TV Evangelism and its impact on Sub Saharan Africa

Being a minister of God may not sound like the normal route to becoming rich. Certainly here in Europe one does not think of one's local Priest or Vicar as being in it for the money. However, in other parts of the world Christianity is big business! The phenonomean of the American TV Evangelist has spread across the world and is particularly influential in the developing world. Millions of people hoping for a better life are taken in by charlatans such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul Crouch and T.D. Jakes. These ruthless conmen and their associates have broadcasting deals established all over Sub Saharan Africa. TBN and other such networks are broadcast from daybreak to beyond sunset into the homes of millions of Africans. In many cases it is the only channel on air during the morning and afternoon as the national networks often don't come on air until evening. As a result the viewing figures for such programmes are substantial as is influence of these rich Americans who claim to have found blessings and riches through God (rather than through the most sickening exploitation of the world's most vulnerable people!)

Exploitation of the poor by Christian Pastors

One of the worst types of exploitation that I have witnessed in Southern Africa is the ruthless exploitation of vulnerable people by so called Pastors. What I would call the business of being a Pastor is rife across much of Sub Saharan Africa. Self professed ministers of God - often claiming to be literally guided by the voice of God - target the poor, the sick, the recently bereaved and make them promises of great blessings from God. They often convince the vulnerable, and usually uneducated, that they are suffering because they have displeased God and that by placing their faith in Him they will be blessed with countless riches. The Pastor often claims that God has told him, or occasionally her, that if the person repents and puts their faith in Jesus Christ as their 'Personal Saviour' then such blessings will follow.

To be fair some of these Pastors do bring short term comfort to the needy. They are there to comfort the bereaved when the mainline churches often fail to do so. This is largely due to the logistics that the mainline churches face of a handful of priests/vicars/ministers serving vastly populated pastoral areas. The Pastors however are usually quick of the mark when someone in their neighbourhood has been bereaved. The cynic in me can't help believing that this is because they want to comfort the bereaved before their rival Pastors do the same! You see these Pastors are everywhere and their is a sickening competetion between them. Afterall being a Pastor in Sub Saharan Africa can be a profitable little number!