Destiny returns to its roots

Destiny Church Rotorua celebrating its 25th anniversary last night. Photo / Stephen Parker

Destiny Church Rotorua has marked its 25th birthday, with more than 600 people celebrating.

Bishop Brian Tamaki and his wife were guest speakers at last night's service which marked the quarter century anniversary of when the church, then known as Lake City Church, first opened its doors.

Among those in attendance were Rotorua MP Todd McClay and his wife, Nadene, and Rotorua district councillors Merepeka Raukawa-Tait and Janet Wepa.

"I think this marks the enduring call of God, we're still here, still changing lives from its birth in Rotorua," Bishop Tamaki told the Rotorua Daily Post before the service.

Between 1984-1985, he and his family moved from their hometown of Te Awamutu to take over the apostolic church in Rotorua which met at a warehouse in Maisy Place.

"It was a new culture, new place and it was a kind of a turnaround job but there was a good group of people, about 30-odd back then.

"In 1990, that was when we really firmed up our vision and started to have a clear, set goal God gave me and rolled forward from there. Here it really started a transition. I would say it was the birthplace, there was a metamorphosis going on."

Today, the church is based in the former Odeon theatre on Tutanekai St, where the congregation can reach more than 600 people.

"It's a celebration, it's good to be back here with Pastor Rewi and Davina [Hare] and it doesn't feel like 25 years, it feels like we're beginning all over again," he said.

Bishop Tamaki and wife Hannah ministered at the church before moving to Auckland where they founded Destiny Church in 1998 with 20 members, many of them following the Tamakis from Lake City Church, which was renamed Destiny Rotorua in 2001. "I think it was a bold step. In Rotorua we had 500-600 people and we were just hitting our straps and getting comfortable and God wanted us to shift, go to Auckland and start again.

"We found a place in Pakuranga, it was pool rooms, cleaned the pool tables out, slapped on some paint and borrowed some chairs."

The Auckland church has grown and nationwide Destiny has 5000 to 6000 members.

Bishop Tamaki said they won't be slowing down over the next 25 years.

"The future actually looks quite good, we now have a church started in Sydney and Melbourne and are also quietly working on mid-size cities in New Zealand who don't have that larger ministry worship like in Auckland to be able to live stream it into their homes."