Brian Mutebi
14 July 2007
Kampala — ON his way to an 8:00am Sunday service at a born-again Christian church in Kampala, Jimmy runs into a friend. "These days your churches are getting publicity!" the friend comments.
"Publicity?" Jimmy asks.
Pointing to a nearby newsstand, Jimmy's friend responds: "Look at the leading stories." The headlines of the Sunday Vision and Sunday Monitor read: "Are pastors robbing their followers?" and "Sodomy in church," respectively.
After a short conversation, Jimmy walks away with his head down wondering what is happening to the church of Christ.
"They came, they boomed, but now they are doomed," says another critic of born-again churches.
The stories carried in last Sunday's papers are just one example of the shocking things allegedly taking place in the Church.
There are widespread allegations of believers being conned of their money and property by pastors, false and stage-managed miracles, witchcraft, sexual sin, abuse and false prophecies, to mention but a few.
Due to these allegations, people are now speaking ill of the Church. "They preach and speak holiness but see what is happening. Instead they are the culprits," says John Bantadde of Mbuya, who vows to remain a conservative as opposed to 'joining the bandwagon of the wave of the new religions'.
"They are not after God, they are conducting business," adds Juma Lukwago.
It is not only those outside the Church who are critical, though. Even Christians are running out of ways to defend their churches. "People use the news stories to discredit us. It is hard to preach to someone when all this is in the air," laments Deborah Nakanwagi, a born-again Christian.
Apostle Alex Mitala, the chairman of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Churches in Uganda, thinks the problem stems from the way born-again churches are registered. "Registering churches as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and as limited companies is the problem. That's why everybody is coming up with a church, because anybody can set up an NGO," he says.
The absence of a way of vetting the qualifications of a pastor has opened the door for false preachers/prophets. In the past there have been calls from some Christians that for one to become a pastor one should fulfil requirements like getting training, being mentored and sanctioned by an authoritative body. However, this was downplayed by other Christians who argued that 'being called by God does not necessitate going to school to study His word'.
John Bunjo of Christian Restoration Mission International says false preachers and cults are partly promoted by Christians who don't read their Bibles. "They lack the foundation of biblical knowledge and that's why they are led astray. Nobody will deceive you if you know the truth," he says.
"It is unfortunate, but I am not surprised," Rev. Stephen Turyomwe of All Saints Nakasero says. "The Bible says such people will come. Therefore as Christians, we only need to be cautious." According to Pastor Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre, the problem is not only in the Pentecostal church, but everywhere. "In Parliament, business and elsewhere there are problems of forgery, witchcraft and conmen," he says.
Kyazze blames the Police for not taking action. "The Police are not doing their work. How can a conman be reported and nothing is done?" he asks, referring to the Sunday Vision undercover report on pastors who are asking for money from their followers before they pray for them.
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