Be wary of shepherds who are fleecing the flock

Nairobi; Kenya: Last weekend’s expose on the ways of a Nairobi preacher with his flock has expectedly been the talk of the week. The Jicho Pevu investigative report by the KTN crew uncovered the dark side of what often passes for gospel preaching. It is unfortunate but many strange things are being done in the name of God. Religion is being abused by greedy conmen, deranged psychopaths, fanatical radicals, and power hungry false prophets for selfish gain. All these men and women prey on unsuspecting innocent worshipers, many of who are desperate for divine intervention in their lives. A sad state indeed.

The truth is that fake preachers, prophets and miracle workers are as old as religion. When Moses appeared before Pharaoh and performed miracles to convince Pharaoh to release the people of God, the Egyptian magicians were at hand with their own miracles to turn Pharaoh’s heart away. Elijah had to confront the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel after they turned many people from true worship by their false miracles and teachings. Jesus had uncountable run-ins with religious leaders of His time. Paul was severally opposed by false prophets and teachers in the course of his missionary journeys.

In contemporary times, there have been extremes such as that of Jim Jones who led the mass suicide of 909 of his sect members, including US Congressman Leo Ryan, in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. On the lighter side, between early 2011 and mid 2012 the Tanzanian Mzee Ambilikile Masapila, popularly known as ‘Babu wa Loliondo,’ announced a magic elixir capable of curing ‘all ailments’. Men, women and children flocked his humble abode for the miracle cup. It is reported that nearly seven million people from all over the world flocked into Samunge to drink the wonder formula that sold for as little as KSh30 but which rose up to KSh500 a cup. You do the math and see how much Babu must have made.

Of course the question that has been on the lips of many is why such evil practices are allowed to persist, and especially by the church. The fact is that over the years the church has tried to deal with false teachers but with little effect, and at times with dire consequences. When Elijah killed the over 400 prophets of Baal, he soon had to flee for his dear life as their patron, Queen Jezebel, pursued him with murderous rage. Jesus found Himself at the cross for challenging the religious practices of His time. Paul and Silas were guests at a Philippian jail for healing a slave girl whose fortune telling was a fortune for her owners. Martin Luther found himself bundled out of church when he strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money through the Sacrament of Indulgence.

Thus whereas Pastors, Bishops and various church leaders have often differed on what is true orthodoxy and orthopraxy, the challenge has been in finding a neutral arbiter. The situation has more recently been further complicated by the new world order of unfettered freedoms of belief, expression, and association. In the current democratic regime found in many nations of the world, everyone has the freedom to worship whatsoever they please, in whichever way suits them, and with whomsoever they pleasure. Thus spiritual regulatory structures that cut across the board have been hard to constitute. Hence these liberties are turning into the freedom to be conned, robbed, or exploited! Why else would men and women of sound mind abandon the basic truths and practices of the gospel and persistently capitulate to obvious tricks of conmen?

When Jesus was confronted with the challenge of false teachers, His answer to His disciples was simple – lest you uproot the wheat with the tares, let them grow together until the day of harvest when they will be separated. What Jesus did not tell us though was what to do when the tares threaten to choke the wheat. What is clear however is that whereas the theological and purely spiritual practices and beliefs are difficult to regulate, the church must come up with a formula for self-regulation. On the other hand, there are practices in the religious sector that are obviously criminal and thus fall squarely within the purview of government law enforcers. It is most unfortunate when police officers have to raid mosques to flush out false Islamic preachers radicalising young minds. But the same must be done to those whose only purpose for being at the pulpit is to steal, rob, con or sexually exploit innocent members of the public.

Worshipers must also be wary of preachers who demand payment or solicit gifts for offering spiritual services. There is absolutely no such teaching in the Holy Scriptures. Elisha, Jesus, and Paul out rightly rejected such payments. Instead Jesus exhorted: Freely you have received, freely give.