Andrew Wommack wasn’t kidding back in 2021 when he called his followers to “take over” Woodland Park, the mountain town of 8,000 west of Colorado Springs that’s home to his ministry and Charis Bible College. “This county ought to be…
In Zambia and beyond, controversial ‘prayer consultation’ hotels drive mini real estate boom
“One-on-one” or “consultation hotels” are motels built by wealthy evangelical prophets to offer personalized “spiritual services.” And they are driving a mini real estate boom in Zambia’s biggest cities and even in neighboring countries. “To see a senior prophet, the…
The Way Down is about the weight of power being wielded by a hierarchical God
It was an overcast morning near Smyrna, Tenn., as a small Cessna private jet abruptly descended toward the earth. Seven people on board, who had been looking forward to a trip to Palm Beach, Fla., were now taking their final…
In South Africa, an unholy trinity — televangelists, TV stations and cellular companies
In South Africa, free analog-broadcast community television stations whose programming caters to low-income majority Black townships are broke. To keep the lights on, they take advertising money from startup Pentecostal pastors who promise bewildering “miracles” and changes of fortune for…