The cracks within the four walls
How the most trusted members of spiritual faith communities prey on the most vulnerable and often go unchecked
Whether it’s on a micro or macro level, many of us fight an uphill battle with the things of the world. It could a battle with pride, idleness, resentment or impatience; or it could be a battle with a chronic health problem, financial constraint, workplace discrimination or social marginalisation. Given the interconnected nature of this world, it could very well be a battle on multiple fronts. The anxiety and helplessness that arises from these struggles leads many to seek the support of a higher, supernatural and omnipotent being to save them from falling down the hill of their daily battles. That support could be in the form of imparting strength and confidence or simply comfort in times of trouble. Unfortunately, there are many religious leaders who use people’s yearning for a connection with a supernatural being in times of vulnerability, as an opportunity to exploit them financially and non-financially. But how does it even get to the point where the most trusted members of spiritual faith communities, prey on the most vulnerable and oftentimes go unchecked? Let me tell you two short stories (loosely based on a mixture of real life situations) and outline my theory.
Sowers Ministries was a small-town church in Toronto led by Pastor Marques and his wife, Bernadette, a self-proclaimed “prophetess”. The phrase “sow a seed” was never too far from their mouths. They often asked some of the members of the congregation to sacrifice a significant portion of their student finance, minimum wage and disability allowances in order to sow the seed for good grades, higher income and restored health. Sometimes they’d make a case for sowing seeds towards the growth of a church in an isolated village in their home country, Chad. Interestingly, the more money they collected, the more they would return each Sunday with new stories about their “divine” fortune of flying on a private jet, affording private school for their two sons, purchasing another property and a larger car, all while the church walls were cracking, and the plight of the people they stole from remained.
A university student, Jacob, joined Sowers Ministries with the desire to draw closer to God after he had discovered he would be a single young father, following the deportation of his son’s mother. Welcomed by Pastor Marques and Bernadette, he developed a close relationship with the couple. Familiarising themselves with each other, they offered to support him with childcare while he completed his degree. A year after he had graduated from university, the so-called prophetess claimed it was God’s will for her sister in Chad to marry Jacob. Reluctant to not defy the so-called will of God, grateful for the couple’s seemingly goodwill to help with childcare, and unaware that this was a ploy to get Bernadette’s sister to Canada, Jacob agreed to marry her.
So many scandals follow the likes of Pastor Marques and Bernadette, some even far more triggering and disturbing to draw your attention to. However, if the primary responsibility of church ministers is to provide spiritual education and counsel to members of their congregation, how does what is supposed to be the body of Christ become what seems like the body of the antichrist? I think the problem starts in people’s naïve perception of church ministers and ends with ministers taking advantage of it.
It’s easy for many to perceive church ministers as second to God, given the authority and confidence in which they speak about the Holy Bible. However, knowing the Bible verse by verse and chapter by chapter doesn’t necessarily mean one has a good understanding of it. While creative literature – which many books of the Bible are – is always open to interpretation when the authors are absent and can’t tell us the meaning of their text, the ministers’ lack of academic education in theology and the biblical languages of Hebrew, Koine Greek and Aramaic gives more way for biblical text to be taken out of context and misinterpreted. Sadly, unless one is a critical thinker who acknowledges that they have to take what the church minister teaches with a pinch of salt, one’s likely to believe that their minister is perfect in knowledge and understanding of God, and infallible as a person of faith. Church ministers often acknowledge this naïve perception, with many taking advantage of it to pursue their own personal agenda at the expense of their church or the most vulnerable church members. With the cult following that is built by the congregation and sustained by ministers’ use of their clout, any questioning of thoughts and actions of the ministry or ministers themselves are seen as dissent and is met with ostracism. Ultimately, this perpetuates the cycle of corruption, abuse and neglect within the church until a scandal is eventually exposed to the wider populace or police authorities.
Many have found peace knowing that one doesn’t necessarily need to be a part of the Church or other religious institutions before connecting with the deity of their particular religion. While spiritual faith might be stronger in community, it doesn’t have to be within four walls.
He called us to be the church, period! And it is so very plain and clearly stated on more than one occasion, that God does not dwell in temples made with man’s hands. Acts 7:48, Acts 17:24. He wants to dwell in our temples, made by His hands.
Also very true what you said about the cultism of it all being spread by the congregation of folks who place these ministers right under God, (as if 1. Gifts of ministry, preaching, evangelism etc are gifts! Given freely to all by the Holy Spirit. And 2. Like you said, the knowledge of scripture means the understanding of scripture.) The Holy Spirit is the best teacher we have to understand the scripture and God is not one to keep secrets of the meaning of His Words. Many have eyes but see not and ears but hear not.