From Wikipedia:
On the 8th of November 1918 Rātana saw a vision, which he regarded as divinely inspired, asking him to preach the gospel to the Māori people, to destroy the power of the tohunga, and to cure the spirits and bodies of his people.
Until 1924 he preached to increasingly large numbers of Māori and established a name for himself as the "Māori Miracle Man". Initially, the movement was seen as a Christian revival, but it soon moved away from mainstream churches. On 31 May 1925, Te Haahi Rātana(The Rātana Church) was formally established as a separate church which was formally registered on 21 July 1925 , and its founder was acknowledged as Te Mangai or the mouthpiece of God.
Hostile attitudes have caused the church to be guarded towards its teaching and founder.
Ratana Church at Te Kao. The Ratana Church is characterised by bell towers at each of the front corners, which bear the words "Arepa" and "Omeka" (Maori transliterations of the Greek words Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end).