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Pastor Makandiwa and the five richest pastors in Africa

15 Sep 2011 at 11:38hrs | Views
God is good, especially if you're a pastor. While the bible expressly states that salvation is free, at times it comes with a cost: offerings, tithes, gifts to spiritual leaders, and a directive to buy literature and other products created by men of God.

Pastors are no longer solely interested in getting people to Heaven; they've devised intelligent ways to make good money while reaching out to souls.

Many other pastors are building multi-million dollar empires from their churches.

Many Christians have always thought that they never prosper as much as non-Christians do. But this has proved to be a mere myth because some of the leading businesspersons in the country today are believers in the word of God.

Diligent application of the word of God towards running a business is what every Christian businessperson should do to achieve success.

A Christian businessperson should always make sure his/her business decisions in every situation are in line with God's word.

He/she should always look into the Bible for verses that relate to managing business, and ask God for the wisdom to apply the word to the business.

A prudent Christian businessperson should never start with his/her own human wisdom, but with God's truth that is in His word.

Yes, he/she should has a solid foundation in his/her business based on values clearly embedded with God's word.

Most of Prophet Makandiwa's teachings articulate how Christians can use God's word to start and grow successful businesses.

From a Christian perspective, Prophet Makandiwa's sermons on managing a business are really insightful and inspiring.

Prophet Makandiwa's teachings on business issues seek to transform or revolutionise the generally held misconception that some people are born rich and others poor, and that this dichotomy is unbreakable.

He inspires followers to appreciate that through prayer, God will bring success to our everyday life efforts.

Prophet Makandiwa illustrates his point giving himself as an example. He speaks of his poor upbringing, and how God has turned that around.

The man is simply passionate about growing successful businesspersons in the church, a desire that is clearly inspired by what he has seen God do for him.

Prophet Makandiwa is revolutionising religious inclinations in the country, and the shot has its victims both inside and outside the church.

His efforts have shaken the foundations of the religious decorum in the country and people are coming from different religious groupings to listen to his phenomenal teachings about the most high God.

His teachings are breaking the bondage of religious doctrines and leveraging the Word. He is rejuvenating the spirit of worship in those who had become so used to going to church merely as a religious obligation.

Who is Emmanuel Makandiwa?

Pastor Makandiwa is an AFM pastor of a Chitungwiza Assembly. He is also the founder of United Family Interdenominational Ministries which has generated enormous popularity in Harare through the mighty deliverance and healing that is happening there.

Both Christians and non-Christians have different theories on why thousands throng the City Sports Centre, to hear Pastor Emmanuel Makandiwa every Sunday and Tuesday.

Many have their own hypotheses of where the founder of United Family Interdenominational gets his powers and point their fingers in different directions.

Others claim that his expulsion from the Apostolic Faith Mission Church was a result of serious differences over the source of his healing powers while other churches accuse him of "stealing their people".

Some men have accused him of ruining their marriages by exposing their extra-marital affairs to their wives through his prophecies.

His followers say all allegations are a result of jealousy.

But who really is Prophet Makandiwa?

Whats his net-worth?

Assets of some of Nigeria's most prominent pastors as revealed by a Forbes contributor @EmperorDIV.

Bishop David Oyedepo
Affiliation: Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel
Estimated net worth: $150 million

David Oyedepo is Nigeria's wealthiest preacher. The Faith Tabernacle, where he hosts three services every Sunday, is Africa's largest worship center, with a seating capacity of 50,000.

Chris Oyakhilome
Church: Believers' Loveworld Ministries, a.k.a Christ Embassy
Estimated net worth: $30 million – $50 million

Christ Embassy, boasts more than 40,000 members, several of whom are successful business executives and politicians. Oyakhilome's diversified interests include newspapers, magazines, a local television station, a record label, satellite TV, hotels and extensive real estate. His Loveworld TV Network is the first Christian network to broadcast from Africa to the rest of the world on a 24 hour basis.

Temitope Joshua
Church: Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN)
Estimated net worth: $10 million – $15 million

T.B Joshua heads the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), a congregation he founded in 1987, which accommodates over 15,000 worshippers on Sundays. The Pastor has inexplicable powers to heal all sorts of incurable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, cancer and paralysis. In the past three years, he has given over $20 million to causes in education, healthcare and rehabilitation programs for former Niger Delta militants.
 
Matthew Ashimolowo
Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
Estimated net worth: $6 million – $10 million

Kingsway International Christian Center is reportedly the largest Pentecostal church in the United Kingdom. In 2009, the church posted profits of close to $10 million and assets worth $40 million. Ashimolowo earns an annual salary of $200,000.

Chris Okotie
Church: Household of God Church
Net worth: $3 million - $10 million

Pastor Okotie made his first success as a popular pop musician in the 80s. His 5,000 member church consists predominantly of Nollywood celebrities, musicians, and society people. He contested and lost Nigerian presidential elections for the third time this year under the Fresh Party, a political party he founded and funds.

For Pastor Makandiwa's sermon,
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Follow the originator of the article on Twitter @EmperorDIV 


Source - www.forbes.com
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