The Rot of NZ's Biggest Churches

PSA: The bigger, richer churches in New Zealand support Destiny's cause.

I am posting any feedback that comes in from these churches at the top of the comments thread below. See you there.

Also on Webworm today:

---

Hi,

Something interesting has happened in Aotearoa, where one of the country’s most toxic Christian churches has pushed things too far, and properly fucked New Zealand off.

As I wrote last week, members of Destiny church protested a Pride event in a library, pushing and punching their way inside.

Destiny has always been a horrific church (I first wrote about them back in 2020), but something about fighting librarians and children was a step too far for the average Kiwi.

I’m glad New Zealand is tearing Destiny a new one. New Zealanders are generally pretty mellow, so seeing us pissed off about something like this is rare and wonderful.

But I started thinking about something I wrote here back in 2021: “Destiny Church Isn’t the Problem: Giant white megachurches are getting away with far more than Destiny — but no one cares. Because they’re white.”

It’s no secret that I am particularly passionate about calling out abuse in New Zealand’s largest Pentecostal churches. I spent a year talking to victims of Aotearoa’s biggest church, Arise — which led to its leaders resigning in shame. I’ve also written about the likes of Hillsong and City Impact — all much, much bigger than Destiny.

My main point is that the media keeps focusing on the relatively small Destiny church because it is obnoxiously loud and offensive — while tending to ignore much bigger churches that teach the same toxic shit.

With this in mind, I shared this post on social media last week:

With Destiny church’s abhorrent views in the press again, I think it’s important not to forget all the white megachurches that hold identical views in New Zealand: Life church, City Impact church, Arise church etc. They are more discreet, but they all hang out and support each other.

I included a photo I’d first published in March of 2023, showing Destiny’s Brian Tamaki alongside City Impact’s Peter Mortlock Life’s Paul De Jong. They were all mugging for camera at Spark Arena for a giant gathering of like-minded churches called “Open Heaven”.

The feedback to my post was varied, but a few people pointed out why Destiny church was much worse:

This user went on to say of Destiny: “Their youth chose to be there. I didn’t choose to be intimidated and assaulted in a public space. Subtle difference.”

I understand their point — to a point. Destiny is unique in how brazen it is. Tamaki is more willing than most to take the church’s cultish, bigoted beliefs into the public realm. His followers clearly took things an extra step by punching their way into a library and concussing a 16-year-old girl in the process.

But I think this still misses the bigger picture.

All the other much bigger, much wealthier churches in New Zealand like Arise, Life and City Impact essentially hold exactly the same beliefs as Destiny Church. They all teach that being gay or trans is a sin, and anyone engaging in that “lifestyle” are sinners who are going directly to hell for all eternity.

They just don’t get any attention for it as they’re quieter and more subtle than Brian Tamaki. They keep their heads down. If Tamaki uses his ideology like a billboard, they treat it more like Scientology’s Xenu; a secret teaching for true believers. But it’s not hard to imagine them joining their brethren at the library if the political winds shift.

Open Heaven, a meeting of New Zealand’s largest pentecostal and evangelical churches at Spark Arena, Auckland.

And so when I hear arguments about Destiny church being so much worse than the much bigger, much whiter megachurches of New Zealand and beyond, I take pause.

A small number of Destiny church members chose violence. But what’s the difference between Destiny church members who didn’t choose violence at an Auckland library, and members of Arise, City Impact and Life? How are they so much worse than church leaders and members who hold identical beliefs at other churches?

I also think the idea that Destiny is the only violent megachurch in New Zealand is misleading. My coverage of Arise included the rape by a congregation member being swept under the carpet, and leaders engaging in abusive behaviour towards interns.

The structure of the modern megachurch in New Zealand — and in any other country — is never going to be healthy. Its entire success relies on teachings based on hatred, and the adoration of leaders over all else.

---

Perhaps this helps explain why New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon gave an incredibly pathetic response to Destiny’s violence, calling it “Not the Kiwi way” — as if he was talking to someone cutting in line at the school cafeteria.

I think there’s a simple reason for this: Churches like his don’t teach you to leave your faith at the door; they preach taking it out into the world. They call for it to be the most important thing in your life.

Once you start decrying the attitudes and beliefs of Destiny Church, you have to start tearing into New Zealand’s biggest churches too.

Christopher Luxon refuses to talk about his faith or church affiliation, indicating that is separate to his politics. I think this is a massive copout, and the two are inseparable. Churches like his don’t teach you to leave your faith at the door; they preach taking it out into the world. They call for it to be the most important.

I understand people crying out for Destiny to lose their tax free status. They should. But what makes this tricky is that if Destiny loses theirs, so should all the much bigger and richer Christian churches who believe and teach the same discriminatory things.

But maybe I am wrong about all of this.

Maybe New Zealand’s biggest churches see that Destiny Church took things too far.

That their beliefs are at complete odds.

Afterall, a number of much smaller New Zealand churches released a statement over the weekend saying just that: “We join together in condemning last Saturday’s assault on Te Atatū Library staff and others by Destiny Church’s “Man Up” and “Legacy” protesters. More directly, we rebuke Brian Tamaki for consistently inciting this behaviour by using his privilege in the pulpit to misinform and mislead members and associates of his church towards this action.”

And so I wrote a short, succinct email to New Zealand’s biggest churches. None of whom were found signing the statement above.

These are the churches who follow the same pentecostal and evangelical teachings that Brian Tamaki hands out week after week. But maybe they were done mugging for camera beside Brian.

Maybe they would take a stand against his abhorrent beliefs.

My email asked a simple question:

Does your church condemn the behaviour of Destiny church at the Te Atatū library?

I sent it to the comms and media teams at Vineyard, Life, Curate, Equippers, C3, Elim and City Impact. New Zealand’s biggest congregations, far surpassing Destiny Church’s measly income and crowd sizes.

I sent the email on Saturday, with a deadline of 5pm Monday.

None of them chose to condemn it.

None of them answered my simple question. Not simple in that it was just a “yes” or “no” answer, but because the “yes” should’ve just been so, so easy to come to. But of course none of these large churches care what Jesus says, or what any of the Bible says, unless it enhances their own bigoted, hateful world view.

They didn’t answer because they support Brian Tamaki, and believe what he believes.

They’re just quieter about it.

David.

---

If you want to reach Webworm in confidence about any of this - with tips or insight - I am always: davidfarrier@protonmail.com

Webworm's Megachurch coverage so far