Rātana

Rātana (Māori: Te Haahi Rātana) is a Māori Christian church and movement, headquartered at Rātana Pā near Whanganui, New Zealand. The Rātana movement began in 1918, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu (T. W.) Ratana claimed to experience visions, and began a mission of faith healing. In 1925 the Ratana Church was formed, and on 25 January 1928—T. W.'s 55th birthday, and "Rātana Day"—the church's iconic temple, Te Temepara Tapu o Ihoa ('the holy temple of Jehovah') was opened. From its beginning and through to the 20th century, the church has pursued political goals, and still welcomes political leaders to the Rātana Pā annually on Ratana's birthday. In the 2018 New Zealand census, 43,821 people identified with the religion.

Initially performing his healing from his family farm, Ratana did not regard his movement as a distinct church, and encouraged his followers to remain with their churches. He received mixed opinions from other Christian leaders, some of whom disliked that he was referred to as the mangai, or the 'mouthpiece' of God, while others were pleased at his renouncement of traditional Māori religion and tohunga.

Ratana and his followers were interested in a political movement alongside a spiritual one, and Ratana was known to talk of the Bible in his right hand, and the Treaty of Waitangi in his left. This political attitude was made clear by 1924, when Ratana led a delegation to Europe to present a petition to King George V on the topic of Māori land confiscations and the treaty. From 1928, and the opening of the church's temple, T. W. had suggested that his own attention would turn away from the church, and his focus would be more fully on politics.