Source: The Standard
The church is grossly misleading people under the guise of religion and women, who form the majority of worshippers, are almost always on the receiving end culminating in emotional abuse and in worst cases, rape.

Sunday View by Conelia Mabasa

One Robert Martin Gumbura is waiting judgement on January 24 in a case that he is accused of raping seven women from his RMG Independent End Time Message church.

The church today delights in the sheepish, the led and gullible believer. A believer who does not question authority is every pastor's dream. A submissive follower is the shepherd's right hand man and if he is generous with his pocket, the man of God will draw close to him. Some pastors will declare blessings and honour upon believers who stand up for their messages, no matter how gross or horrible.

A believer who can sacrifice in order to bring all the comforts to the man of God is the favoured member of the flock.

Because they occupy positions of authority, people give their church leaders some reverence and in the process their mindset is shaped by the messages they get from authority. By not questioning the motive behind certain messages, congregations fall prey to some cunning pastors. Some messages are designed to make women feel vulnerable and helpless. They become easy prey for sex predators in churches.

Women need to define their role in a church set up. After all, they form the majority of worshippers in most churches. Women must form serious ministries within the church and learn to empower each other, to stand up for each other. If they allow themselves to be decorators and entertainers, nobody will take them seriously.

Women should also know how much of private information they must share with the pastor in case somebody takes advantage of their emotional instability to abuse them.

The church must also be wary of motivational speakers who have invaded churches under our watch. Sadly today's Christians are more than happy to egg on a motivational speaker masquerading as a pastor as he jumps and thumps the pulpit with abandon.

It is well and good that they groom, counsel and preach to their congregation, but a service is not a grooming session. People are in church for the word of God, they want their spirits to be fed, they want their burdens to be lifted, they want their inner wounds to be healed by the word. Let the church teach the word. Let the church encourage hard work and not laziness.

The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3 verses 10-12 [NIV]:"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat. We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive.

They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat." Yet some "men of God" are claiming to deliver miraculous money reflecting as fat bank accounts. The faithful are hoping to wake up as landlords, drivers and having three-day miracle babies.

Women no longer need to wait for nine months to bear children! And the dead shall be brought back to life, "soon." The believers, particularly women should strive to work hard, freebies are normally paid for in kind.

Some messages are designed to compel you to give to the church "as what you give will be equal in measure to what you will reap."

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said the US dollars is going to be in circulation for the next five years and my suspicion is pastors and numerous new ministries are making hay while the sun shines. It is time the faithful went back to the basics of worship. People should not go to church for miracles, but that their inner beings be edified by the word of God. More women should take up pastoral work with a view to protecting fellow women.

• Zimbabwe