NaijaPositive.com

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Boys 'Used for Human Sacrifice'

BBC
June 16, 2005

Children are being trafficked into the UK from Africa and used for human sacrifices, a confidential report for the Metropolitan Police suggests. Children are being beaten and even murdered after being labelled as witches by pastors, the report leaked to BBC Radio 4's Today programme said.

Police face a "wall of silence" in investigations because of fear and mistrust among the groups involved. It follows the case of a girl tortured by her guardians for being a witch. Three people, including the girl's aunt, were convicted of trying to "beat the devil out of" the un-named 10-year-old - originally from Angola.

The report was commissioned by the Met after the death of Victoria Climbie in February 2000 and because of concerns over so-called faith crimes. The 10-month probe was also intended to be part of efforts to "open a dialogue" with Asian and African communities to prevent child abuse in the London boroughs of Hackney and Newham.

Information was gathered with the help of social workers, human rights lawyers and race relations experts from within these ethnic minority groups.

For spells to be powerful it required a sacrifice of a male child unblemished by circumcision? Police report. Today programme reporter Angus Stickler, who obtained the police report due to be published later this month, described it as "absolutely chilling". "The most gruesome details come from the African communities," he said. "This report talks of rituals, of witchcraft, being practised in churches in London. It is described as big business."

'DEAD MEAT'
It said that people who are desperate seek out churches to cast spells for them. "Members of the workshop said for spells to be powerful it required a sacrifice of a male child unblemished by circumcision," the report said. Contributors said boys were being trafficked into the UK for this purpose, but did not give details because they said they feared they would be "dead meat" if they told any more. There were also claims that youngsters were being smuggled into the UK as domestic slaves and for men with HIV who believed if they had sex with a child they would be cleansed.

The authors of the report point out that these claims are only allegations, but say there were "countless examples" of these forms of child abuse. Perhaps there's something terrible happening out there which we are not aware of? John Azah. Met Police adviser. They also claim that children could be in "serious and possible life-threatening situations".

It is not clear how widespread the practices are within African communities, but those working with minority groups suggest it is fairly small-scale. The report also spoke of a wide gulf between child protection agencies and those in the communities involved, which means people are reluctant to get in touch with the authorities.

Police described this as a "wall of silence" prompted by concerns that individuals would be "betraying" their family, community and faith if they spoke out. It also acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue as the abuse was a product of individuals' faith and beliefs.

Independent adviser to the Met John Azah said that since the Climbie case and the ritualistic murder of a black child known as "Adam", there were concerns the police were only touching the "tip of the iceberg". People are being moved across the whole world essentially for money, by very substantial criminal organisations. ? Home Secretary Charles Clarke

"A few weeks ago the Met put out a number of 300 black children missing from schools. "There's no evidence that any of these children have been traced." Therefore perhaps there's something terrible happening out there which we are not aware of." This was why the police, quite rightly, were doing quite a lot of work to see if children were being murdered or not, he added. Home Secretary Charles Clarke said it was important countries worked together to tackle crimes related to people-trafficking.

MUTILATION

The Met had a special unit to address these particular issues, he said. "But it's classically an issue, like all people-trafficking issues, where people are being moved across the whole world, essentially for money, by very substantial criminal organisations." The challenge was how could the organisations most effectively be contested, he said.

The report called for the social services department to determine how many faith organisations exist and where they are situated. It also urged the Met to highlight the work of child protection agencies to try to encourage the reporting of crimes.

The Met said the report was drawn up after workshops debating issues such as female genital mutilation, physical chastisement, forced marriage and faith-related child abuse were held. It added: "The recommendations in the report are being carefully considered at the highest levels in the MPS in conjunction with partner agencies and community groups."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4098172.stm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Pastor and Counselor Jailed for Dragging Teen with a Van: Teen refused to complete running exercise at boot camp.

EUR Gospel News
August 13, 2007

Senior Pastor Charles Flowers of Faith Outreach Center in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz and camp counselor Stephanie Bassitt of Love Demonstrated Ministries, a Christian boot camp, have been charged with tying a 15-year-old girl to a van and dragging her on the ground after she refused to continue a running exercise at the camp. Both were arrested on Friday, August 10th.

The girl's mother reported the incident, which allegedly happened in June. The 15-year-old was hospitalized for unspecified injuries.

According to a copy of the arrest affidavit obtained by Reuters, the girl was participating in a running exercise when she got tired and refused to continue.

The affidavit says Bassitt held the girl down while Flowers tied a rope around her, then tied the other end to the bumper of a van, and dragged her on her stomach "several times."

Neither party has responded to requests for comments. The camp is open to teens with drug, alcohol, and other problems. Some teens are referred to the camp by courts.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

EFCC Seizes N7bn Assets of INEC Dead Director

Ise-Oluwa Ige
6th Sept. '06

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a court order, confiscating alleged ill-gotten assets, worth about N7 billion, belonging to a deceased Director of Finance and Supplies of INEC, Pastor Timothy Olufemi Akanni.

The assets include cash in local and foreign currencies; landed properties in choice areas in both Lagos and Abuja; shares in bluechip companies; registered schools, bakeries and expensive cars, among others. The order was granted ex-parte by the vacation judge, Justice Anwuri Chikere, upon a request by the anti-graft commission on behalf of the Federal Government.

The Commission had told the court that it was investigating Pastor Akanni for various weighty complaints touching on conspiracy, abuse of public office, diversion of public funds and money laundering. Besides, EFCC alleged that relations of the late Akanni and the deceased?s cronies who were still being investigated over some petitions were making frantic attempts to withdraw mony from the accounts of the companies sought to be forfeited, being alleged proceeds of fraud.

The anti-graft commission proffered arguments before the court on why all the assets must be confiscated, supporting same with affidavit evidence.
The high court judge ordered all the assets and properties listed on two separate schedules by EFCC belonging to the late Pastor Akanni to be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The deceased director stripped of all his assets by the anti-graft commission was a pastor of a pentecostal church in Abuja until his death in the October 22 Bellview Flight 210 crash at Lisa in Ogun State. He was one of the 117 passengers that lost their lives.

The interim order confiscating his assets, two weeks ago, was one of the last set of orders granted by Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja before she was transferred to the Kaduna Division of the court. Pastor Akanni was a director of INEC between 1996 and 2005 during which he allegedly acquired a huge amount of money. No petition was raised when he was in office as INEC director.

Trouble started shortly after he died when his assets were to be shared. Pastor Akanni was said to have married another woman legally without the knowledge of the only wife known to the family. The new wife who claimed to be legally married to Pastor Akanni with children showed up in Akanni?s home, claiming to be his widow.

The only wife at home never believed herself, given the fact that her husband was a respected man of God. But when the new wife tendered documentary evidence to back up her claim, the first wife known to the family vowed never to recognise her and that the alleged new wife and her children would not benefit from the deceased?s assets.

All efforts to make the first wife see reason proved abortive, a development that provoked petitions to EFCC for confiscation of huge sums of money totalling one billion in two local accounts maintained by the deceased before he died.

When EFCC moved in, it was discovered that the assets the two women were fighting over were insignificant, given others owned by Pastor Akanni in and outside the shores of Nigeria. Assets worth N7 billion were uncovered by the EFCC. Investigations are still on-going in the matter since some accounts were traced beyond the shores of the country.
But while investigations were on-going, efforts were made to tamper with the rest of the petitions, a development that made the Chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to apply to court for confiscation of various assets already uncovered and believed to have been acquired with proceeds from ill-gotten wealth.

The uncovered assets, belonging to the deceased pastor, now confiscated, and listed in two different schedules include a house at Victoria Garden City located on Plot H 70, Road 42, VGC; a plot of land measuring 3,510square metre at Banana Island, Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi; a plot registered as 25/25/26 of plot 4, block 5, measuring 1145.5sq metre; 4 terrace houses at Parkview Estate, Lagos; property on 11, Olaosebikan street, off Alli Street, Okota; Victory Plaza located at Area 11, Garki, Abuja and two duplexes situated at 13, Mississippi street, Maitama.
Others include a two-bedroom flat at Gaduwa street, Abuja; four bedroom duplex located on Plot B 10, Prince and Princess Estate, Duboyi, Abuja; plot of land at Danube street, Maitama; two-bedroom bungalow at Plot E 16 at Prince and Princess, Duboyi, Abuja; a unit of duplex at Abuja Model City (Adkan Estate), Gwarinpa II, Abuja and four-bedroom detached duplex at Gwarinpa II, Abuja.

Also seized are his Unity High School on Plot 31, Phase 4, opposite General Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja; Unity Montessori Nursery and Primary School, Phase 4, Kubwa, Abuja; Unity Bakery in Kubwa and a property located on Plot 46, Ajose street, Ilasamaja. Also on the schedule of seized items are his properties on Plot 342 Dakibiya {P&P}, Abuja with right of occupancy; plot of land at Gosa; plot 1031B, Kaura District in the name of Victory Bakery and Confectionary Limited; plots 3114, 3044, Asokoro extension; plot MP/54155, Mpape layout, Abuja and plot 1016 in Katampe District, Abuja.

Also temporarily forfeited are Land Rover Jeep with registration number BH 559APP; Volkswagen Touareg with registration number KF 242AAA, Lagos; Toyota Camry 2.2L automatic with chassis number 200060090; Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7005913; Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7005050 and Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7006224.

Frozen by the court are 23 different bank accounts (deposit and current) opened in the names of Femak Nigeria Enterprises; Victory Bakery and Confectionaries Limited; Mountain Ventures Limited; Olusegun
Akanni; Femak Nigeria; Ajakaiye Adeola Oluwakemi; Akanni T Olusegun; Unity Montessori Nursery and Primary School; Cumet Nigeria Limited and Molamos Nigeria Limited. Shares acquired by late Pastor Olufemi Akanni with First Bank; Oceanic Bank and Zenith Bank valued at N4,556.200; N5,000,000 and N3,600,000 respectively during his lifetime among others were also confiscated.

Confisticated ASSETS
*a house at Victoria Garden City on Plot H 70, Road 42, VGC
*a plot of land measuring 3,510square metre at Banana Island, Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi
*a plot registered as 25/25/26 of plot 4, block 5, measuring 1145.5sq metre
*4 terrace houses at Parkview Estate, Lagos
*property on 11, Olaosebikan street, off Alli Street, Okota
*Victory Plaza located at Area 11, Garki, Abuja
*two duplexes situated at 13, Mississippi street, Maitama
*two-bedroom flat at Gaduwa street, Abuja
*four bedroom duplex on Plot B 10, Prince and Princess Estate, Duboyi, Abuja
*plot of land at Danube street, Maitama
*two-bedroom bungalow at Plot E 16 at Prince and Princess, Duboyi, Abuja
*a unit of duplex at Abuja Model City (Adkan Estate), Gwarinpa II, Abuja
*afour-bedroom detached duplex at Gwarinpa II, Abuja
*Unity High School on Plot 31, Phase 4, opposite General Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja
*Unity Montessori Nursery and Primary School, Phase 4, Kubwa, Abuja
*Unity Bakery in Kubwa and a property located on Plot 46, Ajose street, Ilasamaja
*Plot 342 Dakibiya {P&P}, Abuja with right of occupancy
*plot of land at Gosa
*plot 1031B, Kaura District in the name of Victory Bakery and Confectionary Limited
*plots 3114, 3044, Asokoro extension
*plot MP/54155, Mpape layout, Abuja
*plot 1016 in Katampe District, Abuja
*and Rover Jeep with number plate BH 559APP
*Volkswagen Touareg with number plate KF 242AAA, Lagos
*Toyota Camry 2.2L automatic with chassis number 200060090
*Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7005913
*Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7005050
*Toyota Hiace bus with chassis number 7006224
*23 different bank accounts {deposit and current} in a bank opened in the names of Femak Nigeria Enterprises; Victory Bakery and Confectionaries Limited; Mountain Ventures Limited; Olusegun Akanni; Femak Nigeria; Ajakaiye Adeola Oluwakemi; Akanni T Olusegun; Unity Montessori Nursery and Primary School; Cumet Nigeria Limited and Molamos Nigeria Limited.
*Shares in banks valued at N4,556.200; N5,000,000 and N3,600,000 respectively
_________________
May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

After Bynum Beating Charge, Weeks Back in Pulpit

GospelEUR
Aug. '07

Bishop Thomas Weeks III Back in the Pulpit: Juanita Bynum's husband returns to Global Destiny.

According to Fox 5 TV station in Atlanta, less than one week after allegedly assaulting his wife, Juanita Bynum, in an Atlanta hotel parking lot and subsequently turning himself in to authorities, Bishop Thomas Weeks III was back in the pulpit at Global Destiny church in Duluth, GA.

Parishioners were tight-lipped about what went on inside. They asked that we pray for their church.

You can see the station's report here:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox...;layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1
---------------------------------
Pastor Rebukes Juanita Bynum, Bishop Weeks and Paula White: Apostle Brian S. Lewis warns you can't sow a seed to get out of your problems.

GospelEUR
29th Aug. '07

Apostle Brian S. Lewis, senior pastor of All Nations Church of Los Angeles, did what few, if any, pastors are willing to do publicly. He spoke out on Paula White's imminent divorce and Bishop Thomas Weeks attack on his wife, Juanita Bynum.

In "The Pressure of the Press (Part 3)," a sermon posted on YouTube, Pastor Lewis said, "? Why do you think what happened with Bishop Weeks and Juanita Bynum? That's the rod of God's correction. You can't lie to God. Don't be deceived for God is not marked. For whatever you sow, you shall reap."

He acknowledged that he knew the sermon was going to be on TV.

"You know what I feel like telling them ? and this is me being sarcastic," he said, "?Bishop you wanna get out of jail, you don't wanna have to go to jail and to have to experience a trial and you don't want your ministry to fail, why don't you sow a seed? Why don't you sow a seed for the next 12 months? Why don't you sow $100,000 a month for the next 12 months and watch your deliverance?"

"Juanita Bynum, you don't like what you went through? You don't like being stomped in the groin? You don't like being beat by a man, why don't you just sow a seed?" he asked. "You know why God is judging you because you can't sow a seed to get out of your problems?"

Paula White didn't escape the pastor's path either.

"Paula White, who are you to divorce your husband," he asked. "Who are you to step out of the authority and the anointing that your husband has over your life? Who knows what you did but divorce is not of God unless there was some type of infidelity, unless there was somebody that was unfaithful and none of you better ever marry again because you'll be in an adulterous marriage?"

Last week, Paula and Randy White announced their decision to divorce after 17 years of marriage.

On August 21, a bellman stopped Bishop Weeks from beating Juanita Bynum in an Atlanta hotel parking lot. The Bishop fled the scene but later turned himself in to authorities.

On Sunday, August 26, Weeks stood before his Global Destiny congregation and blamed the devil for the accusations. He faces charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats.

Pastor Lewis wrote in his email newsletter, "I am sensitive to Juanita Bynum and I am praying for her recovery spiritually, emotionally, and physically, as well as, for the members of the White family; notwithstanding, I am dealing with the spirits of greed, compromise, corruption, and divorce in the church."

Visit the pastor's Web site at www.ancla.info. See his Youtube sermons here:
www.youtube.com/profile?user=AllNationsChurch

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

No More Weeks?: Organization calls for a suspension of Bishop Thomas Weeks, III; Weeks wielded his power against wife in the church before blow-up.

Mona Austin

Returning to his pulpit just 3 days after publicly assaulting and threatening to kill his wife, nationally renowned televangelist Prophetess Juanita Bynum, an organization believes Bishop Thomas Weeks, III shouldn't step foot in a pulpit any time soon. Nearly two weeks after the incident, the Washington-based National Black Church Initiative is calling for his suspension.

Although Global Destinies Ministries is not one of the 16,000 churches under the NBCI's network, their reason for censuring Weeks supercedes the four walls of Global Destiny Ministries or organizational jurisdiction. In an Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) article they point out that domestic violence is a root cause in the failure of black families and marriages and described Weeks' conduct as "detrimental" to the entire Christian Church, "morally wrong and reprehensible."

The woeful act took place in the parking lot of a Renaissance Concourse hotel in Atlanta following a meeting to patch up the relationship with his estranged wife, from whom he'd been separated for at least 3 months. Allegedly, the meeting did not go as planned, escalating to a torrid end, and consequently a violent outcome that forced a hotel bellhop to rescue The Prophetess. By Sunday, August 23, Weeks appeared before his congregation stating the devil caused his behavior. Before deferring the pulpit to a guest preacher he unabashedly solicited support for the legal expenses he would accrue in the months ahead, an AJC reporter attending the service wrote.

Weeks set a bad example for both the community he serves and the Body of Christ at large in the group's estimation.

"We're just not going to tolerate this kind of behavior," the Rev. Anthony Evans, NBCI president, said Sunday. "He has hurt the cause of Christ."

Ironically, according to Tiny Gilyard, a 41-year-old woman who attends Weeks' Global Destiny Ministries, Bishop Weeks told his church in early August that the Prophetess was going to stop preaching there after he alluded to the fact that there were issues in their marriage. Bynum and Weeks had previously operated as co-pastors.

"He explained that [Bynum] is not going to be preaching anymore. He said she was just going to come and sit down. ...It was like he was jealous of her," the woman told the AJC.

Having an individual "sat down" is commonly a disciplinary measure in many African American churches used to reprehend spiritually or morally poor conduct.

Incidentally, a staffer at the Global Destinies Los Angeles location confirmed that the disenchanted couple had not been
teaching/preaching partners since the ministry was established there in January. Other sources report Prophetess Bynum would visit once monthly while services were held every Thursday evening.

The NBCI wants the pastor to be benched. Not only have they come forth with a grievance, but also a suggested three-part punishment for the accused abuser as well:

1. The organization that provided Weeks' ecclesiastical covering and governance should suspend him for three years
2. Global Destiny Ministries congregants should stop supporting his ministry
3. Weeks should not be recognized as ordained clergy

On the other hand they also require that the Bishop does three things to exert personal responsibility for the incident:

1. Give his wife the apology she is due.
2. Make an apology to the church at large.
3. Get counseling.

They hope their demands are a suitable reprimand for someone in the pastor's situation.

"Whether or not he is restorable, this will be left to Almighty God ..., "Evans stated. The NBCI president further opined, "He is not mentally equipped to continue as neither pastor [or] bishop at this time."

This is a high-profile, sensitive case that most Black Church leaders have avoided. Most noticeably silent are the sentiments of Bishop T.D. Jakes, a noted religious leader and author of numerous women's empowerment best-sellers, whose Megafest platform catapulted Prophetess Bynum (who claims Jakes as he 'spiritual father') into major popularity.

Evans admitted the decision to come forth and reprove Weeks was difficult and unusual for the entity he oversees. However, due to the negative impact of domestic violence on Black families, the issue was brought to their turf and they couldn't ignore it. The primary objective of NBCI is to address racial health disparities and problems in the black family. (Some Hispanic churches are also a part of the coalition.)

"We cannot begin healing the black family without taking this action."

At his arraignment in a Fulton County courtroom he has was indicted with charges of felony aggravated assault and terrorist threats and two misdemeanor counts of simple battery.
-------------------------------------
Juanita Bynum Talks About 'The Incident' on TBN'S 'Praise the Lord': Prophetess said she is going through this for somebody else and she forgives her husband.

Until September 4, Prophetess Juanita Bynum had not publicly spoken about the alleged beating she suffered at the hands of her estranged husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks, III. The only comment she made was through her publicist, Amy Malone, who said on behalf of Bynum that she wasn't in a fight with Weeks; she was attacked.

On September 4, Bynum's spiritual father, Bishop T.D. Jakes, wrote an OpEd letter to the Atlanta Journal Constitution advising church leaders on dealing with domestic violence and urging Christians to remember the church's job is not a judicial one.

On that same day, Bynum held a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta's Buckhead section where she told reporters that she represents the urban community on the issue of domestic violence. Later that night, she appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN) "Praise the Lord" program at 10 p.m. EST.

On TBN Bynum initially mentioned the incident before interviewing gospel singer Tarralyn Ramsey. She said, "?Let me just say this. Let me just set the record straight 'cause I don't know what ya'll looking at ... everybody looking at me like I'm supposed to be pitiful or something. You have to understand that when your worse hour comes, you're in your finest hour at the same time ..."

During her interview with gospel singer DeWayne Woods, she said, " ... the minute when I made the decision that I was no longer a victim but an advocate ... It's like before he can take you to your next level. It's like he has to kill the whole image. He has to kill the whole look ... The minute I said I am going through this for somebody else ... that this is not my battle. This is not my warfare. I'm in warfare for women all over the world. My mind changed ... I didn't feel embarrassed anymore. I stepped in the purpose."

During the broadcast, a sometime-tearful Bynum went on to say, among other things, that she's not going to be religiously political and that she forgives her husband.

According to published reports, Bynum has said it is too early to say if she'll stay with Weeks For now, she said she's concentrating on herself.
---------------------------------------------------

Bishop T.D. Jakes Finally Speaks Out on Thomas Weeks and Juanita Bynum Incident: Jakes offers advice on dealing with domestic violence.

Days after the National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 16,000 churches, demanded Bishop Thomas Weeks' suspension for beating his wife, Juanita Bynum, in an Atlanta hotel parking lot, Bishop T.D. Jakes, who is well known as Bynum's spiritual father, is finally speaking out.

Bishop Weeks' ministry, Global Destiny, is not a member of NBCI.

The letter Jakes sent to the Atlanta Journal Constitution was published on September 4, the same day Bynum told the media at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead that she represents the urban community on the issue of domestic violence since the alleged attack. She said domestic violence is not a religious issue but a social one.

In his letter, Jakes writes, in part: "As I have watched the events surrounding ministers Juanita Bynum and Thomas Weeks, whom I have known for many years, I, like most, am concerned and saddened.

My wife, Serita, and I, as well as the entire Potter's House family, are deeply concerned and have expressed that concern through personal contact the moment we were made aware. Those most familiar with our ministry know that I have been a longtime advocate and tireless fighter against domestic violence.

However pained we all may be, perhaps this is a teaching opportunity to awaken us to the fact that thousands of women are beaten and many killed by someone who says they love them. I have personally lost many women in my city, some in my church and several in my family to this heinous problem.

The statistics for women who are abused in this country today by "intimates" -- a husband, boyfriend or someone they are intimately close to - are staggering."

The Bishop writes on about national domestic violence statistics, its affect on victims and children and the importance for Christians to realize that the church's job is not a judicial one. For pastors and church leaders, he shares guidelines used by the Potter's House to handle such issues.

The Bishop goes on to write "people do not confide in leaders who talk." He closes his letter with "?prayer is a good starting point, but this is a problem where wise and fair actions are needed."

Read his letter in its entirety at the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
http://www.ajc.com/search/content...tories/2007/09/04/jakesed0904.htm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Sexual & Other Abuse By Church Officials

http://www.rickross.com/groups/clergy.html

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

'I Helped Top Pastor Con Aids Patients'

The Monitor (Kampala)
Hussein Bogere
9 October 2007
Kampala

A Prominent female Kampala pastor bribed and blackmailed worshippers to fake health ailments as serious as HIV/Aids so that she could then claim to have healed them, a parishioner alleged in a recent interview.

The same pastor is being accused of using spies to learn secrets about members of her congregation and then using that information to extort funds- allegations that threaten to further discredit Ugandan pastors, several of whom have come under fire in recent months for dishonesty and improper use of funds.

"She [the pastor] told me that she wanted me to confess in church that I had been cured of HIV/Aids through her prayers," said Ms Grace Kashemeire (pictured), 55, in an interview with Daily Monitor recently. "She asked me never to tell anyone.

She used to pick me out of the crowd. She used me to give as testimony that I lost three husbands but I recovered from the ailment (Aids). It was a quiet deal between her and me. She promised to give me money and to look after my kids."

The pastor would then use this information, that Ms. Kashemeire had been
healed of HIV/Aids through the pastor's prayers, to solicit money, according to Ms Kashemeire.

"She recorded my testimonies, which she then used to take abroad to make money," she said.

Ms Kashemeire added that she had been given use of a house in Lubaga during the period of her collaboration with the pastor to deceive the public.

Multiple attempts to reach the said pastor - first through her lawyers and then in person at her church - failed to elicit a response.

Ms Kashemeire said the pastor recently ordered someone to break the leg of her eight-year old daughter, which was what she said finally convinced her to speak out.

Ms Kashemeire's daughters leg was allegedly broken in the church so that she (Kashemeire) is forced to spend the money the pastor suspects she did not remit after collecting from one of their extortion victims, on medical bills.

Pastors in Uganda have lately come under fire over charges of impropriety, sodomy and fraud, which have discredited many church leaders.

Police said they would investigate whether pastors use tricks to defraud people of their money and property.

But no action has been taken, apart from the questioning of Pastor Yeboah Nana Kojo, a Ghanaian who allegedly procured an "electric touch" machine that is believed to deliver Holy Spirit-like shock.

Ms Kashemeire is currently suing the pastor over unpaid salary for work she claims to have done at the church. She claims that among her responsibilities in the church, she was to visit homes to tell her story of having been healed of HIV/Aids.

But in reality, she said, her task during such visits was to learn secrets about the families, which the pastor would use to extort funds. The pastor has denied the charges through her lawyers.

The pastor's lawyers denied Daily Monitor access to her for comment on the allegations of dishonesty and blackmail against the pastor and attempts to find the pastor in church late last week were unsuccessful.

Ms Kashemeire reported the matter first to Lugala LCI office on June 1 and then later to Lugala Police Post. According to a policeman at the post, the file was forwarded to Old Kampala two weeks ago for further action. Ms Kashemeire told the Daily Monitor that her woes began when the pastor suspected that she had been given money by one of the church members in 2006 to 'sow' on her behalf.

This church member died three weeks ago at International Hospital Kampala of an HIV/Aids-related illness. She had reportedly already spent an unspecified sum of money in payments to the pastor for a miracle healing.

Ms Kashemeire explained that "the pastor said she only needed Shs5 million from her (the dead woman). She refused to give her the money for she had already paid her too much. She also asked for one and a half years of full tank of fuel supply."

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Catholic Church Abuses

This week in the U.S. both Cardinal Mahoney and the Pope have been issued ultimatums to release the names of predators in the Catholic church who under the guise of being priests sexually molested young children, mostly boys, and sometimes impregnated the young girls who trusted them as authority figures. Pending the non-release a legal suit is being threatened.

It's also been revealed that some female parishioners who were in vulnerable situations were also taken advantage of by their priests. What is shocking is that it's been exposed that WHENEVER the cases of these young children who were molested by these predators and pedophiles, or that of the female parishioners who were taken advantage of were presented to the church authorities, the Catholic church simply posted the priests to new churches only to expose a new set of fresh victims to them.

This hypocritical cover up activity obviously contributed to various psychological damage to the youngsters, some of whom became homosexual due to sodomization by their trusted priests. While some disillusioned adult female parishioners quit the Catholic church for good.

It's sad how much cover up goes on behind religion and to think these are people in positions of religious authority, not practicing the morality they preach. Considering some of these men are sadly enough hardened up, by the terms of their vows to remain celibate, it in No way excuses the fact that they have NO right to have abused their parishioners, both young and old.

Despite the cover ups by their higher ups, at least records exist within the Catholic church about who the predators and paedophiles, and should legal actions beyond those presently sought arise, it would not be too difficult to identify the abusers. What is distressing in the case of other churches is that such record keeping may not exist, and one can probably be sure that no written records exist in Nigerian churches where abuses have occurred and continue to occur.

If one can understand that the rigid unnatural vows of celibacy contributed to the abuse perpetrated by the Catholic priests, what excuses do the non-Catholic church priests and pastors who are permitted to marry have for abusing, molesting and attacking, raping and who knows what else they've been doing and continue to do to their vulnerable and unsuspecting usually female and young parishioners.

It has been written that there would be wolves in sheep's clothing, but the fact that absolute power is being used to take advantage of parishioners without any form of accountability or discipline, but continues to grow under uncensored continuing conspiracy is an act that must be eradicated.

Cxsm
2/19/04

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

CXSM, I don't see any eradication happening anytime soon. These Church leaders are practically being hero worshipped by the members of their congregations; male, female, old and young alike. Many of the women these leaders have affairs with are quite willing, infact they feel flattered to be in such situations with their pastors as attested to by the married women who diss their own husbands in favour of their lovers (pastors/house fellowship leaders etc. ). I believe the abuse in Naija churches is similar to the abuse in Naija government. A lack of morals, integrity and honesty. People are just out to take advantage of their followerships, and ordinary people should wise up. Even if it means people should stay home and worship God by their own selves/with their families. Let the pastors of the big churches hang out in their big buildings by themselves.

Until our society (at least the Christians) stops worshipping these unscrupulous individuals, these abuses will continue. And that's the truth.

ciao
The Dreamer
2/19/04

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Fetish Priest Storms Church to Recover Juju [Ghana]

Collins Agyei Yeboah, a pastor who sought the help of a renowned fetish priest at Akomadan-Afrancho in the Ashanti Region to establish a church known as Vision Charismatic Chapel at Kato near Berekum in the Brong Ahafo region, has lost his powers. This followed the recovery of the juju from the pastor by the fetish priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam and his allies on Wednesday April 2 this year.

Two years ago, Mr. Agyei Yeboah, founder and leader of Vision Charismatic Chapel allegedly consulted Nana Kwaku Bonsam at his shrine in Akomadan-Afrancho for a special juju to establish a church at Kato, his hometown. The prominent fetish priest, who had hit the news recently, obliged and prepared a special juju at the cost of GH¢550, out of which the pastor instantly paid GH¢100, promising to pay the remainder in a few days. Pastor Agyei Yeboah, after taking delivery of the juju, came back a few weeks later and paid an additional amount of GH¢100 to Nana Kwaku Bonsam.

According to the celebrated fetish priest, the pastor, believed to be in his early thirties, failed to settle the balance of GH¢350 two long years after utilizing the juju powers to establish his church. "In spite of numerous reminders to him to pay the remaining GH¢350, Pastor Agyei Yeboah refused to honour the payment with the flimsy excuse that the juju he collected did not work," the fetish priest stated. Nana Kwaku Bonsam disclosed that this stubborn stance of the so-called man of God incensed his gods who quickly ordered the retrieval of the juju from Pastor Agyei Yeboah. He explained that the gods spelt out two conditions for him, which were either that the juju be retrieved from the pastor or he, Nana Kwaku Bonsam would lose his life in a matter of hours.

The fetish priest said not wanting to lose his life, he organized his guys and headed for Kato on Wednesday with the mission to dispossess the pastor of the juju. Anticipating a possible resistance from Pastor Agyei Yeboah, Nana Kwaku Bonsam noted that he first sought permission from the Divisional Police Commander of Berekum before proceeding to the church premises. He said when he and his guys got to the church hall around 12 mid-day, the first service was just over and church members were in a queue to attend counseling session. "When he saw me, he was shocked and could not utter a word, so I just asked him to give me the powers in a matter of seconds if only he was desirous to live again," he pointed out.

According to the famous fetish priest, Pastor Agyei Yeboah who was visibly shaken, could not put up any resistance but willfully went to the back of the church where he had placed the juju, retrieved it, and delivered it to the owner. Nana Kwaku Bonsam indicated that after accomplishing his mission, he and his entourage went back to thank the Berekum Divisional Police Command before returning to base.

He disclosed that the whole township of Kato went agog when news went round that the fetish priest who gave juju to Pastor Agyei Yeboah to establish his church had come to collect back the juju. Nana Kwaku Bonsam noted that but for the intervention of the police officers who accompanied him to the church premises, the leader and founder of Vision Charismatic Church would have been lynched by the angry church members in whose presence the exercise took place. "The police had to whisk him away, to prevent him from being lynched by the angry church members in whose presence the retrieval of the juju took place," he said.

The popular fetish priest gave stern warning to pastors who had sought his help but were not performing the necessary rites, to contact him immediately before he descends heavily on them. He shockingly revealed that more than 460 pastors including renowned and influential ones had come to him for one form of power or the other in establishing and sustaining their churches in the country. Later in an interview, Pastor Agyei Yeboah admitted taking juju from Nana Kwaku Bonsam but asked his church members and the townsfolk to pardon him, stressing that never will he commit such a sacrilegious act again. He said he was ready to continue with the church if only members would forgive him.

Source: Daily Guide