America's Most Influential Christian Coming to NZ

Bishop Brian Tamaki
Destiny Churches New Zealand
www.destinychurch.org.nz
PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27 April 2006

America’s Most Influential Christian Coming to New Zealand

Bishop T.D. Jakes, voted America’s Most Influential Christian for 2005*, will make his first visit to New Zealand in Labour Weekend this year.

Hosted by Destiny Churches New Zealand, Bishop Jakes will be a keynote speaker at the weekend event being held at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau City.

Featured as the cover story in the February 2005 edition of Time Magazine, Bishop Jakes is numbered among the 25 Most Influential evangelicals in America. The CEO of the Potter’s House of Dallas Inc., his church has grown from 50 families to a membership of 30,000 over nine years. Rivalling many corporations, his ministry employs 400 staff members, including full-time finance, human resources, information technology, material distributions, public relations, publications and television production departments. In recent times Bishop Jakes has been a key contributor to the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, with resource provision and relocation of displaced families.

Presidents and international statesmen have sought Bishop Jakes’ counsel. He has frequently been invited to the White House to meet with Presidents Bush and Clinton. He has been guest on several US news programs as a source of spiritual counsel: such programs include ‘Oprah,’ CNN’s ‘People in the News,’ ‘Larry King Live’ and ‘America’s Black Forum.’

“I am honoured to bring this world-class ministry to our country. I hope people seize the opportunity to come and experience a true spiritual giant in Bishop TD Jakes,” says Bishop Brian Tamaki, Senior Minister of Destiny Churches New Zealand.

Also featuring at the event will be Bishop Eddie L. Long who Pastors New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. With a membership of 25,000, Bishop Long is also numbered amongst America’s most influential Christian Leaders and was the officiating minister at the funeral of the late Coretta Scott King. In addition, Christian musical icon and Grammy Award nominee, Israel Houghton, will make special guest appearances at the Labour Weekend event.

Planning is currently underway and registrations for this event will be forthcoming.

ENDS

*The Church Report (survey of 150,000 nominations) www.thechurchreport.com

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