Bushiri boots out ‘rebels’
Pastors ‘mocked church doctrine’
Enlightened Christian Gathering church leader prophet Shepherd Bushiri has expelled seven of his foreign pastors and suspended five others pending an investigation, after accusing them of rebelling against him and his leadership.
The controversial church leader’s decision is contained in a leaked audio recording which was shared by the church’s branch leaders and pastors across the country, in which Bushiri states that the pastors created a private Whatsapp group, where they were plotting a serious rebellion against him.
In the same audio, Bushiri accused the pastors from various African countries of labelling him a false prophet and mocking his church doctrine.
The seven pastors who were booted from the church, according to Bushiri’s clip, include Reverend Arthur, Martin Kunje, apostle Stanley, pastor Dunamis, Mike Faiton, Wilson Madise, and apostle Felixosis. Those who were suspended pending an investigation, Bushiri said, were apostle Hoppings, pastor Kadzuwa, pastor Eric Kusane, and pastor Wisdom and David Ruach. He said they had not said much on the Whatsapp group.
Bushiri, who is originally from Malawi, said he was in possession of screenshots of Whatsapp messages shared by the pastors in their private
Whatsapp group.
He said the contents of the messages were so bad they didn’t warrant a disciplinary hearing but an outright dismissal.
Major One, as Bushiri is popularly known among his followers, also said he felt double-crossed by pastor Felixosis, adding that the pastor had been the last person he had expected to be part of the rebellion against him.
Bushiri said the pastor was among the ring leaders of the Whatsapp group.
He said Felixosis had made pastors feel unwanted and unimportant, though he was one of the pastors that had benefited personally from his generosity after having grown and lived in his house.
In the clip, Bushiri said he had personally taken in pastor Felixosis and loved and cared for him. Bushiri ends the clip by calling for unity, saying that the church was an organisation, and not a personal company, project or programme.
• See page 14
Contents of the messages are so bad they warrant dismissal