"Sometimes you're seeing God as a genie, where if I give him all this money, He will bring me what I want. The 27-year-old spent years in the grip of prosperity gospel, whose followers believe cash donations to evangelical churches unlock divine blessings of health and wealth."
"Every service they showed videos of how people had given their all, how people had given money, sold things or slept on the floor, and then they received the Holy Spirit and that gave them peace. I considered my all was everything I had: my savings, my current account, change I had collected."
"The regulator found in February that, in Jennifer's case, UCKG had breached the fundraising code as it was aware of previous mental health difficulties she had experienced when it took a large donation from her and could not show that it had otherwise considered her needs or circumstances."
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), an international evangelical movement operating in the UK, has been investigated by the Fundraising Regulator for exploiting vulnerable members through prosperity gospel teachings. Members Sarah and Jennifer, both professionals from London, describe being manipulated into donating substantial sums under the belief that financial contributions would unlock divine blessings. Jennifer donated her entire life savings of £15,000, including closing a help-to-buy ISA and collecting coins, hoping to prove her faith and advance within the church hierarchy. The regulator found UCKG lacked policies protecting vulnerable donors and was aware of Jennifer's previous mental health difficulties when accepting her donation. The investigation revealed systematic patterns of financial coercion targeting individuals in vulnerable states of mind.
#prosperity-gospel #financial-exploitation #vulnerable-donors #evangelical-churches #fundraising-regulation
Read at www.theguardian.com
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