Where, in the scriptures, is prayer offered in exchange for money?
Apr 09, 2010
SOME Pentecostal churches are stretching the prosperity gospel or the gospel of ‘sowing a seed’ a bit too far. Some of them are becoming pure business entities that thrive on people’s ignorance and desperation.
SOME Pentecostal churches are stretching the prosperity gospel or the gospel of ‘sowing a seed’ a bit too far. Some of them are becoming pure business entities that thrive on people’s ignorance and desperation.
Devine Blessings Church in Kyaliwajjala was a good place of worship until recently when the pastor acquired unique business ideas. He has adopted a strategy to coerce the church members to part with their hard-earned money.
Rather than doing it himself he invited a certain guest preacher to carry out his mission. During a Sunday service, the preacher ordered worshippers who wanted to get married, buy land, or wanted healing from their ailments to step forward. He then ordered them to give sh250,000 and more!
“If you have an amount less than that don’t waste our time, our God is not a beggar,†he said. After this he sprinkled some olive oil on the floor and asked them to step on it so as to get their anointing.
After weighing the tough options, a sick, lame man walked to the altar and begged to be prayed for. He said he didn’t have the sh250,000 prayer ‘fees’ but offered his sh1,000.
The preacher gave him a stern look and told him it was not time to pray for the sick. Was the lame man being turned away because he offered peanuts? Is this a form of witchcraft in the House of God or simply playing with people’s brains to swindle their money?
Where in the scriptures is prayer offered at a prescribed fee? If this is a Christian church, I am not sure about the Christ this preacher follows. This is a business enterprise stretched too far. Is Dr Joseph Sserwadda, the chairperson of born-again churches aware of these practices?
So many churches are being opened everyday and if there is no system to regulate their operations, we have a disaster on our hands! Churches are registered as non-profit organisations.
However, tough economic times are pushing a number of pastors to exploit their unsuspecting flock. We need help urgently.
Grace Nakibuka
Kireka
Devine Blessings Church in Kyaliwajjala was a good place of worship until recently when the pastor acquired unique business ideas. He has adopted a strategy to coerce the church members to part with their hard-earned money.
Rather than doing it himself he invited a certain guest preacher to carry out his mission. During a Sunday service, the preacher ordered worshippers who wanted to get married, buy land, or wanted healing from their ailments to step forward. He then ordered them to give sh250,000 and more!
“If you have an amount less than that don’t waste our time, our God is not a beggar,†he said. After this he sprinkled some olive oil on the floor and asked them to step on it so as to get their anointing.
After weighing the tough options, a sick, lame man walked to the altar and begged to be prayed for. He said he didn’t have the sh250,000 prayer ‘fees’ but offered his sh1,000.
The preacher gave him a stern look and told him it was not time to pray for the sick. Was the lame man being turned away because he offered peanuts? Is this a form of witchcraft in the House of God or simply playing with people’s brains to swindle their money?
Where in the scriptures is prayer offered at a prescribed fee? If this is a Christian church, I am not sure about the Christ this preacher follows. This is a business enterprise stretched too far. Is Dr Joseph Sserwadda, the chairperson of born-again churches aware of these practices?
So many churches are being opened everyday and if there is no system to regulate their operations, we have a disaster on our hands! Churches are registered as non-profit organisations.
However, tough economic times are pushing a number of pastors to exploit their unsuspecting flock. We need help urgently.
Grace Nakibuka
Kireka