch after the March 15 terror attack. Photo / File

Linwood Ave Mosque in Christchurch after the March 15 terror attack. Photo / File

An Anglican preacher has hit back at Destiny Church Christians protesting outside a Christchurch mosque, saying they should stop judging and instead show love and compassion.

A group of up to 100 from Man Up and Legacy, groups affiliated to Destiny Church, gathered outside Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque last Wednesday declaring "Jesus Christ is the true God".

The pastor said the Friday Islamic call to prayer a week after the March 15 terror attack, which had Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's support, was the motivation for the group's declaration that NZ is a Christian country.

But Darryl Ward, an Anglican lay preacher from Paraparaumu, urged Christians to instead show love and care "for our Muslim brothers and sisters".

Ward said Christianity had never been the "sole faith tradition" in New Zealand.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Māori spiritual beliefs preceded the arrival of Europeans and Christianity, and other faith traditions from overseas soon followed," he said.

"While Christianity has been the dominant faith tradition since colonial days, its position has been eroding."

The Pew Research centre is predicting that by 2050, the proportion of Christians in New Zealand would slump from the current 57 per cent of the population to 44.7 per cent.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ward said the increasing diversity made some uncomfortable.

On March 22, the Islamic call to prayer was broadcast over television, radio and inside mosques and Prime Minister Ardern said New Zealanders were encouraged to join in wherever they were.

He said Christians had more in common with Muslims than with followers of many other religions.

"As Jews, Christians and Muslims, we all worship the same God, the God of Abraham," Ward said.

"Muslims also recognise Jesus as a prophet and accept us as 'People of the Book'."

He said the phrase "Allahu Akbar" - used in the opening to the Muslim call to prayer meaning "God is great" - was also used in Palestinian churches.

"It is not our job to judge and exclude our Muslim brothers and sisters, or for that matter, anyone else because they worship God differently from us," Ward said.

"Jesus gave us two simple commandments; to love God and to love others. He also made it quite clear that it is through helping those in need that one gains eternal life."

He said after the events of Christchurch, many Muslims would be scared. Many had fled terror in their homelands thinking their new home was going to be safe.

"If we are to be true and faithful followers of Jesus the Christ, we should be showing love and compassion to our Muslim brothers and sisters, because right now they really need it," Ward added.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Destiny group's actions have also attracted criticism on social media forums, including by Green MP Catherine Delahunty.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Clown': Fleeing driver leaves vital clue after smashing through fence

31 Oct 04:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'You'll feel our pride rising': Young kapa haka stars ready for national stage

31 Oct 02:03 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Police say no foul play suspected in teacher's mysterious disappearance

31 Oct 12:37 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Clown': Fleeing driver leaves vital clue after smashing through fence
Rotorua Daily Post

'Clown': Fleeing driver leaves vital clue after smashing through fence

A frustrated resident says he has had enough of boy racers.

31 Oct 04:00 AM
'You'll feel our pride rising': Young kapa haka stars ready for national stage
Rotorua Daily Post

'You'll feel our pride rising': Young kapa haka stars ready for national stage

31 Oct 02:03 AM
Police say no foul play suspected in teacher's mysterious disappearance
Rotorua Daily Post

Police say no foul play suspected in teacher's mysterious disappearance

31 Oct 12:37 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
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
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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