CELEBRATION Church Ministries International leader, Tom Deuschle, has called the pastors 4ED movement an abomination for supporting a regime that oppresses instead of upholding righteousness.
Deuschle was commenting on the recent frenzy by leaders from different church denominations who have been joining the ruling party under the guise of ‘Pastors 4ED’banner.
In a sermon at his church in Borrowdale, the Celebration Church leader bemoaned the manipulation of the clergyman by the state.
“We call ourselves a christian nation. I saw a report the other day that we are supposedly 85 percent christian and yet we allow a flood, and I mean a literal flood, of non christian activity to seduce the church, to seduce the nation,” said Deuschle.
“Politics; we are seeing today pastors being manipulated by the state to support political ideologies that often speak and do things contrary to the word of God. This pastors for ED is an abomination I dare to say it out loud. It is ridiculous. You cannot be a pastor 4ED,” he added.
Deuschle chastised the pastors 4ED for supporting the government at the expense of the suffering masses.
“You can only be a pastor for our great shepherd Jesus Christ. I am not a pastor and I will not be a pastor for a political party.
“Political parties may govern. There was an article out that says Christians are supposed to obey the governing authority, yes until the governing authority violates their governing authority which is almighty God and the word of God,” Deuschle said.
Last year, the country saw a rise in the formation of different parallel structures that inherently inherited the 4ED mantra.
Part of these included the pastors 4ED that were launched in different provinces whilst promising to throw their support behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa in this year’s crunch elections.
It recently emerged that 10,000 Zimbabwean pastors are set to undergo training at Chitepo School of Ideology.
Pastors for ED National Chairperson, Idiraishe Dongo, said the initiative is aimed at grooming pastors who are patriotic.