Cheating husbands have to carry their wives – Prophetess Akatsa

Thursday, February 6th 2014

ckweyu@standardmedia.co.ke
In the church of a prophetess who has denied “bringing Jesus to Kawangware in 1988”, punishment saves worshippers from ‘sin’.
‘Sinners’ at Jerusalem Church of Christ in Kawangware are slapped, whipped, reprimanded or even made to carry their spouses on their backs.
Prophetess Mary Akatsa has told The Nairobian that as God’s messenger in Kawangware, she has to punish wayward worshippers.
“I will not sit down and watch as my church members engage in crimes like adultery, abortion and stealing. I must discipline (them) using the Bible’s teachings,” Akatsa said.
A common punishment for the adulterous — mostly men –— is for them to carry their spouses as the prophetess and thousands of fellow worshippers watch.
According to the preacher, carrying a spouse in public is meant to expose him or her as a sinner.
She said offenders fear repeating the sin as they can easily be identified and reported back to her and the church. The woman of God summons offenders, who she said are revealed to her by God, during the service.

First time offenders
She then gives them chance to make a confession before the church. First time offenders or others who promise to reform escape punishment.
However, those who do not turn from their wicked ways face the wrath of the church, depending on their sins. Some are slapped on canned with a stick by the prophetess as members of the Jerusalem Church of Christ cheer on.  Akatsa told The Nairobian that punishment is biblical.
She said in Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus punished traders at the temple in Jerusalem by overturning their tables and reprimanded them saying: “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a robbers’ den!”
500,000 adherents
She said she cannot compromise on her principles even when worshippers are unhappy with the punishment and threaten to leave the church.
She told The Nairobian that her stance on discipline has provided good leadership for the church that she claimed has more than 500,000 adherents in Kenya and in its branches in Uganda and Tanzania.
“Even in other branches that my church is present, I can prophesy and know what is going on there. I just pick a phone call to the leader present there and direct him or her on what to do and I know almost all my congregation members,” said Akatsa.
 A woman who reported her cheating husband to Akatsa said her husband had to carry her on his back as the crowd in the open-air church in Kawangware watched.
“My husband used to spend all the money on another woman and even failed in performing his responsibilities like paying house rent and even school fees. But he is now a responsible man,” said the woman.
Other worshippers who spoke to The Nairobian, but with fear they had not received permission from the prophetess, said they were happy and satisfied with the discipline they get from the preacher whom they fondly refer to as ‘Mummy’ or ‘Mama Africa’.
Survived death by a whisker
A worshipper in his mid 20s confessed that he had abandoned crime after a prayer made by the prophetess.
He claimed 12 of his gang members had been shot dead by police in a span of two years.
“I was a driver of the criminal’s squad and I survived death by a whisker when the only two remaining members of our gang were gunned down in Kariokor after police foiled a robbery at a petrol station,” he said.