On 16 November 2016 , Brian Tamaki drew controversy when he made statements during a sermon that the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes were divine retribution for sinful behavior including murder and homosexuality . These statements preceded the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake by a few hours . Tamaki 's comments were condemned by leading New Zealand public figures including the Mayor of Christchurch Bob Parker , Prime Minister John Key , and the Anglican bishop of Dunedin , Kelvin Wright . One Auckland-based critic Aaron Smithson also organized a Change.org petition calling on Prime Minister Key to revoke Destiny Church 's tax-free status . On 17 November , Tamaki responded by accusing the media of bias and sensationalizing his statements
2016 Kaikoura earthquake
2016 Kaikoura earthquake
Brian Tamaki