adminAuxilia Katongomara Saturday Leisure Reporter
In recent years, many people have been laid off work, factories and warehouses have been turned into Pentecostal churches, particularly in Bulawayo with headline making prophets becoming role models. The trademark shiny suits, glass shoes and sleek cars have inspired young men in their late teenage years to early 20s – whose peers are still undergoing tertiary education – to find employment in “the ministry”.
Never mind the theological colleges, one’s charisma and knowledge of scriptures does the trick and spiritual belief is an added advantage.
Saturday Leisure attended a church service conducted by one relatively unknown 25-year-old preacher who conducts his services at the Rainbow Cinemas at Bulawayo Centre.
It is his hustler-mentality and exuberance behind the microphone that has taken him places within a year of starting a church.
His prophetic name is Victor Philips but he was born Mehluli Ncube.
His dark skin and heavily build can convince one that he is well into his 30s but his boyish smile sells him out. His church is called Christ Liberty Ministries.
During his service, he did the usual ‘‘demon fighting’’ and a woman rolled on the ground like a possessed person convincingly enough. Of note is that in this cut throat trade, if you do not have miracles to show, you are as good as a non-starter. And you have to love the Press, but try to have bodyguards to keep people at bay.
Saturday Leisure spoke to Victor Philips about life as a minister of the word.
“I started the work of the Lord in January 2013,” he said. With slightly over a year in the system, he seems to be doing pretty well.
His congregation has over 300 followers. Behind him are five pastors who he works with, and there is even an administration office which deals with money.
His suits do not seem that expensive but they are presentable. But his car, a BMW 320i shows he is indeed earning a good keep from the work of the Lord.
“You cannot preach about prosperity when you don’t look the part. People have to believe you that is why we like the finer things in life,” Philips said.
His staff, which is made up of five pastors and administration workers, have to eat. The church has to survive, rentals should be paid and just like in guerrilla warfare the people are the water, he and his team are the fish. Without water he would close shop.
“Running a church is expensive. There is need for a business model,” Philips said.
There are some rich people who need access to preachers at anytime. Those are the people who give the most.
“Someone can even give us about $3,000. Such monies are used to keep the church afloat. Those are the kind of generous people who have access to us (prophets) at anytime.
“Their kindness is rewarded,” he added.
Philips’ major break came when he started featuring on Spirit Word Channel, a Christian television station on the free to air satellite bouquet.
“The late Pastor Kobus of Spirit Word gave me a platform. Without him I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Being a televangelist has seen him travel all over Africa. To date he has received invites to Germany, Canada and Sri Lanka.
“I spend about two weeks per month travelling all over. What happens is that when churches abroad see a preacher on television, they invite him/her over to their churches,” Philips said.
The power of television is big; the idea behind inviting someone seen on television is to promote the growth of a church.
“The bigger churches here in Zimbabwe invite the likes of Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo. At some point one church was said to be expecting TB Joshua. These kinds of promotions are good for the growth of a church,” he said.
The overseas trips have benefits for the church and prophet.
He said there is what they call honorarium (gifts for the visiting preacher).
“At times you are given a car as a gift at times it is money. Either way the gifts are good. You get these from almost every trip.
“Before you leave your country, those that invite you arrange transport and accommodation bookings for you. You get the best hotels,” Philips said.
It is rare to get a preacher to be this forthcoming with information which is mostly guarded as a trade secret. But for Philips, there is nothing to hide because he says he is an authentic preacher.
Online Reporter