Johannesburg - A group of bishops have launched a scathing attack on the actions of a pastor who has made congregants eat grass and drink petrol, saying they point to a growing problem of “cultism”.
A video showing Pastor Lesego Daniel, of the Rabboni Centre Ministries in Ga-Rankuwa, urging congregants to drink what he says is petrol and tastes sweet, like pineapple or a cold drink, has gone viral on YouTube.
The outraged Greater Vaal Pastoral Forum has called on church leaders to stand up and defend the Christian faith.
“The reports about church congregants in Ga-Rankuwa being made to drink petrol, after they were recently encouraged to eat grass, points to the growing problem of religious cultism masquerading as Christianity,” said Bishop Vincent Jones, chairman of the forum.
“The cultists, who falsely claim to be intermediaries between the faithful and God, and often indulge in harmful practices and profiteering, alienate God’s people.
“They bring the wider church community into disrepute and hinder its spiritual mission.”
Jones said the forum wanted to restore accountability and rekindle the spirit of fatherhood in the church by educating people and encouraging the discernment of such practices.
Comprising more than 100 pastors and bishop, the forum’s aim is to restore the dignity and authority of the church and improve the standard of its leadership.
The forum was formed two years ago following violence fuelled by allegations that Archbishop Stephen Zondo of the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries was involved in Satanism.
Evaton residents went on the rampage, clashing with police, throwing petrol bombs at cars, and demanding the closure of Zondo’s church.
Jones said the forum had found no evidence to support the allegations against Zondo, although it was worried about “certain foreign practices”.
In the YouTube video, members of Daniel’s congregation are seen clamouring to drink the petrol, while the pastor encourages them and preaches.
Jones said such “unseemly acts, coupled with the pervasive crass commercialisation of the Gospel, impact negatively on the Christian faith”.
He said disunity among church leaders and the lack of accountability of some of them were responsible for the rise in “harmful cultism” .
“It’s also desperation – there is high level of desperation due to the socio-economic situation in our country.
“People are seeking answers to poverty, unemployment and sickness, to redress their situation. It’s a tragedy when they find desperate pastors who give them theological misrepresentation.”
The forum is arranging a six-day conference for next month to emphasise the importance of encouraging mentorship and guidance by church elders.
“We encourage each young pastor to have a father or mother figure to learn good and godly practices from, people they can consult for guidance, to avoid veering from the path of righteousness,” Jones said.
“Nobody should be above the law.
“Nobody should be the law unto himself.”
Several attempts have been made to get comment from Daniel this week, without success.
Saturday Star