Why prosperity gospel should not be condemned but redeemed

Christian faithful in prayer at a church in Umoja, Nairobi, on January 1, 2023. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Everyone wants to prosper. Why then is the prosperity gospel badly talked about? Several factors contribute to this irony.

It is generally accepted that it is immoral to create wealth at the expense of the poor. The poor are to be lifted and not exploited. Pastors who manipulate their congregations to fund a private ambition of becoming rich are deemed criminals. They are seen as using the good news road to smuggle in tainted riches.

Some pastors have threatened their members that should they leave the church, the favour upon them will crumble and their work will collapse. They teach that one cannot use their pastor's anointing only to "run-off" when they seem to prosper.