Liberia caught between ‘prosperity Gospel’ & God’s own working miracles?

Editor’s Note: Last year, a Liberian broadcast journalist in the U.S. sought to get a view from his interviewee concerning whether or not the “prosperity Gospel” has taken deep root in Liberia. Reporter alleges that churches here are demanding more money in the form of “tithe and offering” from an already destitute people who can barely afford food to eat, and in the process the “poor” are promised great rewards from God! The response by the interviewee sounded somewhat vague, and neither the reporter nor the cleric made effort to cite things like standing evil altars or family-bloodline curses which too can be responsible for stagnation into most African households. This special article seeks to negate the notion that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is anything but a “prosperity Gospel” in Liberia.

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher in Monrovia

At the Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church’s Bushrod Island headquarters, the church has a tradition of letting a few members give testimonies regarding God’s works in people’s lives before the sermon comes on. Testimonies can go from winning a court case, to travel, marriage, or just a surprised healing of somebody from enemies’ afflictions.

This tradition is repeated at the rest of CEPC’s local parishes throughout the capital, and beyond, where even a Christian boy or girl as young as 15 year-old gets ample time to tell his or her own living testimonies of what Jesus Christ, the LORD may be doing for each. 

At last Sunday’s service, a middle-aged female worshiper at its Du Port Rd. branch gave a heart-warming testimony: it was about how God turned a court case in her favor. It involved a lingering land dispute where she previously paid US $900.00-enough to pay a man’s 4-month salary here-but a party stepped up claiming said parcel of land.

Considering the dangerous trend these land disputes can take on especially in post-war Liberia, at times leading to machete fights, or even deaths, whereas only 1 perhaps in every ten ever gets to receive a refund, Sister Leona strongly thinks it had to take God’s miracle for her to get her $900 back and at ease.

Prior to Leona’s Sunday testimony, CEPC Du Port Rd. pastor, Rev. Oretha M.K. Wheazor announced another testimony for one committed sister named Sis. Fatu. Sister Fatu would be getting married this August 30th to Bro. Robert, a current resident of Taxes, USA. He flew in for the event, and the couple has already paid for everything including the reception hall.

The announcement suddenly sent church members into jubilation with a group of women surrounding Sis. Fatu, holding her arms and walking in a circle in the sanctuary, amid clapping, drumming and dancing. 

For Sis. Fatu, the whole thing still looks like a dream so much so that tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, knowing how long the two had been apart, painstakingly nurturing their friendship and praying for the best.

And the good news didn’t stop there: Rev. Wheazor announced a second wedding of a couple pretty much in their 20s. Theirs is set for August 9th. In other words, this small parish will host two weddings in a single month and for the most part each, wedding would be done based on Biblical Views-between a Man and a Woman; not the other way around.

What seems even striking about both couples is the fact that the two Brides-to-be have insisted they would walk-down the aisles of their modest church hastily erected out of zinc (for it’s there their blessings came) rather than travel to their church’s Bushrod Island headquarters that has a sitting capacity of up to 1500.

Around mid-June, a young lady clad in a fine white garment gave a powerful healing testimony at the CEPC-Du Port Rd location-this is after a friend or relative led her to the church months earlier. Her “affliction” whatever it was, she narrated, was just unbearable to a point it shattered her life that business went down and she could barely manage a family life. 

“When I came and explained my story to Pastor Dagadu,” she said, weeping profusely, the Man of God reply came: “My daughter, you’ve reached the last bus stop! God will heal you!” It was a promise she quietly kept in mind all the while. 

Now seeing herself healed completely from demonic afflictions, and her life back on course, seems unbelievable she said, as she praised Almighty God, singing Christian hymns while walking off the stage. This is just a small fraction of what God’s doing one place like CEPC, founded and run by world evangelists Christian Dagadu Sr. and his wife, Mother/Rev. Precious JL Dagadu, MILP.   

Of course, the above narratives, and similar other happenings in local churches here where God’s Spirit moves, absolutely negates assertions by Christian journalists who tend to argue (without much probe) that local “pastors” are draining “the poor” and asking for “more offerings and tithes” while yet preaching the “prosperity Gospel” to them.  

First, it is important to know that most churches here (never mind which denomination), barely raise enough money through tithes and offerings to survive. And the reason is quite simple: unemployment rate remains at an all-time high as of the time of this reporting, and even those with jobs still have to struggle to make ends meet. 

Second, most people, including majority parishioners here live on low-income, incomes mainly generated through petty businesses that their family, or household may be engaged in. 

Hence such development leaves many churches here with no “foreign board” support, fighting to survive or stay afloat. Rev. Dagadu’s CEPC, with over a dozen parishes including one at Poe River isn’t an exception: for them, they must often rely on God, plus local Christians’ goodwill in order to run their yearly national crusades.

The take-away thus in this is, because Dagadu’s CEPC, like a couple of other churches do not have to wait for foreign funding coming from “foreign church board,” they are better positioned to determine their own doctrines, unlike some other local and foreign churches. 

Global Ekklesia’s editor was compelled to put this question to Rev. Dagadu Sr. multiple times, as to how have they managed to successfully run a mega church like the CEPC with now over 25 branches across Liberia without much outside help in the absence of a “foreign board” when active pastors too must be compensated?

How does one raise new churches as they’ve done so well over 25 years under such an atmosphere?

 His answer has always remained the same: “It’s only through the grace of God!” 

Despite the inescapable hardship, people here still believe in God’s miraculous powers to heal them through prayers whenever they get ill, since in fact, the majority holds nothing like “health insurances,” unlike in the Great United States and elsewhere.  

For many worshipers at CEPC, they believe they are receiving a double portion of God’s blessings: first they get delivered from demonic ancestral-bloodline covenants/curses that may have tied down entire households for generations and stopped them from achieving their God-given destiny (read Gideon’s story before God could intervene on his behalf, (Judges 6:25-32).

At CEPC’s parishes, congregants even place Seed Offerings to the altar, thereby solemnly making “demand” upon it so God can “open doors” that their enemy shut down-and they leave passports and other credentials at the altar in hope God will answer their prayers. 

The result, at least for the past years remains quite astounding: people have traveled, some got new jobs, or got promoted (under the prevailing conditions), while others still managed to build houses and moved out of rented homes. Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

The above are true living testimonies from Christians here who’ve devoted much time to serving and knowing “I AM THAT I AM” and it would take one to remain meticulous in his or her walk with God including participating regularly in church’s crusades and also Sunday’s worship before he can surely grasp this truth.

James Fasuekoi is an award-winning journalist, author, documentary writer and a news photographer. He previously covered brutal wars and upheavals in West Africa for The Associated Press. He became a Bush Foundation Scholar twice in 2017; subpoenaed twice by the United States to testify in two major international Liberian War crimes trials: “United States of America vs. Mohammed Jabateh” (2017), & “United States of America vs. Thomas J. Woewiyu” (2018), held in Philadelphia. Read profile @ https://globalekklesia.com/profile/