Brian Tamaki
Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand Christian fundamentalist religious leader, conspiracy theorist, and far-right political activist. He is the leader of Destiny Church, a Pentecostal Christian organisation which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalist biblical morality. Tamaki has been involved with various fringe political parties and movements, and since 2022 he has led the Freedoms New Zealand party. A perennial candidate, he has run for office several times but has yet to be elected.
Brian Tamaki | |
|---|---|
Tamaki at the Christchurch leg of the "Nation Under Siege" tour, 2005 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 2 February 1958 Te Awamutu, Waipa County, Waikato, New Zealand |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Spouse | |
| Denomination | Destiny Church |
| Known for | Founder of Destiny Church and leader of the Destiny New Zealand party (2003–2007) |
Founded by Tamaki in the 1980s, the Destiny Church is known for its position against homosexuality, its patriarchal views, and for its calls for a return to biblical conservative family values and morals. Tamaki 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.
Tamaki's church and his political involvements have pushed a strong campaign that opposes COVID-19 vaccination, lockdowns and mask mandates since the pandemic began in New Zealand, and engaged in protests against mandates at Parliament, including the 2022 Wellington protest. In 2022 Tamaki was briefly imprisoned for breaching bail conditions as he took part in an anti-mandate protest in Christchurch.