A budgeting service is concerned Destiny Church
members may feel pressured to help fund the church's proposed town in
South Auckland.
The church has been granted resource consents for the project on a three-hectare property on Druces Rd in Wiri.
It is set to include a church, primary and secondary schools, a gymnasium, childcare facility and a hairdressing salon.
Destiny
Church pastor Brian Tamaki has called for help from his congregation to
help pay for the project, which will likely cost millions.
Mangere
Budgeting Service chief executive Darryl Evans said clients often feel
pressured to donate when an appeal is put out for extra money to fund
specific church projects.
"Once those church leaders put these messages out we do have families who go and take out loans," he told Fairfax New Zealand.
"They will go to family or take out a personal loan just so they can put $1000 into the church."
Mr
Evans said a number of users of the budgeting service tithe $50 to $100
a week to the Destiny Church already, which he believes is excessive,
especially for people living on a welfare benefit.
Destiny isn't
the only church is South Auckland to pressure members into tithing and
Mr Evans estimates 99 per cent of his clients regularly donate to their
church.
Mr Tamaki has told One News he believes the Government should also cough up cash for the project.
NZN