Bishop attacks pastors asking for prayer money

PIC: Bishop Ben Nabugodi preaching during eastern prayer mountain in Sironko district. (Paul Walata)

RELIGION

SIRONKO - The chairperson of pastors under Pentecostal churches has warned pastors against promoting corruption in churches by fleecing believers in the name of praying for them.

Bishop Ben Alex Nabugodi sounded the warning on Sunday, while addressing pastors and Christians that had turned up for thanksgiving prayers at Eastern Prayer Mountain for all nations at Bukiyi sub-county in Sironko district.

"We now have fake pastors that have started churches and are asking for money from believers in exchange for prayers. Christians reported cases to my office," Nabugodi said.

The thanksgiving prayer was organised by the Chosen Church of Christ in Namatala suburbs of Mbale municipality.

"Every person is entitled to prayers and pastors should stop using the name of God or church to steal money from believers. Why should pastor start arranging followers in their churches according to their income and offertories," Nabugodi said.

"Pastors have reached the extent of grabbing cars and houses from believers, pretending that they would pray for them to get richer. Such pastors have spoilt name of church," he added.

Nabugodi said it is bad for pastors to amass wealth while the people they are shepherding are poor, sickly and cannot afford meals, to take their children to school and pay their medical bills.

He also revealed that politics in churches was doing much more to promote confusion and conflicts among thee followers and church leaders, adding that followers no longer respect their religious leaders.

"We have seen followers battling with their religious leaders in courts of law over riches, while others fight with their pastors over women and you wonder why a pastor would promote fornication in church," Nabugodi said.

He also decried the increased cases of marriage breakages, child abuse, kidnap, sacrifice that has taken centre position in the country and appealed to the Government to support religious leaders in fight against crime.

"Wrong people have started using churches to sneak out children under the pretext of helping them to get connected to sponsors. Parents should be careful with the people they trust their children with," Nabugodi warned.

He attributed the increased moral decay among the followers to high poverty levels, adding that today people have developed bitter hearts that cannot hesitate to kill a friend or offer their child and wife for sacrifice in order to get riches.

Mbale Woman MP Connie Nakayenze Galiwango condemned the act of pastors fleecing believers, adding that the act of obtaining money by false pretence is criminal.

"We are not saying that followers should not support their pastors or churches, but let it be done willfully by the followers not conditional," Nakayenze said.

Nakayenze appealed to the Christians to remain calm, adding that her aim of going for mountain prayers was to thank God for giving her courage to present people's view in Parliament without changing as it was done by some of her fellow MP.

Sironko resident district commissioner Moses Wamoto, the guest of honour, sounded a loud warning against fake pastors and also to order witch doctors without licences to vacate the district.

"Fake pastors and witch doctors have caused more harm than good in our communities by promoting insecurity in the district and country at large,"

"Sironko district security committee resolved to expel witch doctors from Sironko district. We are going to start hunting them down," Wamoto added.

He also said crackdown would not spare the fake pastors that have taken advantage of challenges of Ugandans to fleece them of their money.