Just like there are many ways to kill a rat, there are numerous ways to rob a man. And ‘pastors’ have perfected the art of bloodless robbery.
Pastor Oyedepo in his private jet
Take the case of American preacher Creflo Dollar for instance. In March 2015, he asked every member of his congregation at World Changers International (and anyone who supports his evangelism) to donate $300 or more for him to buy a Gulfstream G-650 luxury jet valued at roughly $65 million dollars.
Dollar, based in College Park, Georgia said he needed the Gulfstream to replace an old jet, which had flown over four million miles and had experienced engine failures midair, a claim that has never been verified independently. Now, just so you know, a Gulfstream is usually the preserve of the rich and famous. Many wondered why he did not want to fly on commercial flights, or even ask for a cheaper airplane.
His call for donations to buy the jet was immediately met with scorn and criticism. The appeal was taken down from his website within 24 hours, with many religious leaders terming his request obscene, brazen and bizarre.
Still in the US, another mega church pastor of Dollar’s ilk, Kenneth Copeland, has siphoned millions of dollars from congregants by preaching the prosperity gospel, a branch of Christianity that promises wealth. If someone believes hard enough, prosperity gospel preachers argue, God will enrich them, as long as they piously contribute to His work.
But the money collected for God often goes to the pastor, who is answerable to no one but himself. Some look at this kind of preaching as high-octane brain washing, dispensed clinically, to colonise susceptible minds. Unfortunately sometimes, strict adherence to the prosperity gospel can lead to tragedy.
Take the case of American Bonnie Parker, who instead of seeking treatment for cancer was convinced to ‘sow’ money into Copeland’s church. Parker died in 2004. Her daughter, Kristy Beach, found her mother’s diaries filled with teachings she had gleaned from Kenneth and Gloria (his wife) Copeland’s TV broadcast.
“If she went to a doctor, it would have been considered a sin,” Beach told the AP. “You didn’t believe enough if you did.” Millions in dollars, in the form of tithes, gifts and unspecified donations have been making their way into church coffers for decades, so much so that the American Senate Finance Committee conducted investigations to probe six TV evangelists, who they considered to be recipients of questionable amounts of money.
The six ministries under investigation were Creflo Dollar, Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. The team said that Dollar was the ‘least co-op- erative’ but it still managed to piece together details of his earnings through public documents and third parties. They found that in 2006, World Changers had received $69 million in contributions at its Atlanta church alone.
While the US might be the epicentre of the prosperity gospel, it has since spread all over the globe. In Kenya, not long ago ‘prophet’ Victor Kanyari, was exposed by KTN’s Mohammed Ali, coaching actors who would falsify testimonies of miraculous healing. Kanyari had taken over the reins at his church, located in the city centre, after his mother, Prophetess Lucy Nduta had had run-ins with the authorities over the case of a congregant who paid money to be healed of Aids but never recovered.
Kanyari, who had bought airtime on KBC, would ask listeners for a seed of Sh310 to receive miracles. He would say: “Even if you think I am robbing you, people are robbed all the time: why not let me rob you for today.”
Like they say, religion is the opium of the masses, and the likes of Kanyari feed on the despair many struggle with when faced with the stark realities of life. It is lies packaged perfectly, says Catherine Mbau, a psychologist at Arise Counselling Centre in Ridgeways, Nairobi.
Dollar, based in College Park, Georgia said he needed the Gulfstream to replace an old jet, which had flown over four million miles and had experienced engine failures midair, a claim that has never been verified independently. Now, just so you know, a Gulfstream is usually the preserve of the rich and famous. Many wondered why he did not want to fly on commercial flights, or even ask for a cheaper airplane.
His call for donations to buy the jet was immediately met with scorn and criticism. The appeal was taken down from his website within 24 hours, with many religious leaders terming his request obscene, brazen and bizarre.
Still in the US, another mega church pastor of Dollar’s ilk, Kenneth Copeland, has siphoned millions of dollars from congregants by preaching the prosperity gospel, a branch of Christianity that promises wealth. If someone believes hard enough, prosperity gospel preachers argue, God will enrich them, as long as they piously contribute to His work.
But the money collected for God often goes to the pastor, who is answerable to no one but himself. Some look at this kind of preaching as high-octane brain washing, dispensed clinically, to colonise susceptible minds. Unfortunately sometimes, strict adherence to the prosperity gospel can lead to tragedy.
Take the case of American Bonnie Parker, who instead of seeking treatment for cancer was convinced to ‘sow’ money into Copeland’s church. Parker died in 2004. Her daughter, Kristy Beach, found her mother’s diaries filled with teachings she had gleaned from Kenneth and Gloria (his wife) Copeland’s TV broadcast.
“If she went to a doctor, it would have been considered a sin,” Beach told the AP. “You didn’t believe enough if you did.” Millions in dollars, in the form of tithes, gifts and unspecified donations have been making their way into church coffers for decades, so much so that the American Senate Finance Committee conducted investigations to probe six TV evangelists, who they considered to be recipients of questionable amounts of money.
The six ministries under investigation were Creflo Dollar, Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. The team said that Dollar was the ‘least co-op- erative’ but it still managed to piece together details of his earnings through public documents and third parties. They found that in 2006, World Changers had received $69 million in contributions at its Atlanta church alone.
While the US might be the epicentre of the prosperity gospel, it has since spread all over the globe. In Kenya, not long ago ‘prophet’ Victor Kanyari, was exposed by KTN’s Mohammed Ali, coaching actors who would falsify testimonies of miraculous healing. Kanyari had taken over the reins at his church, located in the city centre, after his mother, Prophetess Lucy Nduta had had run-ins with the authorities over the case of a congregant who paid money to be healed of Aids but never recovered.
Kanyari, who had bought airtime on KBC, would ask listeners for a seed of Sh310 to receive miracles. He would say: “Even if you think I am robbing you, people are robbed all the time: why not let me rob you for today.”
Like they say, religion is the opium of the masses, and the likes of Kanyari feed on the despair many struggle with when faced with the stark realities of life. It is lies packaged perfectly, says Catherine Mbau, a psychologist at Arise Counselling Centre in Ridgeways, Nairobi.
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