A Kenyan pastor, Elidamos Livingston Makali, has raised online concerns after defending his decision to charge Ksh 5,000 for what he calls a “Divine Express Service” prayer.
Makali publicly came out and explained why the payments were necessary and criticised other denominations’ prayers, saying they take time.
“By donating, you’re not only ensuring that your prayers skip the line, but you’re also investing in Divine Express Service,” he said.
Makali’s critics
“This means no more waiting behind endless ‘Hail Mary’ backlogs or last-minute repentance rush hours,” he further explained.
Makali justified the charges by saying the donations are fair and used to support the ministry.
This raised concern among the public as people reacted differently to the same, while others questioned the controversies.
A Christian and a believer, Steve Egesa, came out questioning why the preacher charged for his prayers and referring to the bible, he asked the preacher to confirm if Jesus ever charged for healing and even resurrecting the dead.
“Add a scripture to support your argument, otherwise quite this wickedness of charging for prayers that don’t belong to you,” he said.
Makali justified the charges by saying the donations are fair and used to support the ministry.
Pastor Makali’s arguments
He argued that not everything Jesus did was recorded in the Bible and claimed that Jesus was financially supported through tithes, citing letters allegedly written by Matthew.
Pastor Elidamos also told critics that while prayers are still offered without payment, those who do not donate may not receive their blessings “in real time.”
Makali also publicly condemned Geoffrey Mosiria, the Nairobi city chief officer, for shutting down his church.
“This guy closed my church. He is losing relevance,” he said.
This also sparked reactions from the public, as some people commended Mosiria for shutting down some churches.
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“Well done, Morisia, for closing those churches. The entire Eastlands area is full of mental health patients masquerading as pastors, shouting and screaming 24/7,” said Ivan, an X user.
Controversial miracle baby preacher
This comes after the recent death of a famous, controversial preacher and televangelist, Gilbert Deya died after being involved in a road accident on Tuesday afternoon, June 17, at the Namba Kapiyo area in Kisumu County.
The late televangelist gained widespread attention for claiming he could help infertile women conceive through prayer.
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However, in the early 2000s, his ministry came under intense scrutiny from both the UK and Kenyan authorities, with investigations linking him to a child theft and sale ring disguised as miracle births.
Deya, who had been based in the UK, was later extradited to Kenya, and in July 2023, he was acquitted of the charges after prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence connecting him to the alleged child theft syndicate.
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