BETHEL City Church International has distanced itself from the two pastors who were arrested by the Drug-Enforcement Commission (DEC) after allegedly being found with more than US$70,000 counterfeit notes.
And DEC spokesperson John Nyawali has advised Bethel Church International to lodge an official complaint and disown the two men if indeed it was true that they were not engaged by the church as pastors.
Bethel general secretary Stanley Benwa said in a statement released by the church’s headquarters in Ndola that the former Bethel City Church International, now known as Bethel Church International, would like to make it clear that Collins Kashingwa and Nkambe Chasha, arrested after being found in possession of counterfeit US dollars notes, were not members of the church.
“Collins Kashingwa and Nkambe Chasha are not Bethel Church pastors.
The only Bethel pastors at Matero congregation are Henry Tembo and Gabriel Mutemba,” he said.
He said DEC should further charge the two men for giving wrong information.
Pastor Benwa said Bethel Church International licensed 11 pastors in Lusaka at a Nakatindi Hall function at which the names of the pastors were made public.
The function was open to the media and Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha graced the event.
He said linking the two men to his church was not only disturbing but denting the image of the church.
But Mr Nyawali said as far as DEC was concerned, the two men were pastors from Bethel Church International until after the church lodged an official complaint.
“Once we have an official complaint we will then carry out further investigations and charge the two men for giving false information if they are found wanting,” Mr Nyawali said.
On Sunday, DEC arrested two pastors from Bethel City Church in Lusaka for being in possession of more than $70,000 of counterfeit notes.
Pastor Kashingwa, 31 and Chasha, 29, were arrested from Ody’s Filling Station on Great East Road after they were found with $77,200 of counterfeit notes.
Meanwhile, another pastor from Tabernacle of Influence Church in Lusaka has been arrested for being in possession of K5 million counterfeit notes.
Quincy Kakompe, 30, was arrested from Longacres area after he was found with the counterfeit notes.
Mr Nyawali said Pastor Kakompe, who was carrying a BIBLE at the time of his arrest, had the counterfeit Kwacha in K50,000 notes.
He said the pastor was arrested with another person, Francis Mwela, a freelance cameraperson.
“The commission is saddened with clergymen who are perpetuating criminal activities as this is bringing the name of the Church into disrepute. As such, I would like to appeal to pastoral bodies to consider vetting pastors before they are ordained,” he said.
[Times of Zambia]
What is wrong with pentecostals kanshi?from conmen,showy pastors to serial womanizers like Pule.And devotees still flock to these churches anyway?
What is wrong with you #1? Are you a womanizer too?
some clergy are a disappoitment.some sodomise the young boys at the alter,pretend to refuse to marry but have girl friends and children,get involved in partisan politics and others in counterfeit money.twalafika kwisa bane
This is ridiculous. So if a guy says he is a policeman, will they ask the police to lodge a complaint? Or better still, a guy claims to be a soldier, will they ask the army to lodge a complaint. This is beyond stupid. Poor law enforcement as usual. It’s up to them to investigate whether these fellows’ claims are true or not!!!
Prosperous messages in the pentecostal churches are just too much. Preach repentance and salvation. Is is God’s intention that all of us must be rich? Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all others shall be added unto you. “You shall be rich, you shall blah blah blah, you see now bagwiliwa.
am reary not too sure if these chaps are pastors or bastards…surely the church is truely lost its very purpose for existence…except for the traditional churches like ucz, catholic, cmml, sda e.t.c..its sad to note that the sermons hv serioulsy been changed to wealth matters. am sure pipo r tired of taking titles that later only benefit the pastors. hence these chaps r resorting to making fake monies…some churches shd seriously be banned .coz these chaps r stealing in broad day light from the common man. busy building mansions and buying expensive cars in the name of the lord. shame on these f****rs…lord save us from the pastors…amen
IMPOSTERS NOT PASTORS
REMEMBER IN THE LAST DAYS SUCH WOULD BE HAPPENING AND THANKS THAT WE ARE SEEING FULFILLMENT OF BIBLE PROPHECIES ” PIPO WITH GODLY DEVOTION BUT CONTRALY TO WAT THEY DO” SHAME WITH YOUR MEMBERS.
Why do these Pastors have funny names? Wonder if those are their true surnames.
Amazing!!!! The antiChrist are many. they come in sheeps’ wolves….. we must be careful. In my name they will do all sorts of things, they will do wonder signs than I have done…..
We all know these Churches are a con disowning these guys as they have been arrested is a joke this scam has been going on for a while and they pass off money as offering DEC better wake up. Please change the PR at DEC he dose not inspire confidence he looks more of the crook
in every church there are fake ones and really honest ones. please lets us not sensionalize these issues. just because you have seen a catholic father misbehaving does not mean every one you see in a mukanjo is a serial womanizer. the same should apply to these guys. their so called church has disowned them that they are not on the register for their church let DEC do their job not asking the church to lodge a complaint. its their job to that. For the love of money is root of all evil – this goes for all regardless of who you are and what you do. our works will follow us
Its simple, disown them, they ll ordain themslvs bishops & join de rb’s mmd bishops ass of zam. & get bribes from plot1 & plent air tym on znbc. Hi mushota?
those pastors are not our pastors they are con men and i believe they hail form Congo and please let us remember these are last days .less tithe more fake dollars from the untrust worthy pastors.
forgive them no jobs for zambians , no tithe more thieves and more black dollar on the market. the government needs to do more pls