Power dynamics among Pentecostal prophets in New Prophetic Churches: An African Christocentric missional approach

Abstract

New prophetic churches are in continuity with the African Traditional Religions in tracing the challenges that many Africans face today to the spirit world. These churches make a connection between the challenges of sicknesses, joblessness, barrenness, and so forth, with witchcraft in the spirit world captured in the Nguni saying “uthakathiwe” meaning “you are bewitched”. Instead of linking these problems to socio-historical, socio-political, and socioeconomic causative factors in the continent, they would rather link them to the spirit world. Furthermore, the Pentecostal prophets in these churches blame the believers for not being able to deal with the challenges. This article problematizes this blame-shifting approach as it presents power dynamics in these churches. The article argues that in shifting the blame to the congregants, the Pentecostal prophets seek to remain or appear as powerful to their congregants. An African Christocentric missional approach is proposed as a theoretical framework that centres power on Christ than on the Pentecostal prophet in Africa.