When churches become marketplaces

The anointed items are fast becoming idols among Christians. Some ‘men of God’ are giving or selling out to unsuspecting and gullible followers anointed water, stickers, bracelets, handkerchiefs, underwears and what have you with the belief that they will receive miracles and breakthroughs. BG reporter YVONNE MOOKA writes.

The miracles include jobs, marriages, favour, success, freedom from oppression of demons and generally, a happy stress free life for the purchaser of the anointed item. The most dangerous thing is that these anointed items are slowly and steadily taking the place of Christ in people’s lives, hence ending up as idols.

“People are told to use them whenever if they want to experience miracles or blessings from God, and it doesn’t matter whether they are Christians or not,” says Pastor Meshack Molatedi of Gospel of Christ church in Mahalapye. His observation is that the target is Christians who are still growing in the Lord or those that are still in the dark.

“Recently I met a sister who greatly boasted about a certain sticker bearing the face of a ‘man of God.’ She spoke fondly of how powerful the sticker is and that it protects her from road accidents,” he says, adding that the sister told him that the sticker also helps her whenever she goes for job interviews. 

According to Pastor Michael Sihambe of Fountain of Christ ministries, placing faith on anointed stuff is nothing else but superstition. It is not different from relying on charms from witchdoctors. “Witchdoctors keep their clients coming by telling them who is bewitching them and what they should use or bathe with to escape their curses, pastors who sell anointed things aren’t any different,” he says.

Apostle Mothusi Mmereki of Zion Apostolic church cautions people to refrain from patronising the sale of anointed oils and other ‘odd items’ from pastors and prophets, saying the practice is satanic. He informs that in the spiritual realm, objects like anointing water and oils are given to establish contact with demons for a breakthrough.

According to him, all those who desire breakthroughs in life should faithfully and diligently seek the face God through constant prayers and living righteous lifestyles that will glorify God. His view is that those who get rich through the purchase of anointed materials live to regret their short-lived wealth and breakthroughs. “These anointed items make people to depend on man not God; that’s why they even bear their pastors’ faces and names on them,” he states.

‘Anointing items work and are supernatural’
Pastor Daniel Micah Usulumeh of Miracle Centre says he believes in anointing water and oil. He argues that Apostle Paul in the Bible used handkerchiefs and aprons, citing Acts 19:11-12 which says that ‘And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.’

But Pastor Peculiar Tshenolo of Shofar Prophetic Voice counteracts that Apostle Paul never sold these handkerchiefs and aprons, citing Matthew 10:7 that says ‘And as ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdom Is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.’

His take is that if indeed these anointed items are elements of grace, they should be given for free. “Let’s not manipulate people. If we are to follow principles of God, we don’t need these things,” he said, however, suggesting that selling of church merchandise like T-shirts to support the vision and raise funds is acceptable. 

Further supporting anointing oil, Elder Philip Moshowe of Miracle Centre says God in the book of James 5 tells church elders to use anointing oil to anoint the sick after prayer. But Pastor Meshack Molatedi of Gospel of Christ responds that items used in the Bible were a daily routine but were used only once.

“If the Bible tells believers that greater is He that’s in them than their enemies, why do they walk around and sleep with so-called anointed things?” he asks. Bishop Michael Myuthu of Divine Healing church says canal Christians cannot understand spiritual things and will continue to question them with a human mind. Rev. John Philip of Botswana Bible Training Institute says anointed items exist to exploit people’s ignorance, misery and misfortunes. “God anoints us with his spirit. Why are we stretching His power where it doesn’t belong?” he asks. His take is that when people are desperate for help, they become victims of exploitation.

Scramble for T. B. Joshua’s anointing water and oil
One of the mediums used at Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations’ is the anointing or morning water. Even though he gives it for free, people from across Africa who visit SCOAN, whether it is the clergy or just ordinary people with problems, sell it at their respective countries and churches. Its popularity continues to grow.

“My child had eye problems, then I ministered morning water in his eyes and he got healed,” said a woman on Emmanuel TV, the church’s telecast recently. At one popular church in Kanye, 100ml of T.B. Joshua’s morning water is sold for P75. Joshua features among the top three richest pastors in Africa in 2015, with a net worth of $15 million, after Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church World Wide and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy church, with $150 million and $50 million respectively, according to Forbes.

Anointing oil is also common, but Pastor Molatedi says it can be used occasionally in churches, such as when the year begins to ‘start right.’ Pastor Molatedi argues that T. B. Joshua is a true man of God and that people should refrain from using his name to increase their church membership and to gain wealth. 

In one of his live services, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) ministry Prophet Walter Magaya warned that ‘some bogus prophets were riding on his popularity and selling fake healing oil and anointing water with PHD labels to unsuspecting people. He said that the con artists were charging $3 and $5 for anointing oil. 

An estimated 60,000 Batswana queued to get miracle water and miracle oil from popular South African Pastor Stephen Zondo when he was at Ditshupo Hall in Gaborone during a three-day crusade by his church, Rivers of Living Water Ministry. The miracle water goes for P10, P25 and P50, depending on the quantity. Church elder Leka Mofokeng says it is not just water. “It is anointed water, prayed for by the man himself at a secluded location,” he says.

Anointing soap called ‘Jesus Soap’
Meant to wash people’s problems away, the Jesus Soap never saw light of the day in Botswana. A Zambian man who was allegedly selling it house-to-house for P100 a bar never succeeded as members of the community allegedly rejected him for a conman.

Anointing soil to chase all problems away, pens to pass exams
Zimbabwean Prophet Sham Hungwe recently grabbed headlines for selling anointed pens. He pulled another shocker when he sold anointed soil to congregants during a church service. The prophet ordered church ushers to fill a small bucket with soil and prayed for it before ordering congregants to come and purchase it. He said the soil operates like anointing oil. He was selling it between $5 and $25.

Prophet selling anointed underwears!

There is a story doing rounds on mobile phones believed to have been published in a Zambian newspaper titled “Some Lusaka prophet sells anointed underwear”. The prophet is said to be targeting women with marital problems, telling them they are possessed by ‘spiritual husbands’ and that it can be repelled by wearing these anointed underwears, which are selling at K100 (approximately $10) a pair. A pair of underwear usually costs between $1 and $2.

The prophet is said to have cashed in on many women in Lusaka, who later learnt that the individual was a dubious character that was not reachable on the phone. The story also quotes a minister of religion, who complained that a prophet in Lusaka was also selling anointed straw brooms for K20 ($2), which followers are instructed to use to sweep out problems from their homes. These brooms are not to be shared with neighbours like what normally happens, particularly in high-density areas.

The sale of anointing items goes on and on and is not associated only with the charismatic churches. Johane Masowe, also called Apostolic Church of Zimbabwe sells holy water and rocks. A member says the rock protects her against road accidents and her enemies in general. Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane of the Zion Christian Church sells holy coffee at Moria, but in Botswana it is not on sale. “Here, church members buy their own coffee and church leaders pray over it,” says a leader.