The Namibian – The mother of a 21-year-old youth from Ruacana has accused a pastor of a Windhoek church of brainwashing her son and turning him against the family.
This is after the pastor told the man that he would die if he returned to school in Ruacana in the Omusati region.
Pastor Isaac Onwordi of the Life-Changing Christian Church in Katutura,Windhoek allegedly told Hendrik Munepapa during a church service early this month that he would die if he went back to Ruacana, forcing the young man to seek transfer to a school in Windhoek. He had originally come to Windhoek to visit his mother during the school holidays.
“I was told if I go to Ruacana, I would die the moment I stepped off the bus or whatever transport I used,” he said, adding that the pastor did not say how or what would kill him, but that he would not be saved if he set foot in Ruacana.
“I am afraid to die. I am worried for my mother, friends and other family members who are concerned about this prediction of my death,” said the Grade 12 pupil at Ruacana Vocational Secondary School who is now seeking a transfer to the Augustineum Secondary School in Windhoek.
However, his mother, Karina Munepapa, told Nampa on Friday that she is suffering from stress because her son no longer listens to her, but to Onwordi and his wife.
“I don’t believe that Pastor Isaac (Onwordi) is genuine. If my son was delivered from evil, as they are claiming, why would he die after being saved.
“If they are holy people, as they claim, why are they not stopping the death of my son?” asked Karina.
She accused the pastor of playing mind games with her son to turn him against the family. Karina said perhaps the pastor planned killing her son to make people believe in his false prophesies.
The principal of the Ruacana Vocational Secondary School, Tomas Nakale, confirmed that he had received a call from his counterpart at Augustineum for transfer documents for Munepapa.
“After the principal of Augustineum called me, Munepapa’s mother also called me assuring me of her son’s return to our school, and for me to keep his place.
“It is quite confusing. I am waiting for her to make the final decision on the transfer before I forward the transfer letter,” Nakale added.
The pastor, who is originally from Nigeria, did not answer his office phone, mobile phones or e-mails when contacted for comment.
Thomas Shangula, a church member who challenged Onwordi’s prophesy, was allegedly kicked out of a church service last Thursday.
“The pastor was preaching and then he mentioned an e-mail he had received, which accused him of being a witch and a false prophet.
“I rose and told him I had written that e-mail. I then asked him by which spirit he predicted the boy’s death. The pastor then ordered ushers to kick me out of the church, and they locked the church,” Shangula said.
Shangula asked what would stop these ‘spirits’ from killing Hendrik in Windhoek, saying “spirits are not limited by destination or distance, and so is God. Why would God be able to save Munepapa in Windhoek, but not in Ruacana?”
He urged Namibians to watch out for false prophets because there are many, trying to make people follow them by all means, and in the process cause confusion and havoc in society.
