A Government senator Rev. Dr David Durant said yesterday there was evidence that some church leaders were “merchandising” religion to fill their pockets.
Durant made the charge at a media briefing to launch the Pastors Prayer Fellowship Network (PPFN) which, among other things, is dedicated to developing and upholding high ethical standards among pastors and church leaders.
The briefing was held at Durant’s Restoration Ministries International Church at Brittons Hill, St Michael.
Durant said he had received reports of the practice of “merchandising” but declined to go into detail on record.
Religious merchandising, if not prevented from growing, could “discourage Christians, make them feel robbed and feel abused”.
Durant said: “Many of us have the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, and the gift of miracles. When you pray for a person and they are healed, you don’t necessarily have to call them and ask them to bring money . . . .
“We are hearing many people [church leaders] say, ‘Bring money, bring a gift, put money in an envelope and bring to me’. That is merchandising the Gospel.”
The senator said that while there was no legislation against such “merchandising” it was a moral issue and the church should represent a level of morality.
“If a person wants to bring a donation or contribution to me if I pray for them and they see great results in their life, it is up to them to do it.
“But I will not coerce them or try to extort money from them. We’ll be addressing the issue and we are trying to consult the situation within the context of the church . . . ,” he said.
Through a code of conduct, pastors involved in the PPFN pledged to be honest in “all our financial dealings and act with openness and accountability in relation to any matters of the church finances”.
The code also states: “We will give account to our congregations for any monies for which we are responsible as leaders of the church. Honesty will be the hallmark of our ministry.
“We will settle all bills promptly and not incur debts, which we have no reasonable prospects of repaying. We will not merchandise the Gospel by extorting payments for the exercise of our God-given gifts.”