Clerics ‘not practising what they preach’
Preachers come under fire for not addressing needs of their flocks
WHILE Prophet Paseka Motsoeneng, popularly known as Pastor Mboro, is currently on the warpath with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL), another pastor has given his opinion on the issue.
Motsoeneng demanded that commission chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva apologised to her for unfairly targeting her during the proceedings.
However, pastor Apostle Paul Akarigbo lauded the commission recommendations on religion, saying he was willing to assist it in its effort to curb unethical practices.
Akarigbo was speaking at the launch of his book, My Encounter with TB Joshua: Chris Oyakhilome’s secret visits to the Prophet revealed and Chris Okotie’s predictions on the Catholics and Pope Francis, in Randburg at the weekend.
“In terms of the commission, I recommend it and want them to invite me so I can support them and lead young pastors to support their call because the pastors receive tithes and some are left with nothing.
“If the members can pay tithes to the pastor, the pastor needs to help them when they are down… a lot of pastors show off and do not help those who genuinely need the help,” Akarigbo told The Star.
During the release of the commission report, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said religious leaders and institutions must be registered and pay tax like any other business, and foreign nationals wishing to open churches in South Africa should undergo a strict vetting process.
The final CRL report into the commercialisation of churches in South Africa contained some of these recommendations.
She further said there were serious gaps in the Home Affairs Department’s systems in that those claiming to be religious leaders from outside South Africa conduct the business of religion without producing the necessary documentation and this tends to create tension with the local religious leaders.
Akarigbo said the church and the community were one and communities own the churches not individuals and not the pastors.
“Pastors need to look at the communities they are in and help with alleviating poverty and other issues they are facing. You will see pastors pointing a finger at politicians but they are the ones who command millions in their bank accounts,” Akarigbo said.
He said Nigerian religious circles were in turmoil, plagued by flamboyance from religious leaders who have large followings and churches across the continent.
“These are leaders who are meant to be leading the crusade against social ills facing Africa. We are talking about issues such as xenophobia, Christianophobia, Islamophobia. That is why I said hatred and politicking, when you find pastors giving awards to politicians for millions of dollars and fail to tell them the truth because they give them money,” he said.
He said the relationship between pastors and politicians was diluting religion and shifting the focus away from its intended purpose.
In his book, Akarigbo reveals Pastor Chris Okotie’s predictions on the Catholic Church and Pope Francis. For decades, Akarigbo has been closely following the activities of the Synagogue Church of All Nations. Akarigbo narrates encounters and shocking revelations about Prophet TB Joshua and the Church of All Nations.
In some circumstances he gives an eyewitness account of the groupings and different beliefs within the pentecostal. He dissects the ostentatious lifestyles of some pastors and asks about their contribution to the poor’s upliftment.
His work is available at leading bookstores for R250.