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The issue of fake pastors in South Africa is a very serious one, with many people falling victim to their fraudulent schemes. These pastors often use their position of power to exploit their followers either financially or emotionally or both.
As the activities of these fake and fraudulent pastors keep increasing in SA, we thought it wise to come up with this guide which will help you to identify them so as to not fall victims to their criminal activities.
How to identify fake pastors in South Africa
There are a number of ways to identify fake pastors from the genuine ones. Some common characteristics or red flags include:
- Demand for large sums of money from their followers. A fake pastor often use the guise of religion to extort money from their unsuspecting followers. They may promise them blessings or prosperity if they donate money, or threaten them with curses and bad lucks if they don’t.
- Making unredeemable promises. Almost all of the fake men of God operating in South Africa make huge promises that they cannot redeem. Some of them make promises of raising the dead and also curing even the incurable deceases. Meanwhile, no one can raise a dead person or cure a follower’s HIV AIDS as that is impossible to do.
- Engaging in unethical or illegal behavior. In the past, some fraudulent pastors were exposed for engaging in a variety of unethical and illegal activities, such as sexual abuse, fraud, and money laundering. Unfortunately, criminal cases filed against most of them don’t see the light of day because of influence peddling as some of them are famous and influential.
Furthermore, if you notice that you may be dealing with a fake pastor, there are a few things you can do:
Do your research to know more about the pastor and their church. You can ask other members of the church about their experiences with the pastor.
Be wary of any pastor that demands a huge amount of money from you, or makes irredeemable promises that they cannot keep.
Stop going to a church where you continue to feel unsafe and uncomfortable by the activities or actions of the pastor. That pastor could be one of the numerous fake pastors on the loose in South Africa.
Source: TimeGist.com