Evangelist Zinyongo condemns mock weddings, sell of ‘holy anointing oil’
Lilongwe-based preacher, Evangelist Richard Zinyongo has openly condemned some of the criteria’s that Christian churches use to generate funds including mock weddings, trophies, selling of anointing materials, prophesies and auctioning of items in prayer houses, saying these have paralyzed the core function of the church and that they are not biblical.
According to Zinyongo, the current church systems has produced thieves and corrupt Christians in the name of prosperity teachings and that many pastors have blessed corrupt money and they love corrupt Christians because they give money more than anybody does in the church.
In an interview with Nysa Times, Zinyongo said it is a very pathetic that most of the so-called men of God, Pastors, Bishops, Prophets, Apostles and Reverends joined the ministry to enrich themselves not to win lost souls.
“Immorality is so high in churches because of fake Pastors, Bishops, Prophets, Evangelists and Apostles who have not helped the government in perfecting the current generation.
“Most of the churches are just religious social gathering not a place to worship God. There is a need of a quick church reformation,” he said
On his recent Facebook post, Zinyongo argued that instead of focusing much on preaching the gospel, churches are giving more attention to fundraising, something that doesn’t even benefit the poor but church infrastructures and some pastors who take that as their only source of income.
“Apart from government reformations, we also need to go into the church with reformations, our churches are rotten, people are purifying sins, this is bad and it needs to stop”, he said
The post however steered debate among many people who have conflicting ideas on the matter. Some are in agreement and others are in disagreement.
One David Kawanga wrote “All these fundraising gimmicks in the church symbolize the rottenness of our spirituality it was not meant to be like this”.
Evangelist Mike Lulanga also concurred with Kawanga saying most churches are focusing much on generating funds from members than teaching the real Gospel.
“The time and attention given to fundraising is more than the time given for worship, this is something that needs to be checked. We are more into finances than worship and the church is slowly turning into a business and fashion center,” he said.
However, Malason Kachipanda said he doesn’t see any problems with mock weddings and trophies describing them as extra-biblical creative way of persuading Christians to give.
“I’d think of these activities as extra-biblical creative way of persuading people to give. Giving in post reformation dispensation has been a hurdle to many Christians all over the world regardless of the contexts. I personally don’t believe a mock wedding or trophy competitions done in good faith is a sin.
“If the church is to avoid this kind of giving then we need more teachings to our congregants on cheerful giving which is not easy. Just my independent thoughts, “he said
Nettie Chibambo Mtsuko also gave a direct shot saying “It’s good that you have recognized this, I personally don’t like this in churches and you have been championing the same at Msonkhamanja. I hope you will bring change now. We need people like you.
Apart from preaching in various secondary schools and colleges, Zinyongo is also known as a musician.
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I was a believer in my youth now I am no longer although I grew up in a very religious family. I have been very disappointed with the way the new pastors and prophet skim people of their long earned cash to enrich themselves. Can someone tell me the reason why there are so many churches these days with their own pastors and prophets other than to enrich themselves with the tithe or contributions they demand from their congregations. When I was growing up there were only a few churches; Roman catholic, CCAP, Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist and Assemblies of God. What was wrong with these churches to have all these new churches. I agree with Zinyongo, many of these pastors and Prophets are hyenas in sheepskin. They are not men of God.
My main worry is that these new churches are only mushrooming within Africa and African communities in Diaspora. In other words in poor communities promising them good life in heaven preserving good life on earth for pastors and prophet.
WE ONLY NEED TO KNOW GOD’S GRACE
Ro. 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those
who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced
and the whole world held accountable to God.
Ro. 3:20 Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by
observing the law; rather, through the law we become
conscious of sin.
Ro. 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been
made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
Ro. 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
Ro. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Ro. 3:24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.
Evangelist Zinyongo please refrain from JUDGING Your fellow men of God.
Let The one who called each one of us to ministry be our judge.
If I may ask you evangelist to point out one such congregation in particular you will be lost for words.
So please if God called you Evangelist Zinyongo
Please sir concentrate on your ministry.
God will give you a crown depending on your performance in your ministry bear in mind that the body of Christ has many parts and operate differently.
Do u want all Churches to be administered in your way?
Evangelist Zinyongo please I repeat concentrate on Your CALLING,
meaning ,is I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOU
I have done this with BROTHERY LOVE AND THE SAME GOD WHO CALLED YOU MAY ALSO BE THE SAME GOD WHO CALLED OTHERS
so please REFRAIN SIR
Beneficiary samasowa, the evengelist is saying the truth . Can you please give us verses in support of your argument. Material messages cannot lead us to heaven pastor!!
Mr Chukambiri ,thank you sir for your request for a verse i should support my argument sir and the following are my supporting verses:
ACTS 1 VERSE 1-5
The fact that Ananias and wife Sapphira had sold there field so as to later give the proceeds to the church should open up our minds to say there must have been a need in the body of Christ – The Church.
So the administration at that time in that church must have called for pledges from the church members and it so happened that this family must have volunteered to sell their field and give ALL THE PROCEEDS TO THE church. unfortunately they did not tell the church the truth after the sale and THEY EVEN LOST THEIR LIVES FOR LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
1 KINGS 22 VERSE 11-16
The woman of ZAREPHATH a widow no food no money but with young child yet PROPHET Elijah asked not only for water but CAKE as well.
God blessed the woman and she ended up having plenty for her lifetime..
The list is endless , Jesus did not turn stone into bread but rather worked on the fish and BREAD given by a kid.
Abraham was blessed beyond measure because of his giving.
solomon made a BIG OFFERING AND GOD WAS MOVED AND ASKED HIM WHAT GOD WOULD DO FOR HIM.
people of GOD the list is endless
even Jacob store Esau’s BLESSING BY BEING THE FISRT TO GIVE
bretheren as i have written this i have not discredited any man of GOD’
THE CHURCH CANNOT RUN WITHOULD FINANCIAL STRATEGIES
TO RAISE FUNDS.
You mean material messages should dominate salvation messages as it is happening in most churches including yours? Do you know that real christians are after salvation messages nowadays because we are in the last days? Jesus is more important than money. It is better for a poor chritian to go to heaven than to be a millionaire and go to hell. Money is a blessing from God. Muyambe mwathanga ufumu wake ndipo zina zonse zizakusatirani. If you have Jesus, money will follow you and if you have money Jesus cannot follow. If you are a true pastor, am pleading with you to preach salvation so that the lost souls.should be save. The Evengelist is right and is my evengelist of the century. Tell people the truth not money. Will you go to heaven with money?
Truth pains pastor, material messages will not lead us to heaven pastor
You are missing Zinyongo’s point. He is suggesting that not everyone who claims to be a man of God was called by God. Some were called by Greed. The pastors, prophets and preachers of prosperity perform within the tradition of the sing’angas who sell charms to promote wealth. Instead of sharing the Good News with everyone, they sell it for their own profit. Mark 10: 23-25 states the Christian message clearly: ‘Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, “With what difficulty will those who have money enter into the Kingdom of God!” His disciples were amazed at his words. Jesus repeated, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in money to enter into the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”‘ [ Wm Barclay’s translation]
It may be, Pastor Samuel, that you do not agree with Evangelist Zinyongo because you do not agree with Jesus.
You are very right evengelist, for example CCAP, they are practicing what is called ” CHURCH BANK” by which members contributes money to the grouping and lend them out on interest inside their churches so close the pulpit and even reverends are members of these groupings. They share interests at the end of the year. Let us call these churches Lost Christian Gathering, beecause a church can not allow their members to be acting against the word of God. A church has now become a profit making organization not a sacred or a Holy place. For example proverbs 28: 8-9 it reads “Whoever multiply his wealth by interest and prifit, gathers it for him who is generous to the poor and verse 9 reads if anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.Muchichiwa vesi 9. Anthu onse omwe amakongozesa ndalama mochulukisa (katapila) ndalama zomwe amapezazo sizawo koma amapangira ndalamazo iwo omwe amathandiza mwachifundo anthu osowa. Luke 6: 35 reads ” But love your enemies and do good and lend , expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great and you will be the son of the most HIGH for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Eish mpaka Church Bank ndiye zafikapotu
Bushiri.
At first I thought he is Chimulilenji”s brother. But yes your views are very correct man of God
I do not give my hard earned money to any church. Amen@
I had no idea that preachers like these still exist. All I heard were stories about the crooked Bushiri.
By the way, what the heck are mock weddings??
Is he related to chimulilenji?
This admonition has come at the right time. Prophets, pastors, evangelists and bishops are mercilessly ripping off congregants’ hard earned money in the name of partnerships, tithe, sowing seeds, offering of Joseph, offering of Deborah blablablah. In fact the church is no longer the House of God but it has become a den of thieves. Apart firm this, the church has become Sodom and Gommorah where people can fornicate and commit all sorts if abominable sins without conscious. This is why Jesus whipped people in the temple and turned the tables of money changers and cleansed it. The church of Jesus Christ needs cleansing now!!!!!!!!
Akufanana ndi Chimulirenji!
sopo pan’gono awaws.komabe poti zina timakumana nazo okulakula
Evangelist Zinyongo, where have you been all this time, to day these practices have grown wings in almost all churches to an extent that fundraising is more emphasized than worship itself. Some have also built wedding gardens to add to fund raising activities and much emphasis is on church development, why people of God, is this your mission or biblical mission or God’s great commission. zinyongo you have hit the nail on the head I thought there was nobody caring.
Join the discussion…Zoonadi abale .Pa Psalms 15 akuti munthu wabwino sabwereketsa ndalama yake mwaphindu or interest . Mulungu akondwera ndi opereka mwa ufulu not forced through Trophies . Zikuchitika mu mpingo !!!!
Ambuye atithandize.
Pastors and Evangelists now , many are after money not the truth .They hate people who speak the truth . They don’t want to be advised or accused of wrong doing .
Well done BTC, trophies are very much encouraged in CCAP, this forces people to give even beyond their means because they want to help their leaders to achieve their goals of winning the trophy, what a shame.