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HIV+ pastor slated pastors & prophets who claim to heal HIV and Aids
30 Apr 2014 at 07:20hrs | Views
ONE of the country's first clerics to confess to being HIV positive, Reverend Maxwell Kapachawo, has slated pastors and prophets who claim to heal HIV and Aids for derailing the country's efforts in fighting the scourge.
Rev Kapachawo said pentecostal church leaders who preach the gospel of prosperity and claim to have healing powers were the main culprits in causing HIV patients on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to default on their treatment.
There is no known cure for the disease yet.
The clergyman, who opened up on his HIV status in 2005, said some church leaders discourage HIV positive congregants from taking the life prolonging ARV drugs and limit them to their healing sessions.
"The church is now full of pastors who are misleading people that they can cure Aids and this is contributing to the number of people who are dying from the disease.
"The church leaders are making people believe that they are cured of the disease and even discourage them from taking ARVs.
"As a result, the virus builds resistance to those who would have been advised to stop taking ARVs when they resume treatment. In most cases this leads to sudden death," he said.
Rev Kapachawo said he believes in God's miracles and the advent of ARVs was a miracle in itself.
He said pastors are misinforming their followers on HIV and Aids by preaching misleading sermons from the pulpit.
Said Rev Kapachawo: "I do not deny God's miracles but he is the same God who heals through science. It is by God's grace that ARVs are there and it is a miracle in itself. These preachers do not know the difference between HIV and Aids because anyone with Aids cannot be part of the congregation. It is the wrong message from the pulpit from these influential pastors which is killing HIV patients."
The man of cloth said there was so much stigmatisation and discrimination of people with HIV in the church.
This, he added, is what drove him to form his own church, the Abandoned Grace Ministries, whose members are mainly people affected and infected by the disease.
Rev Kapachawo said pentecostal church leaders who preach the gospel of prosperity and claim to have healing powers were the main culprits in causing HIV patients on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to default on their treatment.
There is no known cure for the disease yet.
The clergyman, who opened up on his HIV status in 2005, said some church leaders discourage HIV positive congregants from taking the life prolonging ARV drugs and limit them to their healing sessions.
"The church is now full of pastors who are misleading people that they can cure Aids and this is contributing to the number of people who are dying from the disease.
"The church leaders are making people believe that they are cured of the disease and even discourage them from taking ARVs.
"As a result, the virus builds resistance to those who would have been advised to stop taking ARVs when they resume treatment. In most cases this leads to sudden death," he said.
Rev Kapachawo said he believes in God's miracles and the advent of ARVs was a miracle in itself.
He said pastors are misinforming their followers on HIV and Aids by preaching misleading sermons from the pulpit.
Said Rev Kapachawo: "I do not deny God's miracles but he is the same God who heals through science. It is by God's grace that ARVs are there and it is a miracle in itself. These preachers do not know the difference between HIV and Aids because anyone with Aids cannot be part of the congregation. It is the wrong message from the pulpit from these influential pastors which is killing HIV patients."
The man of cloth said there was so much stigmatisation and discrimination of people with HIV in the church.
This, he added, is what drove him to form his own church, the Abandoned Grace Ministries, whose members are mainly people affected and infected by the disease.
Source - chronicle
