Brian Tamaki is given up to $500,000 every year in donations from Destiny Church members on top of his six-figure salary, according to a former employee.
The 7000-strong congregation is encouraged to donate money in an annual "First Fruits" offering at an October service, which is gifted to the self-appointed bishop for his own use, rather than funding church activities.
The practice was first introduced to Destiny Church by a visiting American pastor and is based on Old Testament scripture, in which the people of Israel give the first produce of the land each year to the priests to eat.
Churchgoers would give between $350,000 and $500,000 to Mr Tamaki in the "First Fruits" offering each year, says a former Destiny Church insider.
Lynda Stewart, a former financial administrator for Mr Tamaki and his wife Hannah, was a member of Destiny for seven years but left after he appointed himself bishop in 2005.
She said the "First Fruits" donation was spoken about between American minister Michael Pitts and Mr Tamaki privately before the idea was discussed with other Destiny pastors at the Tamaki family home.
Soon after, the congregation was encouraged to give personally to Mr Tamaki which was justified with scripture taken out of historical context, according to Ms Stewart.
"The Bible was being used to manipulate people to give money for his personal use to fund his flashy life style," Ms Stewart said.
"And the people blindly accept what Brian says."
Dr James Harding, a lecturer of theology at the University of Otago and a Christian, said the "First Fruits" offering was given in the Old Testament era because the Levite priests had no land from which to make a living.
"[The offering] was to give them a living wage, so to speak; it was in that context.
Quite a different context to Auckland in 2009," Dr Harding said.
Destiny Church spokeswoman Janine Cardno was unable to send an email response to questions, as the church computer system crashed.
The "First Fruits" offering is donated by churchgoers on top of money given in tithes - 10% of income - and other financial donations to help fund the church.
Mr Tamaki's six-figure salary is paid from church revenue, through the Destiny International Trust.
He also receives revenue raised by the church's Proton Bookstore and Proton Gym.
Mr and Mrs Tamaki are the sole shareholders in the Proton Trustee Co Ltd.
The couple are also shareholders in Tamaki Productions Ltd and Tamaki Investments Ltd.
They own a $1.2 million clifftop home with views of the Hauraki Gulf, which is now for sale, and a $100,000 boat and expensive cars and motorcycles.