1. Brian Raymond Tamaki was born on 2 February 1958 and is a New Zealand Christian fundamentalist religious leader, and politician.
56 Facts About Brian Tamaki
1. 2.
Brian Tamaki is the leader of Destiny Church, a Pentecostal Christian organisation which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalist biblical morality.
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Brian Tamaki has stated the COVID-19 pandemic is a sign the world has "strayed from God".
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In 2022 Brian Tamaki was briefly imprisoned for breaching bail conditions as he took part in an anti-mandate protest in Christchurch.
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Brian Tamaki's mother was "devoutly religious", taking her sons to the Te Awamutu Methodist Church on Sundays.
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Brian Tamaki describes his father as an alcoholic who showed no interest in fatherhood.
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Brian Tamaki is of Tainui ancestry, from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes.
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Brian Tamaki dropped out of secondary school at fifteen, after, as he describes in his autobiography, dabbling in drugs, before completing the fourth form and took a labouring job in the forestry industry.
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Brian Tamaki lost his farm job and he and Lee returned to Tokoroa, where he attended the Tokoroa Apostolic Church.
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Brian Tamaki became heavily involved with the church after pastor Manuel Renata baptised him in December 1979.
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Brian Tamaki became an ordained elder, and then a pastor in the Tokoroa Apostolic Church.
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Brian Tamaki went on to establish the Rosetown Community Church in Te Awamutu, the Lake City Church in Rotorua, City Church and then Destiny Church in Auckland.
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In mid-April 2018, it was reported that Brian Tamaki had sustained two second-degree burns to his face and body after a botched attempt to burn rubbish.
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Brian Tamaki announced to members of his congregation that he was recovering and praised his wife and hospital staff for aiding his recovery.
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In late July 2022, it was reported that Brian Tamaki was facing a charge of careless driving after crossing the centre line and colliding with a car carrying two occupants near Rotorua on 6 May 2022.
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Brian Tamaki pleaded guilty to careless driving and was ordered to pay reparations.
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In 2004, Brian Tamaki predicted the Destiny Church would be "ruling the nation" before its tenth anniversary in 2008.
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The DVD shows Brian Tamaki decrying what he sees as four problems with New Zealand society: "a Government gone evil, a radical homosexual agenda, the media: a modern day witchcraft" and "the retreat of religion in New Zealand".
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In October 2003, Long visited New Zealand after Brian Tamaki invited him to address Destiny Church members.
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Long travelled to New Zealand again subsequently and Brian Tamaki usually met him each year at church conferences.
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On 23 May 2019 Brian Tamaki launched a new political party, Coalition New Zealand, led by his wife Hannah Brian Tamaki.
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On 13 May 2023, Brian Tamaki announced that he would contest the 2023 New Zealand general election as the leader of Freedoms New Zealand.
23.
In 2004 the Sunday Star-Times reported that Mr Brian Tamaki "hijacked" $450,000 from elderly couple Barry and Marian Wilson.
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In July 2005 Brian Tamaki had directed "highly offensive abuse" at Newstalk ZB host Mike Yardley while off-air during an interview on 20 July.
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In May 2006 a poll ranked Brian Tamaki the least-trusted of 75 prominent New Zealanders.
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In June 2006 Brian Tamaki expressed opposition to Sue Bradford's private members Child Discipline Bill, which removed the legal defence of "reasonable force" for prosecutions of parents who have assaulted their children.
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Brian Tamaki was again ranked least-trusted in 2012 in a list of 100, this time followed by Hone Harawira and Kim Dotcom.
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Radio Pacific host John Banks aired an interview with Brian Tamaki that attacked a New Zealand AIDS Foundation's takatapui HIV-prevention project, in which Brian Tamaki referred to traditional Maori pre-colonial intolerance for male homosexuality, painting a picture of a society which, he states, exterminated gay and lesbian people.
29.
The broadcasting of Brian Tamaki's preaching against homosexuality on Television New Zealand has led to numerous complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
30.
On 16 November 2016, Brian Tamaki drew controversy when he made statements during a sermon that the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes were divine retribution for sinful behaviour including murder and homosexuality.
31.
On 19 April 2018, Brian Tamaki tweeted his support for Australian rugby union player Israel Folau's comments condemning homosexuality.
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Brian Tamaki told his South Auckland congregation that he is sorry for any past comments that have offended the gay community, saying that some of his past comments were misinterpreted.
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Brian Tamaki has said that he wants to appoint a Minister for Men.
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Brian Tamaki's remarks were criticised by infectious diseases expert Siouxsie Wiles for undermining COVID-19 containment efforts.
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In mid-2020, Brian Tamaki criticized the Government's alert level two restrictions limiting religious services to 10 people.
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That same month, Brian Tamaki had defended Hannah's Facebook post stating that she would not take any COVID-19 vaccine, declaring they were not "anti-vaxxers" or conspiracy theorists.
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The New Zealand Police's delay in laying charges against Brian Tamaki drew criticism, with a Change.
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On 5 October, Brian Tamaki was charged with breaching the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 and Alert Level 3 restrictions in relation to organising the protest.
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Brian Tamaki was remanded on bail until a further appearance in January 2022.
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Brian Tamaki was banned from attending protests in breach of anti-COVID restrictions and from using the internet to encourage non-compliance.
41.
Marshall confirmed that Brian Tamaki was the leader of the TFRC but stated that the Coalition's merchandising and donations were separate from the Church's finances.
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Brian Tamaki denied breaching bail conditions and criticised the Government's COVID-19 Protection Framework.
43.
On 8 January 2022, Brian Tamaki addressed an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine mandate rally in Christchurch's Hagley Park, which he described as a "family picnic" rather than a protest.
44.
On 17 January 2022, Brian Tamaki was arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.
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Brian Tamaki is not allowed to "organise or attend" any protest encouraging non-compliance with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020.
46.
Brian Tamaki was remanded in custody for ten days for allegedly breaching his bail conditions by attending the Christchurch protest.
47.
On 22 January 2022, six pastors including City Impact Church pastor Peter Mortlock and pastors from the Grace Churches in Gisborne, Tauranga, and Rotorua, Auckland's Covenant Church and South City Reformed Baptist Church objected to Brian Tamaki's imprisonment, writing that he had been silenced for his dissenting views.
48.
In March 2023, Brian Tamaki blamed pornography, abortion, and gay rights for the devastation in the eastern North Island caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
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Brian Tamaki made these statements during an hour long sermon based on the Old Testament Book of Leviticus.
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Brian Tamaki stated that Gisborne and Hastings had the highest number of pornography consumers in New Zealand.
51.
Brian Tamaki's group opposed calls for a ceasefire and submitted a petition to ACT MP Simon Court calling for Hamas and Hezbollah to be classified as a terror organisations and for sympathetic Members of Parliament to be expelled.
52.
In mid-March 2024, Brian Tamaki opposed two proposed Drag Queen Story Hour events at Rotorua and Hastings's municipal libraries.
53.
On 15 April 2024, Ford O'Connor, a member of Destiny Church who is married to Brian Tamaki's granddaughter, pleaded guilty to vandalising the Karangahape Road rainbow crossing in Auckland in late March 2024 and was fined $16,093 to cover the repair costs.
54.
On 14 May 2024, The New Zealand Herald reported that Brian Tamaki was scheduled to speak at the upcoming "UNSILENCED: Middle New Zealand on ideology" at Wellington's Takina Convention Centre on 18 May alongside Family First New Zealand leader Bob McCoskrie and former National Party MP Simon O'Connor.
55.
Brian Tamaki spoke at the Unsilenced conference, which was organised by Inflection Point NZ.
56.
On 16 November 2024, Brian Tamaki led a "Make New Zealand Great Again" motor rally in Auckland on 16 November in opposition to the Hikoi mo te Tiriti.