Even though the speaker is using Venda, you can figure out the gist of the message pretty easily. This happened at a village in our district. On the ground at everyone’s feet are South African Rands. The pastrix (Thanks Ken Silva for that term) tells us about how we need money (listen at :17) and by 1:12 she has the people start naming the amounts of money that they are decreeing will appear in their bank accounts. You can hear them start with meager numbers like R3,000 ($300) and at 1:23 a bold woman wants R11,000 for which she is cheered. At 2:33 a man calls out for R200,000 ($20,000) and they cheer for him.
They are told that they must phone their banks in the morning to see the money.
Gathered supposedly in the name of Jesus Christ, they cheer, dance, sing, and warm their hearts by the fire of money. In the past, they had spirits to whom they bowed hoping to get health and blessing. But now they have a Great Spirit who will give them what they really love. One of the commenters writes, “Money for freeeeeeee!!!!!!”
When scholarly books and lecturers talk about the growing Christianity of Africa, let them see this. And anyone who has lived in the rural areas of Africa, who can speak their language, and who has visited their churches, will know that this is the vast majority of the churches here. The “Christianity” of Africa is largely prosperity gospel wickedness. They have a god and his name is money.
And before anyone objects that “Its like that in America too,” remember, I’ve lived in America and in Africa. I wouldn’t be posting this if I could have seen this in the US. Developed have their share of sins, but this particular form of ecclesiastical carnival is far more common in Africa.
The content itself should move a believer to anger, but the prevalence of this kind of voodoo-Christianity materialistic mix causes us to look doubtfully on nearly everyone who calls themselves a Christian or a pastor.
Thus, the fruit of charismaticism in Africa.
