Brian Tamaki

rdf:langString Brian Tamaki

rdf:langString Brian Tamaki

rdf:langString Brian Tamaki

rdf:langString Te Awamutu, Waipa County, Waikato, New Zealand

rdf:langString Tamaki in October 2006

rdf:langString October 2021

rdf:langString Founder of Destiny Church and leader of the Destiny New Zealand party

rdf:langString What gangs? Outlaw motorcycle gangs?

rdf:langString

rdf:langString Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand fundamentalist Christian religious leader and far-right political activist. A Tainui man from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes, he is the leader of Destiny Church, a pentecostal Christian organisation in New Zealand which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalist biblical morality, and is notable for its position against homosexuality, its patriarchal views, and for its calls for a return to biblical conservative family values and morals. He has also stated the COVID-19 pandemic is a sign the world has "strayed from God", which led to widespread condemnation, with one Anglican vicar describing Tamaki as "dangerous". This, alongside many comments he has made, and how he has amassed a large fortune by preaching the prosperity gospel to a mostly working-class audience, has made him a controversial figure in New Zealand. His church has led a strong campaign that opposes COVID-19 vaccination, lockdowns and mask mandates since the pandemic began in New Zealand, and are currently engaging in protests against mandates at Parliament. In 2022 Tamaki was being briefly imprisoned for breaching bail conditions as he took part in an anti-vaccination protest in Christchurch. In the same year, following its failure to file, Destiny Church's charity status was revoked.