Bishop Brian’s flaming vision
Church leader tells how his ordeal by fire triggered an outof-body experience.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki has released a book detailing the terrifying moment he was engulfed in flames during a petrolfuelled rubbish fire — and an out-ofbody experience in which he heard the voice of his dead brother.
The self-anointed bishop described clumps of singed hair falling from his head and his face “burning like a steak”.
My Visit to the Edge of Paradise was launched at a theatrical, festival-like celebration at Destiny Church’s Wiri base on Friday night, with dazzling lighting, rap music, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and “patched” members of a new Destiny movement.
Writing under the shiny new title “Apostle Brian Tamaki”, the man who founded Destiny Church tells how in March he was home alone at the South Auckland lifestyle block he and wife Hannah own when he lit a pile of trees he had doused in petrol and was immediately engulfed in flames.
He managed to get to the garden hose and ran water over his arms, legs and face but had second degree burns to 33 per cent of his body.
“I became aware of clumps of my hair being hosed off my head, falling to the ground with a thud,” Tamaki wrote.
“I was beginning to realise along with the hair falling off, my face was burning like a steak on a barbecue.”
Hannah, who said she “could have been widowed”, phoned Tamaki just after the fire, then called him an ambulance for him and rushed to his side.
Tamaki said he had an “indescribable” out-ofbody experience on his way to hospital.
He recalled hearing the voice of his younger brother, Douglas, who had died a year earlier. The book launch coincided with the 20th anniversary celebrations of Destiny Church, kicked off with a show more like a rock concert than a religious service.
The three-day event, Tu Tangata — Stand Tall Stand Proud, hosted more than 3000 of the congregation.
There were no comments blaming gays for earthquakes and no cash was thrown on the stage. But two gleaming Harley-Davidsons flanked newly “patched” members of Tu Tangata.
The group rode to Paremoremo Prison and Wiri Prison yesterday to raise awareness of the numbers of Ma¯ori behind bars.
Coffee table books on the 20 years of Destiny, boxes of inspirational quotes, stylised Tu Tangata Bibles and Tamaki’s new book were all on sale.