Tamaki takes aim at the media in livestream

The media is the substitute for the preacher. That’s why it’s Jezebel, it’s witchcraft.

Brian Tamaki

Destiny Church was forced to hold its Sunday service in Queenstown after authorities in Invercargill said it couldn’t use the city’s venue.

Speaking to an audience of what they said was fewer than 20 people, Brian and Hannah Tamaki used the opportunity to chastise the media for bringing to light their late-night exodus from Auckland to avoid the city’s lockdown.

The Tamakis also lashed out at politicians and other churches for failing to come to their aid as news of their actions sparked nationwide outrage.

Brian Tamaki also claimed criticism of their cross-country trip may have caused Friday’s earthquakes and tsunami warning.

In the service, live-streamed on Facebook, Brian Tamaki accused the media of engaging in witchcraft and demonic behaviour.

“The media is the substitute for the preacher. That’s why it’s Jezebel, it’s witchcraft. Gotta repeat that in case the media are watching. You’re in a spirit of witchcraft.

“You dupe people – you put a spell through writing and you then begin to dictate the narrative to try and set up a culture of evil or a culture that takes it away from Christ, so they can bewitch a whole nation.”

The majority of the service consisted of Brian Tamaki slamming those who covered the story or criticised the couple.

He linked Friday’s earthquakes and tsunami warning to the work of the media, saying: “And so suddenly you get the biggest earthquake . . . that follows after the ravaging of Christ on the Wednesday.

“You can’t tell me that’s coincidence, don’t tell me it’s garbage. Come on, if we weren’t persecuted that one day, you fellas had got that right, you could have an excuse to say there’s no connection.

“No, no, no, no, you can’t because you went after us.”

He went on to pour scorn on other churches and politicians for failing to come to the couple’s aid.

“There was an opportunity for all the leaders of the Christian movements to have stood. Because that Wednesday, if you still don’t believe me, was not about two people who were out there, just leaving Auckland.

“We represent a movement of raising sons of God,” he said.

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will go out of her way to protect the gay community. On Wednesday, she didn’t lift a finger to protect the Christians from Destiny Church and others who were hated on.”

Meanwhile, most other churches in South Auckland opted to remain closed on Sunday, despite the city moving down to alert level 2, although some did offer socially distanced services.