2015 was certainly a year filled with bizarre, shocking and disturbing incidents. Below are the ones which left readers completely awestrucked.
10 church-related incidents that shocked us this year
From perversive pastors to miraculous conversions, these are the big religion stories that caught our attention this year.
1. Kenyan Church bans women from wearing underwear
The Lord's Propeller Redemption Church, in Kenya banned its female congregation from donning bras and panties. The GeneralOverseer of the church, Rev. Njohi, admitted that the churchoutlawed the female worshippers from wearing the undergarments to the church, terming them as ungodly,’and also warned them of severe consequences if they disobeyed the ‘divineorders’.
2. Church bans any form of kissing, hugging, in its premises
Becky Enenche, wife of founding pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, Paul Enenche banned the acts of members kissing and hugging in church. She said, "How would a brother hug a sister and tell her, I just want you to know that I love you. You are looking for trouble. With your two eyes open, you want to fall into a pit. And of course that eliminates kiss. Either peck on the forehead, on the head, on the cheek, on the mouth even on the ear, all is ."
3. Pastor forces female church members to strip during deliverance
Penuel Mnguni of End Times Disciples Ministries during his church's deliverance session ordered some female members to strip down to their underwear. According to him, this was the only way to rid them of evil spirits.
4. Pastor makes church members eat live snakes
The controversial Pastor Mnguni, during another church service, reportedly 'declared' a snake to become chocolate, ordering members of his congregation to eat it, which they did without hesitation.
5. Nigerian Pastor admits he sucks women's breasts during deliverance
Pastor Chijioke, a 'man of God' based in Kenya, admitted that he conducts delivery and miracles by sucking women's breasts. He opened up that he sucks out evil from women through their breasts any time they go to him for spiritual guidance an counselling.
6. Pastor forces his congregation to convert to Islam
A Rwandan pastor, Salim Mikdad converted to Islam after an Islamic clergy preached to him. He also made sure to convert his 480 members of congregation and changed their worship center to a mosque.
7. Masquerades invade church, flog pastors and members
A Church service was disrupted by four masquerades who flogged the pastors and the worshipers in Epinmi Akoko area of Ondo state. The masquerades invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in the town while the service was on-going and abruptly ended it.
8. Pastor preaches from coffin
28-year-old South African pastor, Aphiwe Nqevu, decided to deliver his sermons from the confinement of a coffin. Nqevu brought the coffin to show people who fail to embrace Jesus as the son of God that they will go to hell and face eternal death.
9. Pastor sleeps with married women to deliver them from sin
A South-African pastor, Mpho Moletsane got in trouble with the law after word got out that he has been sleeping with married women. The pastor claimed that he did this in order to get rid of demons which cause the women to have sinful lust and thoughts.
10. Pastor turns church member gay
The controversial South African pastor, Pastor Mnguni, during another service, prayed the spirit of homosexuality into a member of his congregation. The man then started acting like a woman.
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