To the 78,000 members of Ekeza Sacco, “Doctor” David Ngare was a man of God who could be trusted with their money and their investments. After all, he had mounted a spirited media campaign on major radio and television networks. He had a church and a thriving flock. He often taught about the spiritual principles of wealth creation on prime television. The good and sagely “Dr.” had a charismatic ring to his voice that made anyone who listened believe him when he said he was going to make them land owners and landlords instead of tenants. People flocked to the Sacco offices and poured out their life’s sweat into a Sacco that would later collapse with all their dreams and hopes.
While the members cried out in frustration and pleaded with the government to help them, the bishop continued spinning one tale after another as the cameras rolled. An audit carried out by the government would later reveal that while the members of the Sacco were busy sweating their nights and days out, the bishop was creating a personal empire out of their hard earned cash. His meteoric rise to the top had been characterized by hobnobbing with the political elite for lunch followed by a quick interview in the evening to woo in more members into his carefully woven tale of deceit and greed.
Hardly a week after Bishop Ngare made headlines, there was another tale in the papers. The renowned prophet Owuor’s church had been accused by a family of fleecing their sister of her wealth. According to the family, their sister was no longer the person they knew. She did not want to be in contact with her family and had allegedly given out her home to the church. These are just some of the men of God who have emerged as wolves in sheep’s clothing in the recent past. There are heartbreaking tales of pastors preying on their congregants out here. The list of wrongs committed against congregants is long: adultery, manipulation, abuse of authority, bullying, lying, theft, obtaining money under false pretense. For every genuine, committed and sincere pastor in this country, there are probably ten who are busy making a mockery of God and the calling he has placed upon them.
In the wake of such incidents, it is easy to dismiss those who have been betrayed, belittled and lied to by the pastor. Some quickly run to that oft misquoted verse that says, “Touch not my anointed ones and do no harm to my prophets.”(Psalms 105). In dismissing genuine reports of the ways in which pastors have hurt congregants, we aggravate the heartache that comes in the wake of such betrayal. We give little room for proper channels to be followed in the process of doing right by those who have been hurt by the pastor’s actions and allowing the victims to pursue healing. We form a fake tin foil shield around the pastor and allow sin to thrive at the expense of the grace of God which brings all men to repentance regardless of their position.
What are we supposed to do when our pastors fail, hurt and betray us? First, we begin by acknowledging that the pastor has made a mistake and stating it as it is. In Psalms 51, David acknowledged that he had “sinned against God.” Sin that is sugar coated becomes a scandal that eventually makes a mockery of the finished work of the cross and the grace of God. The recent scandals in the news should teach us that a pastor’s position does not make him or her immune from the pitfalls that we all face. The desires of the flesh, as Paul stated, will always be contrary to the desires of the Spirit. The works of the flesh are not limited to an adulterous affair with a worship team member. Some of the works of the flesh are more subtle and the slithery Serpent will use them to entrap us, including the pastor.
Secondly, we need to get our pastors off the pedestals we have placed them on. We need to pursue Christ as the author and finisher of our faith even if it means we will not agree with our favourite pastors. Our pastors do not need a battalion of star gazed followers. They need a few faithful friends who genuinely pray for them and speak the truth to them in love. Our favourite pastors go home to nagging toddlers, sulking spouses, hefty bills, ambitions that are neither here nor there and a desire to walk with God. Somewhere along the way, they will fall and stumble, perhaps as a reminder that just like all of us, they need the sustaining grace of God.
The Apostle Paul calls upon Christians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling because it is God who is at work in us both to will and to according to his good pleasure. No one said that it would be easy and neat. Our eyes, as the Word reminds us, should be fixed on Christ and on things above, not our pastors and their glowing lives or audiences. Our pastors should lead us to Christ because whatever is founded on any other foundation will eventually come tumbling down.
The realization that our pastors are human should lead us to pray for our pastors. One of my pastors was fond of saying that all he needs from us is our fervent prayers. It is only in praying for our pastors that we will actually realize that no one can stand, even for a second, without the grace of God. It is in praying for our pastors that we will have an actual picture of who they are, not what we want them to be. Through prayer, we live out our calling of bearing one another’s burdens. Our hearts become open to seeing our pastors are fellow sojourners, not celebrities or superstars who have everything under control. We relinquish our desire to make an idol out of our pastors in prayer and lay our expectations where they rightfully belong: At the feet of Jesus. We become open to the redemptive work that God is carrying out through our pastors and find ways to participate in our communities, our workplaces and our neighborhood.
If you are a victim of the scams that have been perpetrated by pastors such as the ones I cited above, I am genuinely sorry about that. It is not right, not on this side of eternity or on the one to come. I cannot fully grasp the extent to which you have been betrayed and hurt but I know the One who holds us in the palm of his Hand fully gets it. Grieve before Him and let him do the healing. Let Him lead you to forgive the man or woman who disappointed you. In all things, may his grace abound towards you. May His Love overwhelm you.
As for the pastors, it is okay to acknowledge you are human. God only works with humans, not rock stars or celebrities. His grace is made perfect in our imperfections. It is okay to seek help from trusted counsel in order to deal with the issues of the heart. It is okay not to be the richest, the wisest or the strongest man or woman in the room. It is okay to admit you were wrong and apologize. God called you because he knew you could not do it on your own so let him shape your character and your heart.
Corazon Achieng 