₦airaland Forum

Wole Soyinka exposes fake pastors many years ago in The Trial of Brother Jero.

The Trials of Brother Jero, originally published in 1963, is a play by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, first produced in the dining hall at Mellanby Hall, University College, Ibadan.

Read the following quotes from The Trial of Brother Jero and see men of God:

1. "It becomes important to stand out, to be distinctive. I have set my heart after a particular name. They will look at my velvet cape and they will think of my goodness. Inevitably they must begin to call me ... the velvet- hearted Jeroboam. (Straightens himself.) Immaculate, Jero, Articulate Hero of Christ's Crusade..." —Jero, 14

He is rehearsing to make the worshippers bring the money to "God."

2. "You've got to have a name that appeals to the imagination— because the imagination is a thing of the spirit—it must catch the imagination of the crowd. Yes, one must move with modern times. Lack of colour gets one nowhere even in the prophet's business." —Jero, 14

He begins to expose how to be the winning fake pastor.

This shows you how they make themselves and their church building, both exterior and interior intriguing, and begin to teach entrepreneurship and so on.

3. "I am glad I got here before any customers—I mean worshippers —well, customers if you like. I always get that feeling every morning that I am a shop-keeper waiting for customers. The regular ones come at definite times. Strange, dissatisfied people. I know they are dissatisfied because I keep them dissatisfied. Once they are full, they won't come again. Like my good apprentice, Brother Chume. He wants to beat his wife, but I won't let him. If I do, he will become contented, and then that's another of my flock gone forever. As long as he doesn't beat her, he comes here feeling helpless, and so there is no chance of his rebelling against me. Everything, in fact, is planned." —Jero, 14-15

Now fu ly exposed.

Just as a school owner considers undergraduates or students as customers, a fake pastor considers members as zqz46customers. He knows how to make you hungry (dissatisfied) so you'll come tomorrow. Just as a marketer do, he tells his customers what they may be going through and at the same time giving them solutions. He'll say even if one measure of rice is N10000, God will open doors to buy bags of rice. But in reality, God has opened doors since you have brains to think and learn, and you have hands and legs to work, you can learn business or something and you can farm so you can make money.

You don't need to be a Christian in order to be wealthy.

4. "Yes, Father, those who are Messenger today, make them Senior Service tomorrow. ... Those who are petty trader today, make them big contractor tomorrow. Those who dey sweep street today, give them their own big office tomorrow. If we dey walka today, give them their own bicycle tomorrow. Those who have bicycle today, they will ride their own car tomorrow. ... I say those who dey push bicycle, give them big car tomorrow. Give them big car tomorrow. Give them big car tomorrow, give them big car tomorrow." —Chume, 20-21

Now compare this prayer to the prayer some men of God do today. So Wole Soyinka knew the game many years ago. Chume is now demonstrating what he has learnt from his master Brother Jero just as many are learning under the overseer.

God doesn't need your money. Man does.

Give your tithe to those who truly need help.

Help the less privileged.


marenx

The article is well-articulated

GoodJohn:
The article is well-articulated

Wole Soyinka is articulate in his works.