Prosperity Theology

Growing up in Kenya, among one of the most famous church song's was "Toa ndugu, Toa dada, ulichonacho wewe, Bwana anakuona, mpaka moyoni wako". Usually, this song accompanied the collection of offering during the Sunday services. So as the church choir sang the song, the ushers would pass over the collection baskets to the solemn congregation. Back then as a kid, I remember we used to be given a few coins by our parents for the Sadaka which sometimes ended up at the kiosk in exchange of a few sweets.

Twenty something odd years later, I attended a church service during the summer holidays in Kenya. Come offering time and the preacher leading the congregation into offering starts by reading a scripture from the bible. After the reading, he goes on to share a few points with the faithful before the choir sings during the collection of the offering. Just as he is about done, he reminds the church members that they should not give coins in the offering basket as the Lord does not want coins.

Going back into the bible it's very hard for me to understand what the preacher was saying or rather what he meant. You see, if you read Mark 12:41-44, Jesus himself commends the widow who gave two mites which is approximately a penny. While many of the rich were making large contributions in the temple, the poor widow gave all that she had to live on. According to Jesus, the poor widow put more into the collection than all the others who gave out of their wealth.

Here was a preacher who slept soundly the previous night and woke up to a decent breakfast before driving to the church service. At this particular church, the congregation consisted of people from all walks of life. From the high and mighty to the lowly of the lowest. A good number of the church goers had walked to church as the could not afford the bus fare and it is possible that some did not know where their next meal is going to come from. Driven by despair, they made their way to church hoping to get a word of encouragement in addition to seeking the Lord to help them out of their misery.

If I were to get a dollar for every time someone criticizes preachers for being interested in making money through the church, I would be a rich man. It is with good reason that people are critical of some men and women of the cloth.

How To Be A Kenyan by Wahome Mutahi

How do you explain a preachers living in a huge mansions in up-market areas like Runda while the majority of their congregation are blue collar workers who come from low income areas. It doesn't make sense for the preacher to be at a different social economic level from their congregation, yet when they started the church they were as poor as the church members. A few years later and you can't tell the difference between the church property and their personal property. They not only control every bit of it as if it were their own but they also have a fanatical following by their church members.

I have nothing against people of the cloth being rich if anything it is God's will that ALL Christians prosper in every way (3 John 1:2). Apostle Paul is even clear when he says that it is for our sake that Christ become poor, so that through his poverty we might become rich by Gods grace (2 Cor 8:9).

The sad part is that there is no law to protect poor people from such priests in Kenya. That is why I like the US where at least the IRS which grants religious organizations the 501 3 (c) status makes sure that individuals do not enrich themselves through charitable organizations that they run. Even if they don't do a good job at preventing individuals from enriching themselves, they at least respond when they receive any complaints. And should they escape the tentacles of the IRS, they have to wiggle their way in the courts should they be sued by their congregation or members of their staff in addition to being exposed and ridiculed in the media.

That said, I think Kenyans in the diaspora encourage and fuel such behaviours by hosting self-appointed Bishops who have made it a habit to hold regular crusades abroad. I blame the people more than the preachers for their attitude when it comes to giving in church. Just like in the parable of the sower in Mark 4:2-8, it matters a lot as to which churches we give to. If we are to expect a hundred fold harvest, we should sow wisely and not just scatter our seeds along paths or in rocky soil.

That is why it is important to prayerfully consider which church to attend. While there may be a few preachers who give the Church a bad image, there are a lot of good churches out there which are faithful custodians and putting every penny they receive into what the money is intended for.