. Rev Matale

By SAM PHIRI –
COUNCIL of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Suzan Matale has called for the banning of the Miracle and Deliverance Church and its head pastor from practicing until the church proves that it was registered and affiliated to the mother body.
Reverend Matale was reacting to last week’s story in the Sunday Times were Mpulungu Ward 23 councillor Stephen Shakafuswa asked Pastor Evans Thole to leave the township for allegedly exploiting women through the selling of anointed pants, brooms, oil and water.
Rev Matale said Pastor Thole was not affiliated to CCZ stating that his teachings were questionable and unbiblical and called for the banning of his controversial ministry.
She challenged Pastor Thole to provide affiliation certificates to any church mother body, outline his doctrine and state the church’s background before being allowed to practice.
“This is not acceptable, and we cannot allow the name of the Church to be dented by such unscriptural practices aimed at exploiting poor people seeking solutions in these hard times,” she said.
And Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Pukuta Mwanza distanced the organisation from pastor Thole’s Miracle and Deliverance Church.
Rev Mwanza said the EFZ did not have such a church in its books and that according to the management system, integrity and doctrine, there was no way such a church could be registered with EFZ.
“As EFZ, we do not know this church and the teachings are simply designed to exploit innocent people who are desperate for improvement of their lives, this is wrong and we condemn it,” Rev Mwanza said.
But when contacted for a comment, Pastor Thole refuted the allegations stating that he is not into the business of selling anointed underwear, but that he sells anointed brooms once a year and sometimes gives out anointed water and oil for free.
When asked if selling anointed brooms was biblical, Pastor Thole said he was being led by the spirit to use certain mediums to get to people.
By press time, Pastor Thole had not provided vindicating documents that Mr Shakafuswa had asked for, much to the displeasure of the civic leader.