A founding member of Destiny Church’s so-called anti-violence group Man Up has spoken out against the group’s increasingly violent behaviour.
Wayne Turipa, a former member of the church, says he no longer recognises the group he helped establish.
Inside Destiny: Faith, flag, family - Watch on TVNZ+
“What I see happening out in the community with Man Up now is a real concern for me," he says. "The concern is the way it's become violent.”
Turipa was one of several people connected to Destiny Church who spoke to TVNZ’s Chief Correspondent John Campbell as part of his extensive investigation into the church.
Season two of Under His Command is streaming now on TVNZ+
“There's a lot of hypocrisy in there now. You know? They're not actually doing what they're saying they're doing, especially when you're seeing, like, the library scene,” Turipa says, referrring the storming of Te Atatu Library during a pride event in February.
“We didn't create Man Up for that sort of kaupapa. We didn't create Man Up to be going out into the community to disrupt like that.”
Turipa joined Destiny Church in Rotorua in 1996. He knows Man Up’s original purpose well. He helped create it and name it.
“[When] we were facilitating in the early days, I used to do the introduction in Māori, and that phrase just came out of my mouth ‘Tu Tangata. Nau mai, haere mai, ki te ropu Tu Tangata’. That was where it started. That's where the Tu Tangata name came from.”
Deal with anger
The group was formed to help men deal with anger and Turipa says, for a time, it did just that.
“A lot of the men that came, they suffered from abuse at a young age, not only sexual abuse, but mental abuse and all that sort of stuff.
“Just seeing these guys changed, and transforming their lives through the through the Man Up kaupapa was amazing.”
Another former Destiny Church member, Jack (not his real name), says he benefited from Man Up when he joined. Before then, his life had been plagued by violence, gangs and prison. He hoped Man Up would help turn his life around.
“So the structure of the programme, it was great, I won’t down that… It actually helps you deal with a lot of issues that us as men don't realise that we have. So, it was great and that's why I kept going, because it was working.”
But like Turipa, Jack says Man Up has moved in a different direction. One he recognised from a former life and didn’t like.
“The tactics that they used were tactics that I used to use when I was a gang member. So, then I started to realise, ‘hang on a minute are we any different from a gang? Is this place any different from a gang?’ And to me, it wasn’t.”
John Campbell has spent months investigating Destiny Church, encountering fear from insiders like he’s never seen before—what is Brian Tamaki doing, and why does it terrify them? (Source: TVNZ)
Jack spoke to TVNZ following a spate of protests by Destiny Church and Man Up, including the Te Atatu Library storming, and a march on Queen Street on June 21. The march involved the burning of flags representing several religions and communities.
“Since when does a Christian group answer anything with violence? I've never, ever seen that in my life, but now his Destiny Church are here, intimidating people, just because of what they choose to be. It's wrong.”
Leaving the church
And when Jack told Destiny he was leaving the church, he says that intimidation was targeted at him
"If you're not doing what they want you to do, they'll threaten to post up things on Facebook or exploit your deepest, darkest secrets online.
“I felt violated. I felt like the trust that I put in people went out the window. You know, it took me a long time to break down these walls.”
For Turipa, who was part of Destiny Church for almost 30 years, leaving wasn't easy.
"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do was to leave Destiny Church, because they were my family."
But like many others interviewed in Under his Command, Wayne has a message to those inside the church.
“My kōrero to them is, if you're not feeling right within yourself as to what's going on in Destiny today, maybe it's time for you to take a good look at yourself. Maybe it's time for you to take a leap of faith for yourself and get out.
“I know that you'll fear that you won't feel good about leaving, but it's actually the right thing to do - get out of it.”
Brian Tamaki was approached for comment on all allegations made in this investigation. He declined to comment.
Watch all the episodes in series 2 of Under his Command:
Inside Destiny: Faith, flag, family
Life Inside and outside the Man Up ‘Gang’
When a drag event meets Brian Tamaki's 'army'
Breaking faith: What happens after Destiny?
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