THE proliferation of Pentecostal Churches, especially of the prophecy-led ministries, has seen a series of bizarre rites commonly legitimated as ‘miracles’ some of which have elicited ridicule from both believers and non-believers.
These bizarre rites include prophets directing congregants to eat grass or buy ‘anointed’ soil, pens, salt and condoms.
The latest bizarre rite trending on social media is that of the South African pastor, Lethebo Rabalago, of the Mount Zion General Assembly (MZGA) in Limpopo, who is spraying congregants with Doom Super Multi-Insect Killer to cure various ailments.
Pictures show Rabalago spraying one female congregant on the face and another one on the leg.
Rabalago said that God had told him to use Doom, and that he had healed countless people using it.
In a press statement, Doom manufacturer Tiger Brands said it found the practice ‘alarming and extremely concerning’ adding that it is ‘unsafe to spray Doom Super Multi-Insect killer or any other aerosol spray for that matter, into people’s faces’.
It also advises that if the insecticide is sprayed into someone’s face, he/she should wash his/her face and/or wash out his/her eyes immediately, and to avoid excessive inhalation.
South Africans have strongly condemned the practice, taking to social media to voice their disbelief and concern.
In the same province in South Africa, one pastor ordered his flock to nibble on a snake and bite off part of a rat’s tail.
Another pastor ordered his female congregants to come to church without underwear, ostensibly for Christ to ‘enter’.
Yet another pastor ordered his followers to drink petrol, claiming he could turn it into pineapple juice.
The same pastor made his flock eat grass so that they draw closer to God.
And Zimbabwe has not been spared from these bizarre happenings.
There have been stories of miracle babies, miracle money, anointed pens and condoms, among many other strange prophecies.
In November 2012, some prominent self-proclaimed prophet in Harare left heads shaking all over the world when he performed a miracle in his church where a congregant, ‘conceived and gave birth in three days’.
The ‘baby’, who was named after the founder-cum-prophet, lived for only six months and was reported dead in May 2013.
Another prophet prayed for a four-months pregnant woman and the ‘pregnancy’ disappeared.
One Glenview-based evangelist claimed to deliver troubled people with ‘spiritual spectacles’, which he said couples could use to check on cheating spouses.
And people have heard of anointed pens to nail the exam and anointed condoms for a more ‘vigilant firewall’.
Some of these ‘born-again’ pastors have been arraigned before the courts on charges of raping congregants.
The ministries and miracles are too many to keep up with.
Promising prosperity, miracle cures and life-changing experiences, Pentecostal religion is booming in Africa.
In Zimbabwe, Pentecostal Churches are almost always evangelical in character and so are sometimes called ‘Evangelical Pentecostal Churches’. 
Accordingly, most churches of Pentecostal character in Zimbabwe belong to the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) founded in 1962.
According to EFZ, there are over 550 Pentecostal denominations registered in the country.
These churches typically emphasise the ‘gifts of the spirit’, including miracles and healing, hence a huge dose of ‘prophecies’ and ‘demon-manifestation’ during church services. 
To many, they offer hope.
Every Sunday, in the televangelists’ front seats, ringed with collection buckets, are people in wheel chairs, patients, children with deformities and business people.
Pentecostalism is overtaking orthodox Catholic, Anglican, Reformed faiths brought by European colonisers over a century ago.
According to the World Christian Database, Pentecostals and charismatics now account for 147 million Africans, 17 percent of the continent’s people, compared to five percent in 1970.
“The success of pentecostalism is the focus on people’s problems in this life,” said Allan Anderson, Professor of Global Pentecostal Studies at England’s Birmingham University.
“In countries where people are living on the breadline, pentecostalism gives hope.”
However, in Zimbabwe there are two types of Pentecostal Churches, the evangelical Pentecostals and the prophecy-led Pentecostals
Those who fall under the evangelical are mainly breakaways from orthodox churches such as Anglican, Methodist and Dutch Reformed Churches and these include Apostolic Faith Mission, Harvest House, New Life Covenant, Bethesda Apostolic Church and Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA), among others.
And the prophecy-led include United Family International, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance, His Presence International, Tabernacle of All Nations Church, Incredible Happenings Ministries and School of Deliverance, among others.
Analysts say Pentecostal Churches started flourishing in the 1980s as African nations suffered economic decline as world commodity prices fell.
Amid such low living standards, the ordinary citizens have become desperate to get a better life.
People are promised 24-hour miracles on condition they give certain amounts of money.
Believers have lost expensive cars and houses which they gave as tithes, in return for a better car or house.
Wrist bands, car stickers, ‘anointed’ pens, ‘anointed’ condoms, ‘anointed’ shoes and ‘anointed’ oil are among tools of the trade purportedly imported from Ghana and Nigeria are said to have healing and deliverance powers. They have become a cash cow for the prophet-led ministries cum businesses.
These contemporary Pentecostal Churches are very persuasive and offer tempting sermons on seeding, offering, tithing and being blessed after ‘giving’, more than on the need for salvation and eternal life.
Of concern is how the so-called miracle-working prophets are fond of living lavish lifestyles which have developed into a culture of some kind.
Society itself seems to accept that these ‘prophets’ should live large, and that the ordinary church-goers should shoulder the burden and expense.
Dancehall artistes known for performing in beerhalls and night clubs are booked as main performers at all night prayers and judgement nights.
Interestingly, a number of these prophets who have emerged over the past decade leading huge congregations have professed having spiritual fathers who anointed them to start prophesying.
Victor Kusi Boateng from Ghana and Nigeria’s Temitope Balogun Joshua affectionately known as TB Joshua, are prominent spiritual fathers of many local prophets.
Unanswered questions abound, chief among them: Is there a probability wizards are rebranding and morphing into pastors?