One of the things that stands out in my travels in Africa (more so in Ghana than Uganda) is the prevalence of the charismatic pentacostal megachurches. They have their pluses and minuses (Phillipians 1:17-18 comes to mind), and I have some hesitations about the “prosperity gospel” as well as how much they seem to revere the American pentecoastal leaders, but at least there are large organizations encouraging entrepreneurship and self-motivation, as well as providing the educational resources to enable their congregations to lift themselves out of poverty…
I’m not sure whether this was a scam or if it was actually a toy intended for his daughter, but this pastor is being accused of trying to con his congregation into believing he is passing on the Holy Spirit using a static-electricity joke toy. I guess the thing that counts though is noted by the Ethics minister in the article below: “But Mr Buturo said that most of the new churches, known in Uganda as “balokole” were “contributing to the stability of our country.”
Uganda pastor denies miracle scam (BBC News)
Thursday, 12 July 2007, 11:27 GMT 12:27 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6294666.stm
