A chat on Destiny

A very interesting chat at NZ Herald with Peter Lineham who has written a book on Destiny Church. His comments seem very balanced. A few extracts:

The benefits to families are usually that they get huge support for children and (women especially like that) drunken gambling husbands are called to account. It’s a very supportive movement if you are on the inside.

Destiny lives in the Old Testament a lot of the time, Kate. A lot of their language has this flavour. Tamaki is treated like a king. No animal sacrifice, but its give them a great feelingof being a people together like a tribe.

If we must have charter schools, then Destiny would be a great providor. they do a very good job in their college and school, and they have a non-nonsense approach to knowledge. Not a bad start for a not very satisfactory idea!

One of my big concerns with Tamaki is his claim to be an apostle and to speak authoritatively from God!

No, I think more good than harm. No-one is forced to join. Anyone can walk out without restraint. i think it is an entirely dodgy form of Christianity, but people choose to be in it.

As I said above, I appreciate that he is blunt with his criticisms, but also praises the good stuff he sees the church as doing.