At least four African governments are proposing new measures to protect unsuspecting church members against charismatic churches that promote corrupt or immoral schemes.
The governments in Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa have reportedly come up with a series of initiatives as part of a crackdown on rogue churches and clergies fleecing their followers.
Kenya unveiled in January a number of rules designed to regulate religious groups and prevent youth radicalisation by Muslim terrorist groups. One of the rules requires all clergy to hold theological degrees.
However, after strong protests by church leaders, the attorney general withdrew the rules.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, however, indicated his intention to rein in rouge preachers, according to Charisma News.
In Ghana, its government has asked the Christian Council to draft a proposal to ensure all churches are registered with the government.
The South African Council of Churches has called for some kind of guidelines to help churches self-regulate. President Paul Biya of Cameroon recently ordered the closure of 100 churches over alleged criminal activities by Pentecostal church pastors linked to miracles.
According to Tolbert Thomas Jallah Jr., a Liberian cleric who heads the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa, said some African preachers have been confusing their followers with doctrines that are without any biblical and theological basis.
"They are doing strange interpretations of Scriptures to exploit poor people, using prosperity messages, calling for miracle services and purchase of healing," said Jallah.
"They are requesting money before praying for the sick, and people will have to pay money to get appointments and register before getting to see the apostle," he added.
In Kenya, for example, Nairobi pastor Rev. Njohi prohibits women from wearing undergarments and bras to church, arguing that women "should be free in body and spirit to receive Jesus."
Kenyan preacher Victor Kanyari also admitted to a scheme whereby followers were asked to pay him in return for his cleansing them of their sins. As proof their sins were forgiven, the pastor said the water in a "miracle basin" would turn red after he prayed over it. Later, church leaders admitted adding chemicals to the water to cause it to turn red, Charisma News reported.
In South Africa last year, a pastor in Pretoria forced members of his congregation to strip naked and ride on their backs as he prayed for them. Another Pretoria pastor, Daniel Lesego, made his congregation drink petrol and eat grass. Pastor Penuel Mnguni, based in northern Pretoria, capped it all when he declared that a live snake he presented was actually a chocolate bar and commanded his congregation to eat it, the report said.
Government authorities are hoping to address the alarming trend even as it assured that the move was not to trample on their religious freedom. Some clerics also suggested self-regulation through associations, national councils and fellowships.
About 63 percent of Africans identify as Christian, and Christian denominations founded and still run schools and hospitals.
These congregations reportedly played critical roles in helping "to keep communities together and stitching together a fraying social fabric,'' the report said.
