Jesus Drives A Porsche

It is a known fact that in many parts of the world – America’s Bible belt being a probable exception – church attendance is steadily declining. In the non-Catholic countries of Western Europe, the only time most folks go to a church is for a wedding or a funeral. Apparently, the classical Christian strictures like ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’; and those extolling the virtues of poverty, aren’t cutting much ice these days. In today’s highly competitive world, most people believe that being meek gets you nowhere fast – and poverty just sucks.

Now a preacher in the black township of Soweto, in South Africa, is employing a novel approach to get his flock back in. This preacher belongs to the new Soweto branch of Brazil's huge Pentecostal-style Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). He realizes that a majority of his congregation are poor; and do not see any percentage in it. So he’s preaching a new gospel; one of prosperity. The way he tells it, Jesus wants you to drive a brand new Nissan Navara 4x4. He'd also like you to live in a classy house, use the latest cell phone and wear designer clothes. In other words, wanting the good things in life – material though they may be – is OK.

And it seems to be working. UCKG is expanding fast in Africa and bills its gleaming new cathedral in Soweto as the biggest church on the continent. UCKG's "prosperity gospel" message, which tells members to expect financial blessings from God as long as they give "sacrificially" when the collection plate comes around, is proving a hit in the world's poorest continent. And it holds special resonance for the faithful of Soweto - a sprawling township once gripped by violence and poverty and now home to a burgeoning black middle class.

According to the new gospel, "God doesn't want you to be poor and ashamed - He wants you to drive a new car." UCKG teaches poverty is unnecessary, and holds special "campaigns" to pray for specific "goals", like a new car, house or even swimming pool.

Not surprisingly, mainstream Christian organizations are outraged. Critics say UCKG is a cult that manipulates its members. The sermon in Soweto was more like a business pep talk, with the preacher spending a good portion of the two-hour service encouraging worshippers to dream up money-making schemes ahead of the 2010 soccer World Cup, which South Africa is due to host.

So is it a big con? Probably; but at least it is getting folks back into church. And once inside, who knows, a part of Jesus’ true message may get through to some of them. Like it’s said; desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.