MY ANALYSIS BELOW
Prosperity runs through the gospel
Winners | May 3 - 9, 2007, The Daily Monitor
Mark Kirumira
http://www.monitor.co.ug/winners/win05173.php
Unlike so many other churches, KPC has over the years maintained financial transparency with its congregation. Audited by the internationally renowned Deloitte & Touche, KPC presents annual accounts just like any other company with shareholding
For the faithful, there is no shortage of churches in Uganda, certainly not in Kampala. Most notably, over the past decade, Pentecostal, evangelical churches have spread across the city and its environs. As the trend suggests, other churches have had to surrender most of their flock to these churches with far-reaching consequences.
GOOD WHEELS: Pastor Garry Skinner drives a similar car. File Photo
POSH: Robert Kayanja’s residence in the “Pastors’ Village” in Bunga, Kawuku.
Thousands of people, almost every day of the week, endure punishing traffic to get to famous churches like Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC), Rubaga Miracle Centre, Kansanga Miracle Centre and Omega Healing Centre. Having risen from makeshift shelters popularly known as biwempe, these new churches have become winners with enormous budgets (some exceeding those of so many corporate companies).
Unlike so many other mainstream churches, evangelical churches are unabashedly business oriented. They borrow corporate tools ranging from niche marketing to MBA hiring to expand their share of churchgoers.
They also operate seven days a week and their workers receive salaries that are competitive with what other NGOs and government departments offer. For instance, KPC Group's Watoto Children Ministries is now an internationally renowned brand and will soon have a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the KPC Group also has a business manager who takes care of the church's financial matters. In the same breath, Rubaga and Kansanga Miracle Centres have fully operational offices that are also manned by a team of experts.
Disney look
Being great proponents of the 'prosperity gospel', many of the churches don't want to be associated with poverty, which can interchangeably be interpreted for failure.
In order to make newcomers feel at home, most have or are in advanced stages of designing churches to look more like modern entertainment halls than traditional places of worship.
Flushed with success, Pastor Robert Kayanja, founder and senior pastor of Miracle Centre Cathedral, is still rolling out a debt-free construction of a grandiose 10,500-seater glass auditorium, the largest of its kind in East and Central Africa. His 'church' also has an efficient transport ministry that buses people - free - to the church, basketball courts and a cafeteria.
Not to be fazed, KPC is set to build an architectural wonder in form of a 4,500-seater dome at its present site on Bombo road. KPC's projects co-ordinator Collins Kigooya says that though the construction will begin next year, the new centre will offer adjustable seats, basketball courts, a shopping mall, an Internet cafeteria and a library.
Going by its artistic impression, the structure will cost the church an arm and a leg. KPC will also build a 6,500-seater sanctuary in Kisaasi. In 2005, Kansanga opened the doors to its 8,000-seater multi-million dollar church after 13 years of construction.
Although most of these churches hold strict religious views, they scrap dull hymns in favor of multimedia worship and are dominated by people in the 15-35 age bracket.
GOD’S SANCTUARIES: The 10,500 seater Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral, the 8,000 seater Kansanga Miracle Centre.
Kampala Pentecostal Church that will soon be replaced with a 6,500 seater church . Photos by Uthman Kiyaga
Funding
Evangelical churches never know an acute lack of finances to put up buildings. For Pastor Kayanja, even if he started out alone in the 1980s by selling his first car to purchase the Shs120m land on which the present cathedral sits, he has never felt the same pinch again while raising money.
He has raised a considerable amount of money from his global crusades, in addition to the tithes and church offerings. For instance, according to his website, while on a trip to Korea, a lady received a miracle healing donated the money that was used to buy all the glass for the building. More so, Hindu benefactors who run a steel workshop gave him steel bars worth $60,000 when he had only $50,000. Similarly, from Russia, someone donated 20 double-decker buses to the church.
KPC's overriding success in fundraising has been the Watoto Ministries, a singing group of orphans. It's believed that Watoto makes more revenue than the church itself. In the recently released annual financial statements for 2006, Watoto contributed Shs10.5b, up from Shs7.1b in 2005. Watoto tours annually all over the world; donations have increased by 48 percent. In 2006, their sponsorships were worth Shs3.1b and product sales Shs12m.
Unlike so many other churches, KPC has over the years maintained financial transparency with its congregation. Audited by the internationally renowned Deloitte & Touche, KPC presents annual accounts just like any other company with shareholding and this has created a sense of belonging from the congregation.
According to Uganda Revenue Authority's publicist Patrick Mukiibi, churches have public character, so they are exempted from paying taxes as per the Income tax Act. "Churches are registered as organisations with public character and unless they indulge in other profit making ventures then they are liable to paying taxes," says Mukiibi.
Branding experts
Most evangelical churches have entered the 'winners' bracket' by becoming brands with 'franchises'. Over the last decade, KPC has set up over eight celebration centres all over the country while Miracle Centre has over 1,000.
Branding experts that they are, the new church leaders are spreading their ideas through every available outlet. Christian music appeals to millions of youths, some of whom might never give church a second thought. Many of the pastors are also authors. Pastor Kayanja has for instance written books including the highly acclaimed Bringing the Presence of God Home, Power Beyond Words, One Thousand Fold Increase and Sorry Am Late.
In addition to books, churches also get extra proceeds from the sale of audiotapes, videotapes and DVDs. For KPC, Watoto sells a host of merchandise on its website and at the church's offices. A T-Shirt costs $15 (Shs30,000) while DVDs of their past performances are at $25 (Shs50,000).
"Evangelicals' eager embrace of corporate-style growth strategies is giving them a tremendous advantage in the battle for religious market share," says Roger Finke, a Pennsylvania State University sociology professor and co-author of a new book, The Churching of America, 1776-2005: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy.
Why popular?
Evangelicalism's theological flexibility gives it the freedom to adapt to contemporary culture. With no overarching authority like the Vatican, leaders don't need to wrestle with a bureaucratic hierarchy that dictates acceptable behavior. "If you have a vision for ministry, you just do it, which makes it far easier to respond to market demand," says Michael Lutwama who attends Omega Healing Centre.
People like the flamboyant Peter Sematimba, Robert Kayanja and Imelda Namutebi, who preach "the prosperity gospel" have become popular in many circles. They endorse material wealth and tell followers that God wants them to be prosperous. Sematimba believes that the people of God are now learning that prosperity belongs to them.
"The more the people of God understand the word of God concerning prosperity, the more they get to embrace this truth. Prosperity belongs to them." Sematimba says.
God takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servants; most pastors drive top-of-the-range vehicles and some live in what has been dubbed "The Pastors Village" in Bunga, Kawuku.
Pastor Skinner drives a Grand Jeep Cherokee, Pastor Namutebi a Hummer, Pastor Isaac Kyobe Kiwewesi of Kansanga a BMW and Prado while Pastor Kayanja will soon own a Gulfstream and perhaps become one of the very few Ugandans who can afford one.
Internationally, renowned evangelist Pastor Creflo A. Dollar who will be coming here next month (June) owns two Rolls Royces and travels in a private Gulfstream 3 jet.
Benny Hinn who will be in the country this weekend is said to receive a salary of $116,000 plus a housing allowance from his church, and "much more" in book royalties. He drives an American-made Lincoln.
Joyce Meyer of the Joyce Meyer Ministries currently receives $250,000 in taxable income and the ministry still provides the Meyers with free use of the home, the cars, the plane and an $80,000 annual retirement contribution. She also receives a portion of the $3m a year in royalties earned from books and tapes sold at bookstores. Meyer provided more in royalties to the ministry over the past years than she and her husband had received in salaries and benefits. Meyer has 70 books in print, including one on the New York Times bestseller list.
So organised are these churches that they even have an umbrella body headed by Apostle Alex Mitala. The chairman of the National Fellowship of Born Again churches reveals that, "So far we have a membership of over 1,000 churches though some of them are not fully registered with us." He says that starting up a church requires one to register it as a Non Governmental Organisation with the registry of companies and ministry of internal affairs.
Gushers of cash?
Many churches have grown in terms of the congregation, not only in Uganda but also elsewhere. All this growth, plus the tithing many evangelicals encourage, is generating gushers of cash. In Uganda, the mega churches typically have not fewer than 500 members and an annual budget of around $100,000.
The average mega church pulls in $2m a year and this money is used to run its projects. For the smaller churches on the fringes of the city with three services, about Shs200,000 can be collected in a day.
Mega church business ventures sometimes grow beyond the bounds of the church itself. KPC, early this year bought 104.1 Power FM and also expanded the Watoto Children's homes that have given hope to the orphaned.
Rubaga Miracle Centre's Never Again project, set up in September 2001, has helped close to 300 children, as has the one in Kapeka, Luwero. In these homes, children are housed, fed, clothed, taken care of and educated. With all due diligence, evangelical churches haven't only won over a great number of flock but have also put themselves in a position that has helped their leaders prosper.
Influential Pastors in Kampala
Pastor Isaac Kyobe Kiwewesi is the senior pastor of Kansanga Miracle Centre which he started in 1992 from humble beginnings.
Pst. Gary Skinner is the senior pastor of Kampala Pentecostal Church. The Canadian-born pastor has been able to transform the English-speaking cell-based church located along Kampala Road into one of the most sought after churches in Kampala.
Pastor Robert Kayanja started ministry at the age of 22 and is the founder of the Highway of Holiness International Foundation (Kayanja Ministries) with offices in Texas, USA. He is known to minister with a unique anointing together with miracles, signs and wonders.
My Analysis
The Prosperity Beast system
The writer of this article is defending lies in ignorance. In Revelations chapter 13, the bible talks about two beasts; the first beast was wounded to death and its wound was healed(Rev.3); the second beast came up and exercised the power of the first beast and causeth them that dwell on the earth to worship the first beast(Rev.13:12). There is no doubt that the first beast was the Roman Catholic church(counterfeit Christianity) that was wounded by the reformation. But, what exactly is the second beast!!! The second beast represents counterfeit Christianity or counterfeit ‘Protestantism’. This counterfeit Christianity manifests its self in a variety of forms such: as Americanised Christianity, corporate Christianity, word faith Christianity, Westernised Christianity, Prosperity Gospel Christianity, dominionism Christianity to mention but a few. In Rev.13:4, the bible says that who can wage war against the beast and in Rev:13:13-14, the bible says that the second beast does great wonders and deceiveth the dwellers of the world by his miracles. Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity despite its mega, corporate churches is part and parcel of the second beast.
If you asked most of the prosperity preachers about whether Catholics are going to heaven, they will tell you yes, many believe that the pope is a great spiritual leader, many are Catholics disguised. The lord Jesus Christ will expose them, wait, you will be shocked. I’m glad that the likes of Benny Hinn have come to Kampala. The Lord Jesus Christ has used this occasion to demonstrate how naïve, undiscerning the so called born agains in Uganda are. The Lord has exposed how deceived the so called prosperity pastors in Uganda are; MINDS ON FIRE FOR GOD HEARTS ON ICE;DECEIVING AND BEING DECEIVED, SPIRITUAL FORNICATORS, WHORES , Harlots . Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, the entirety of your word is truth, Lord(Psalms 119:60)
As evidenced by the monitor article above, the prosperity preachers in Uganda as part of the beast system, are using the media to deceive people, because the have the money. Many saints have been deceived that gain is goodliness. If you want the truth you have to look for it yourself with the guidance of the Holy Spirit of course . Only God is going to destroy the prosperity beast system, it is so powerful that even the print and electronic media succumbs it. Can you imagine, despite the lies of Benny Hinn, all the prosperity preachers in Uganda are quiet, because they are in bed with Mammon and not the Lord Jesus Christ. It is surprising that despite the lies of Benny Hinn Preachers like Gary Skinner are saying;
"The atmosphere over the city of Kampala will be uniquely charged with the dynamic presence of Jesus when Benny Hinn visits Kampala in May of this year. Benny is being used in an awesome way all around the world to honour and lift up Jesus. Each of the miracle meetings will be soul stirring, life changing moments as thousands of Ugandans are healed, transformed, delivered and transformed forever. Kampala, get ready, God is going to do something extraordinary right here in our city." Pastor Gary Skinner.
Can Jesus be associated with a false prophet, come on Gary you should know better!!!!
Benny Hinn: Quotes, False Teachings, False Prophecies
http://www.yesumulungi.com/Apologetics/Appologs26.htm
Africa's Worship of Benny Hinn the "Little Messiah"
http://www.yesumulungi.com/Apologetics/Appologs25.htm
The Harlot Church And Spiritual Fornicationhttp://www.yesumulungi.com/Commentary/Comment75.htm
My letter could not be published, WHY??????
Below is an article I sent to many newspapers in Uganda, it could not be published, because of the prosperity beast that has infiltrated the Ugandan church. Who can wage war against the beast!!. ONLY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ENJOY MY LETTER.
Pastor Kayanja and Pastor Benny have the same prophetic antics
The spiritual politics of these two ‘men of God’ reveals amazing similarities. Let me begin with Pastor Benny; Hinn prophesied in December, 1989 that God would destroy the homosexual community in America in the mid1990s to be exact about 1994, 1995. Today the homosexual community in America has not only multiplied but is also alive and kicking. Hinn also prophesied in December, 1989, that Fidel Castro, would give up the Ghost(die) in the 1990s. Guess what! As of today Fidel is not only alive but also still enjoying his kisanjaless rule. To add insult to injury, Hinn, again prophesied in April, 2000, that Jesus would appear physically at Hinn’s Nairobi crusade. You Know What! the Lord Jesus Christ never showed up.
Time to check the similarity; Pastor Kayanja, Prophesied in January 2006, that one of the presidential candidates would give up the ghost and that the winner would score 61.8%. As of today, although some of the presidential candidates have been tear gassed on a number of occasions, they are all alive and charging. By the way, the winner got 59%. Pastor, Kayanja, again prophesied in January 2007, that 2007 would be a year of spiritual perfection. Perfection?? What about these spiritual imperfections so far: Strike of the Judges, Mabira bloody riots, political demonstrations and incarcerations, wife and husband encroachments, hail storm and caterpillar plagues, fake Jesus apparition in on an MTN mast, Kifalu squad and nasty of all ritual murders. There is no doubt that spiritual politicians have crawed in our religious midst with reverse prophesies just like the secular politicians.
Kizito Michael George
Bergen, Norway.
