HAZARDOUS CHURCHES:
We do not allow beating worshipers for deliverance
President of The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana (EFB) Moffat Lubinda advises people to desist from being ‘abused’ in the name of deliverance and casting demons out of their bodies.
This follows a heated debate on social media this week about a certain pastor who allegedly slaps members of his congregation hard on their face all in the name of deliverance.
“We have nothing of that sort, nobody should be beaten. If anything, a pastor can gently touch one on the head during prayer, not force one to fall down by slapping or even kicking them. Those are just too extreme and none of our churches do that,” Lubinda explained. EFB is made up of churches commonly referred to as fire churches by many in Botswana. “I do not understand why one would allow themselves to be beaten and left badly bruised all in the name of deliverance. The exercise is painful and we distance ourselves from such acts entirely.”
He added that it was shameful to have such disorderly practices being associated with the church. “God heals and there is no need to be dramatic and instil physical pain to such extremes,” he said. Bishop Simon Mulosu of Life Line Ministries in Gaborone advised pastors not to manipulate worshippers into thinking that what they are doing is right. “It is wrong and unscriptural, people mostly trust pastors believing that what is being done to them is a message from God. “They come to church seeking help and often come back even after being treated that badly because they have put trust in the church,” Mulosu said. “Those who minister should be ethical, beating and slapping people is not encouraged in the Bible and might even make some lose trust in the church or worse, God.”