-Caveat Lector- "'Jesus Christ is going to take you to a place so nice you can't imagine,' said the preacher, one of a team from Nairobi's Church of the Maximum Miracle. 'Now the Lord is going to provide for you and you will never be the same again.' ... Kenya's President Daniel arap Moi, himself a devout Christian, is a supporter of the new churches and has welcomed visiting Western evangelists to Kenya. ... His critics, who accuse him of fueling Kenya's economic downfall through mismanagement and corruption, say such support is based on the hope that a new breed of docile believers is unlikely to be politically subversive." ================================================== Despairing Kenyans Turn to "Miracle" Churches NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) - "Do you have AIDS?" the sharply dressed preacher screams into the microphone. "Do you have cancer? Then let me tell you now, you can be cured by the touch of Jesus Christ the Lord!" "Hallelujah!" choruses the lunchtime crowd, mostly office workers and hawkers, at a small park in downtown Nairobi. Enthralled by the powerful mix of theater and theology, hundreds gather every day to sing, pray and wave their hands. In the last decade, ordinary Kenyans have seen wages fall, rents go up and education and health care climb far beyond the means of the poorest. Disillusioned by the inability of politicians and mainstream churches to solve their problems, tens of thousands have joined a new wave of born-again Christianity that promises, literally, heaven on Earth. "Jesus Christ is going to take you to a place so nice you can't imagine," said the preacher, one of a team from Nairobi's Church of the Maximum Miracle. "Now the Lord is going to provide for you and you will never be the same again." NEW CHURCHES PROMISE MIRACLES Christianity, introduced by early missionaries two centuries ago, is firmly rooted in Kenyan society, and some 70 percent of the population say they are believers. Evangelical denominations -- mainly Pentecostal -- did not arrive until the 1950s but have become by far the fastest growing congregations, offering a direct relationship with a God who answers prayers through miracles. "People are tired of the theoretical type of faith," Pastor Bonifes Adoyo of the Nairobi Pentecostal Church told Reuters. "They want to experience the supernatural, speak in tongues and see the miracles for themselves." Competition among the new churches is fierce. On Nairobi streets, friendly strangers fall into step to ask if you are "saved" and invite you to a service. In the city center, posters advertising "gospel crusades" and "miracle extravaganzas" have replaced the pictures of politicians from the last election campaign. "Bring the sick, AIDS cases, lame, deaf, blind, demon possessed, mentally disturbed and all other needs," one poster implores. "They will meet Jesus." FAIL-SAFE PRODUCT At the Church of the Maximum Miracle, followers step up to the podium to testify to some miraculous healing. To roars of frenzied delight, young and old describe how chest pains have vanished and once-blind eyes can now see. In a country where wages average less than a dollar a day, and hospital treatment is a luxury for many, the promise of divine medical care has a real appeal. But critics of the new churches say they are peddling false hope to the most vulnerable members of society. "These churches are offering a product which can't go wrong," said John Githongo, a director of the African Strategic Research Institute and expert on Kenyan affairs. "If you're not healed, if you don't get a job, if your wife still dies, they say your faith wasn't enough, you didn't pray hard enough." And faith comes at a price. At the end of every sermon a plate is passed and the congregation makes their meager offerings. Pastor Adoyo says the collections are used for philanthropic purposes -- an education program for street children and food handouts for the destitute. But the churches' detractors say the most popular preachers, who run networks across sub-Saharan Africa, have built huge personal fortunes. "In a place where even university graduates can't find employment, starting your own ministry, selling the books and all the paraphernalia that goes with it, can be a good business opportunity," said Githongo. Kenya's President Daniel arap Moi, himself a devout Christian, is a supporter of the new churches and has welcomed visiting Western evangelists to Kenya. His critics, who accuse him of fueling Kenya's economic downfall through mismanagement and corruption, say such support is based on the hope that a new breed of docile believers is unlikely to be politically subversive. "It's this kind of fatalism which detracts from the real issues ... and it suits them," said one analyst who declined to be identified. But for some Kenyans, the new preachers seem to be the only people who are actually trying to address their problems. "I come here because it makes me feel good," Violet Alivizia, a 26-year-old single mother, said at the end of the lunchtime sermon. "Most of the time it touches me and I feel better." Copyright 1999 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ======================= Robert F. Tatman Computer Help Desk Desktop & LAN Services Systems Department Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 215.854.2729 215.854.2788 The contents of this message represent the opinion only of the writer, and may not be construed to indicate the endorsement of Knight-Ridder, Inc.; Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc.; The Philadelphia Inquirer; or the Philadelphia Daily News. 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