Christianity, Mushroom Churches and Struggle of Prosperity Gospel

 By HRH Fon Benchep Nfor Adamu (King of Binka Village in Donga Mantung Div.)

It had never occurred to me to address all Christians of the world, but here I am obliged to do so. The many different names, equally given to different groups of Christians worshiping God together, either in large buildings, small or lofty opened air theaters, called churches equally practice differently from each others. I have observed that in a small locality of not more than 100 people, there are not less than three to five different denominations worshipping the same God. The names vary as well for example: The Church of God, Full Gospel Church, Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church, The Mountain of Fire, The True Church of Christ, Christian Assembly of God, Synagogue House of Prayers, etc etc……. As the names differ so too are the symbols that differentiate them from others. In other words I have often heard people describing some of these churches that do not have a congregation of more than ten people as mushroom churches. Whether it is an aberration or a fact, the number of churches in Cameroon is becoming a cause for concern. Creating a church seems to be easier than setting up an educational institution. Ironically, youths of the ages below 25 years have been able to set up churches and may be God’s name is the easiest to riches. We have seen and heard of families that have created their own churches, prayers groups transformed to churches, churches divided amongst themselves, and the numerous anointed men of God who preach prosperity gospel. It is a mad, yes indeed; the mad rush for prosperity gospel the world over seems to portray a different notion of Christianity. As if to say when God came with the anointing powers, some people were asleep and those who were fortunate to be awake grasped the perspective. In this world where we all belong, the Bible, the Church and the words of God are the food that the soul needs and if the body is overdosed, it could easily lead to constipation and overfeeding.

My worry is why are they many denominations with different practices from others whereas they all serve the same God? And besides, I have also observed that each of the Christian denomination always claim to be more superior to the other thus looking to others as the underdogs. And when one of the groupings invites others for ceremonies, there is always reject in many cases. To me, such behaviors make them to fail short of the light of God. Within the month of September 2012, many exotic phenomena took place in different parts of the world. We saw the world’s water causing havoc and ravaging lives like during the time of Noah in the Bible. And in all these happenings, the church was always there to comfort victims with prayers. Yet, the world has remained black and dark in face of all these prayers. I do not know whether the great prophets of our time don’t pay enough attention to the words of God or it is the church that is. John 17:20- 23 teach us that and I quote: “I do not pray for this only, but also for those who believe in me through their words……… That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also maybe one in us, so that the world my believe that thou hast sent me……….. The glory which thou hast given me I give to them, and that they maybe one even as we are……….. I in them, and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me”

To me, the above quotes, I have just discovered that the faculty in our brain-lobes lucidly examines the lack of unanimous practice amongst the Christians churches the world over. The numerous churches today, as per my observation have made a lot of changes in the Holy Bible as they have translated, modified, added, subtracted and published by different groups of Bible “reformers” of nowadays. All this has one goal, to suit their preaching in accordance with their practices. The alteration in certain words, phrases, statements and languages misrepresents the order and the original meaning of certain portions of the Bible. For instance in the Holy Bible, Psalms 133:3 the original Greek translation was reads as follows: “ for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, world without end”. For you to understand where I am driving to, the new edition of the same Psalms 133:3 now reads “for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore”.  Empirical analyses have demonstrated that the translated versions of the Bible today have all lost their original etymologies. For instance the New and Old Testament RVS by WM Collins Son and Co Ltd. The Bible Society, The Good News Bible, Today’s Good News Bible, American Bible Society New York etc. in others, the statements in them remains docile and yet the Christian practice the reverse. For instance, 1 Corinthians 14:34 reads: “ The woman should keep silence in the churches, for they are more permitted to speak, but should be subordinate as even the law says”. (See verses 35-36)

In a practical perspective, today we hear of some astronauts who went to the moon and returned back to earth that while on the planet moon, they saw the earth very black whereas other two places were bright and shinning. According to Sunita Williams, through her telescope she discovered that the only two bright places on planet earth are Mecca and Medina (the Holy Ground of Islam). It therefore implies that the religious debate which we can question is a general issue, such as: does it mean that Mecca and Medina are the chosen places and the only place on Earth where the people of God live? Is it because in those areas there is only one religious grouping unlike in other areas of the world? It is now left for the Christian world to pay attention to the God they worship. As a matter of fact, the facto ipso could only be identified in the weigh of the preaching, practice, attitudes, deeds, decencies, instructions, law, prayers and beliefs. And I may likely draw a conclusion that it is obvious to learn from the little things we see and hear around us so that we can make the world a better place for all.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa