Destiny Church co-founder Hannah Tamaki has continued her trend of purchasing high-spec Mercedes Benz vehicles, trading in her black convertible for something more practical.
Public records show Ms Tamaki, 57, took ownership of a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA180 on February 12, and she confirmed via Twitter that she had to "say goodbye to my black beauty" - referring to her $75,000 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 convertible.
Ms Tamaki's tweet said the change in vehicles was due to practicality reasons, with her asking "how do you fit 2 elderly people & urself into a convertible ... neither of them keen to be in the boot".
Destiny Church spokesperson Anne Williamson confirmed to 1 NEWS that "the sale of her small vehicle and replacement purchase of this bigger vehicle was out of necessity so they can support their elderly parents with transport".
The GLA180 is something of a change from her convertible - it has significantly less horsepower and significantly more space, and carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $60,900 new, according to Mercedes-Benz New Zealand.
Ms Tamaki currently owns two high-spec Mercs, the second being a 2017 AMG GLE63 S purchased in August last year - the AMG is a large, 577HP V8 SUV with a price of about $207,900.
Members of Destiny Church are reportedly required to pay 10 per cent of their income to the church as a tithe, as well as being encouraged to give more in special giving drives, and the church enjoys tax-free income benefits as a registered charity.
Ms Williamson denied the purchase of Mercedes-Benz vehicles was a bad look for pastors who demand 10 per cent of their adherants' incomes.
"Destiny Church is a registered charity the Tamakis are not," she said.
"How they use their private income ... is their business and has nothing to do with the Church."
Destiny Church Auckland's most recent annual financial return in 2016 shows the church received $4.45 million in "donations/koha, grants, fundraising and other similar revenue".
That same year, the church employed 10 people full time, three others part time, and spent a total of $978,380 on "employee and volunteer related costs".
The church is currently appealing Charities Services' decision to deregister two of their largest charities for "persistent late filing" of mandatory annual financial returns.
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