The deliverance ministry by charismatic-pentecostal churches : a pastoral perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study is to deal with the research which is based on The Deliverance Ministry by Pentecostal- Charismatic-A pastoral perspective. South Africa has been attacked by the tornado of extreme or left-wing Pentecostal denominations that are overlapping its religious boundary, and thus undermines South African constitution. Although it is a democratic state, there is a lot of denominational abuse towards healing ministry in those Churches, particularly to poor people who desperately need healing. Theologians are experiencing abuse of power in the name of Pastoral care in these abovementioned Churches. This trend is because of lack of theological training within these Pentecostal-charismatic denominations. This way of caring for people has become a worrying factor to South African Main Line Churches, including independent Churches. They introduced strange methods of healing which are not common in the country and are a health hazard to its citizens. Because of the questionable method of healing, this triggered the researcher to make a study on this unusual method of healing. The main idea is to research their pastoral caring methods, which violate human rights. For example, poor people are doomed, others are made to eat grass, dog meat in communion, raising dead people, been ask to eat snakes etc. As a researcher in practical theology, I am aware that South Africa is a multiracial faced country, with multiracial denominations. This challenges the Main Line Churches, in pastorally addressing this kind of ministry which undermines the way our Lord cared for human beings. The main question to ask is, why are these Churches destroying the call of ministry, especially the healing ministry, introduced by our Lord? Their process of pastoral care has left eyebrows of suspicion, which is tearing the nation apart due to this crazy way of their emphasis on healing method. The above problems have caused me to research the way they deal with troubled souls emphasizing their caring based on healing, and abuse of power in ministry. From the research, the methodology that will be followed will mainly be qualitative and it will be based in interviews and literature.