Solomon Male
Moses Solomon Male (pronounced 'mal-eh') is a pastor in Uganda, and Executive Director of Arising For Christ. He is a humble and outspoken critic of corruption in churches, especially those that promote prosperity theology[1][2] which he calls "the gospel of extortion".
Moses Solomon Male | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 August 1962 |
| Spouse(s) | Justine Nanziri |
| Religion | Christian |
| Church | Arising for Christ |
He also opposes the occult (magic, witchcraft, divination and necromancy) and homosexuality; and cares for victims of paedophilia and sexual abuse.
Male was born on 17 August 1962, and converted to Christianity on 31 October 1987. In 1988 he became one of the ministers of a church, Holy Church of Christ, "New Chapter" renamed The Synagogue Church of All Nations, whose leaders and members are followers of John Obiri Yeboah, a Ghanain-born former Catholic priest who came to Uganda. Male left that church in 1992, denouncing it as a cult.[3] In 1993 Male was arrested as a result of his accusations against the church, but he was later released and the case was withdrawn.[4] Male then began an evangelistic ministry to help people who had suffered abuse from cults or occult groups.[5]
In 1999 he founded Arising for Christ (ARCH), an Christian organisation whose leadership wants to restore "the sanctity of Christ and to rid the Church of fake and selfish people who carry themselves as pastors to con the desperate and unsuspecting public."[6] The organisation claimed in January 2008 to have compiled a list of 300 believers who accuse born-again pastors of extortion, fraud, sex slavery and other crimes.[6]
In an interview with the Financial Times, Male claimed to be following Martin Luther who centuries before had railed against vice, luxury and corruption among his fellow clergy. He compares the manipulation of sick people, into paying for prayers, to the sale of indulgences:[2]
"The man who stood against the evil in the church was Martin Luther, because he was against the selling of worthless objects which were to save you from hell. The moment he started the Protestant movement, it gave hope that when something is wrong, there is the possibility of setting it right."
Campaigns and prominent casework
Frances Adroa, an HIV / AIDS patient, in July 2005 was coerced to surrender her car to the leaders of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Kampala in return for promises to heal her of AIDS during the church's Mount Sinai Campaign. She was not cured. During deterioration of her health condition, she demanded back her car. The church leaders, Bishop Gilson Costa and Pastor Gerald Nkayi claimed 2 million Ugandan shillings (over US$1,200), allegedly for its repairs, which she did not have. On 17 March 2007, she heard Pastor Male on the radio and later called him for an appointment to tell him how she had lost her car. When he confronted the church leaders, they eventually returned it in its damaged condition. When Male publicised the car return in newspapers and other media in 2007, the leaders sued him and Adroa for defamation.[1][7] The libel claim failed in 2010, and both sides were left to bear their own costs. Adroa had counterclaimed for repairs to the car, but this also failed, as the magistrate did not want to create a precedent for donors to ask for their gifts back if prayers were not fulfilled.[8]
Solomon Male campaigns for greater financial accountability in churches. He says that the practice of giving land, cars or household goods to pastors in exchange for blessings, known as "sowing seeds of faith", is widespread in Uganda, and is generally not included in the churches' accounts. He reports that such donations are not even reported to boards or auditors, but are treated as the personal income of the pastors. Following up his report, the newspaper Sunday Vision checked the accounts of twelve Pentecostal churches, some of which were known for the practice; none declared any income from "sowing", and despite receiving billions of shillings, only Kampala Pentecostal Church and Redeemed Church had their accounts professionally audited.[9]
Male sought a judicial investigation into the case of Susan Walusimbi, who was encouraged by a former pastor to enter into a relationship with a man whom the church claimed to have cured of AIDS. Walusimbi says the man later died of AIDS; she is now HIV positive herself, and using anti-retroviral drugs to stay healthy.[7]
In 2009 Male was one of a group of pastors who received, counselled and supported young men who accused megachurch pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomising them. A police investigation cleared Kayanja,[10][11] but Male insisted that the case was mishandled and urged the President to investigate the matter.[12] On 22 December 2010, Police arrested Pastor Moses Solomon Male and one of his lawyers, Henry Ddungu to allegedly make additional statements. After failing to secure sanctioning of the charges, they were released. They never made the purported additional statements. On 3 October 2012, six people were fined sh1m each and ordered to do 100 hours of community service after being convicted of conspiring to destroy Pastor Robert Kayanja's name and profession. All six convictions are currently under appeal.
In 2013, he opposed the divorce and remarriage of Bishop David Kiganda, branding it to be contrary to Biblical teaching.
Responses from others
Responding to such allegations, Pentecostal pastor Bishop David Kiganda, Kampala district chairman of the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches, says that only a minority of Pentecostal pastors are involved in questionable activities. He and the National Fellowship ran a program called Operation Clean the House to exclude dishonest preachers from the denomination, and declared 15 of their fellow churches to be "cults."[7]
The National Fellowship publicly disowned Male in 2006. He replied with an open letter denouncing their "patriarch" John Obiri Yeboah and other leading figures.[13]
In 2009 a group of pastors from four Pentecostal groups denounced Male as an "accuser of brethren who speaks without authority".[5][14]
References
- Church sues HIV-positive ex-member Archived 17 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, New Vision, 2 December 2008.
- John Lloyd, "The riches of heaven", FT Weekend magazine, 25 October 2008.
- Pastors robbing in Jesus' name?, The Weekly Observer, 5 April 2007
- Desecration of my kingdom Archived 18 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine, New Vision, 18 May 2003. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- Arising for Christ Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine at Cephas Ministries website
- "City pastor held over defilement". Sunday Monitor. 27 January 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- Uganda Pastors Accused of Weakening Fight Against AIDS Archived 23 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Voice of America News, May 2007
- Uganda: Church Loses Libel Case, New Vision, 22 June 2010. Cited at AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- Churches declare billions, Sunday Vision, 18 August 2007.
- Kayanja Survives Sodomy Charges, New Vision, 25 September 2009. Archived 24 January 2011 at WebCite
- Kayanja Survives Sodomy Charges, New Vision, 25 September 2009.
- Pastors Petition Museveni Over Kayanja Case
- New Vision, 6 June 2006, page 2. Solomon Male (7 June 2006). "Open Letter To Pastor Alex Mitala – NFBAPC Chairman". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2010. Alt URL
- Pentecostal Pastors Denounce Male, New Vision, 6 May 2009.
14. I am not an imposter, says Pastor Male http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=I+am+not+an+imposter-+says+Pastor+Male+&ID=10074
15. Ugandan pastors' love for America – Welcome To The Sunday Vision https://archive.today/20110716081120/http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=7&newsCategoryId=132&newsId=647156
16. Glenna Gordon: Does God need your car? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenna-gordon/does-god-need-your-car_b_49417.html
17. The Observer 22 December 2011: Magistrate accused of taking bribe from Pastor Kayanja
18. Sunday Monitor 1 January 2012: The hunter of sham clerics: mobile.monitor.co.ug/Life/-/1055104/1297654/-/.../-/index.html
19. The Observer 16–17 April 2012: Catholic Church needs to review wizardly practice http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18230:catholic-church-needs-to-review-wizardly-practice&catid=37:guest-writers&Itemid=66
20. Pr Robert Kayanja's sodomy case witnesses eventually tell the truth that he sodomised them: http://observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20189:witnesses-in-sodomy-case-now-pin-kayanja&catid=34:news&Itemid=114
21. Do clerics have the moral authority to address corruption in society?