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NEW ZEALAND, May 29, 2007: Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki has led several thousand supporters to protest a statement of religious diversity which says New Zealand is not a Christian nation. Up to 4,000 of the church’s followers, waving placards, gathered outside the Copithorne Hotel in Waitangi where the Prime Minister Helen Clark opened the Asia Pacific Interface Dialogue, which aims to promote religious tolerance. The New Zealand delegation at the meeting will formerly adopt a statement of religious diversity which says, among other things, that New Zealand has no established religion. The preamble to the statement acknowledges New Zealand’s strong Christian history. However Bishop Tamaki delivered his own statement to Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Ria Barrett which said “We formerly [sic] recognize New Zealand as a Christian nation.” About 40 supporters performed a ferocious haka (maori dance accompanied by chanted vocals) after the statement was delivered. Bishop Tamaki said later that the government’s refusal to recognize New Zealand as a Christian nation was dangerous.

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