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PACIFIC
COMMUNITY INVITED TO DESTINY CHURCH SERVICE |
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By Tuifa’asisina Peter Rees |
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The Destiny Church of New
Zealand is inviting the Pacific Island community in Auckland to be
part of history as it launches its first ‘live’ translation church
service.
Held at its Auckland headquarters at 18 Allbright Place in Mt
Wellington starting at 10:00am, the Destiny Church now translate
their Sunday meeting in six languages – Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island,
Fijian, Chinese Cantonese and Chinese Mandarin – “live” during the
service.
"We have translators for each language who are located in
purpose-built translation booths at the back of the auditorium,"
Destiny Church operations manager Richie Lewis explains.
"They will translate the meeting content as it occurs, and the
translation will be disseminated through a low range frequency to
earpieces worn by those in the congregation who require the
service."
“I understand we are the first church in the country to translate
into so many different languages as the service occurs.”
The live translation service is an extension of the online ‘live’
services that are offered by Destiny through their website.
The Pacific Peoples Celebration Service, brought about by Destiny’s
Ethnic Outreach Ministries, will be led by Senior Minister Brian
Tamaki, the leader of the Destiny Church in New Zealand.
The occasion will also incorporate a Pacific Food Festival, choir
performance and ‘groovehouse’.
In just a few years since its founding in 1998, the Destiny Church
has grown from 20 members to over 7,000 (estimated count in 2004)
and growing. The church has twenty branches located in New Zealand
and Australia. The church has proven very popular with the Maori and
Pacific Island communities.
Destiny was founded as City Church Auckland in Pakuranga by Brian
and Hannah Tamaki. By January 2000, membership had grown to
approximately 300 people and in that year it became Destiny Church
and birthed its television ministry - DTV.
Within three short years of its inception, Destiny Church had
outgrown its premises and with a congregation numbering 800 |
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Translators - Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island,
Fijian, Chinese Cantonese and Chinese Mandarin.
(Photo: Richie Lewis) |
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Cook Islands translators Tere and Nane
Bishop in the translation booth.
(Photo: Richie Lewis) |
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Tongan translators Lifeimi (left) and
Liuaki (right) in the translation booth.
(Photo: Richie Lewis) |
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adults, moved into its
current building in Allright Place, Mt Wellington in October 2001.
With the opening of the new building also came the establishment of
the Church's Bilingual Early Childhood Centre – Nga Tamariki Puawai,
followed by the opening of Proton Bookshop, Proton Health & Fitness
Centre and Destiny School in 2002.
Destiny’s unique approach to Christianity is explained by Bishop
Brian Tamaki. “At Destiny we have gone beyond church in the
traditional sense – we are now churches who are powerfully
influencing other churches and our communities for good,” he remarks
on Destiny’s website.
“Hannah and I have a love affair with the Church; it is our life's
commitment. For us there is no greater call than to bring the
Kingdom of God and establish the will of God here on earth. We have
a consuming passion for people to know their destiny and purpose in
God's outstanding plan for His Church in these last days.”
The charismatic Tamaki, who has both Maori and European descent, is
accredited for Destiny’s diverse ethnic representation. He is the
face of Destiny and a well known figure in New Zealand’s public
sphere. He is the only New Zealand preacher that airs on a national
television broadcast (TV2).
Tamaki and the Destiny Church have at times been at the centre of
much secular opposition and controversy because of their views on
sensitive issues such as homosexuality. But this has not wavered
either Tamaki or his followers.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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