Auckland Council has announced it will closely monitor Destiny Church’s use of its venues after members of the church disrupted a Pride Festival event at Te Atatū Library earlier this month.
The incident, which occurred in early February, saw church members storming a Rainbow Storytime event hosted by a drag king. Approximately 30 attendees were forced to barricade themselves inside while church members clashed with the public, performed a haka, and displayed signs reading “Say no to pride propaganda” and “There are only two genders.”
Later that day, Destiny Church members also disrupted the largest event on Auckland’s Pride calendar – the Rainbow Parade on Ponsonby Road.
Council Reviewing Destiny Church’s Venue Use
Destiny Church regularly books council-owned venues for meetings and workshops, particularly for its Man Up programme. While Auckland Council currently has no plans to ban the group, it has stated that it will monitor their events and keep bookings under review.
Kenneth Aiolupotea, Auckland Council’s General Manager of Community Wellbeing, confirmed that only a few bookings had been made by Man Up but assured that they would be monitored for any potential health, safety, or security risks.
“At this stage, there are no current plans to change existing bookings, but we are keeping the situation under review,” Aiolupotea said.
While he emphasised that the council does not discriminate against hirers or endorse their views, he clarified that bookings could be terminated if events were deemed to pose risks.
“If we consider that the management or control of the event is deficient, for example, because health and safety or security concerns have not been adequately addressed, then under the terms and conditions of hire, we may terminate the booking.”
Calls to Ban Destiny Church from Council Venues
Labour MP Shanan Halbert has urged the council to pause all Destiny Church bookings until it can guarantee the safety of the LGBTQ+ community.
“They cannot guarantee that the practices in these groups are safe,” Halbert said. “They also need to uphold their pledge at Auckland Pride this month, not operate somewhere in between. These decisions have consequences.”
“All bookings should be put on hold until that assurance can be provided.”
Debate Over Public Venue Use
The issue of who can access Auckland Council venues has been contentious in the past. In 2018, then-Mayor Phil Goff barred controversial Canadian speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux from using a council venue, citing security risks. The decision led to a legal challenge against Regional Facilities Auckland.
Calls for Destiny Church to Lose Charitable Status
Following the Pride Festival disruption, Destiny Church has faced significant backlash. A petition has been launched to remove its charitable status, while Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford has formally requested that Charities Services strike the church from the charities register.
In his complaint, Twyford accused Destiny Church of engaging in “serious wrongdoing”, which he argues is grounds for losing tax-deductible charitable status.
Several Destiny Church charities were already removed from the Charities Register in 2022 for failing to meet regulatory requirements.
Government to Review Charity Laws
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who hit out at Brian Tamaki and his Church, adding that their protests have “gone too far”, has confirmed that Destiny Church will be included in an upcoming review of the charities sector, set to be announced later this year.
Under current laws, churches in New Zealand automatically qualify for charitable status, making them eligible for tax exemptions. The government’s review could result in changes to how religious organisations obtain and maintain their charitable status.
