Destiny Church Report

During the past six months, our youth group has seen several of our young people leave our group. We have heard that many of these young people have been encouraged to join the youth group connected to Destiny Church. Our youth group leader believes that it would be useful to know why our young people are being drawn to this group, and understand what the beliefs of the Destiny Church are and whether these beliefs are the teachings of the Christian tradition. I have been asked by our leader to prepare an analysis report which explores these questions. Destiny Church is an interesting group to report on as it grew from traditional Pentecostal beginnings, however it has adopted a charismatic form of Christianity lead by one individual, Bishop

This contradicts Luke 24:36-43 when Jesus said, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” This scripture comes from when the disciples first saw Jesus they thought it was his ghost or spirit. However, Jesus invites them to touch him so that he can prove that he has risen physically from the dead and that he had risen in the same body. To prove this further, Jesus says to Thomas one of the twelve disciples who was not convinced unless he could see the nail marks of Jesus hands, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” John 20:24-27. Although Bishop Tamaki has stated that his sermons have been taken out of context, my research for this report suggest that this belief is there and is delivered in different ways. For the followers in the youth group to believe that Jesus was not resurrected, is denying what Apostle Paul tells us is a vital part of our Christian faith “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” 1 Corinthians 15:17

In one of his sermons he stated that “What I am trying to tell you that there is no difference to what is in you and what is God.” Although Orthodox Christian belief is that we are made sharing some of God’s attributes and made in the image of God, but we are not God. Therefore, the Destiny Church is adopting beliefs that are different to what Christians believe, which is that we have Christ in us (2 Corinthians 13:5) but not that we are the same thing as Jesus Christ. The Destiny church teachings to the youth group state that they believe that Christ has always been in you, as God has given a portion of his own Spirit to humans. This differs from Christian tradition where in 2 Corinthians 13:5 states “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the