Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
MONROVIA, Liberia – Exactly 12 days after Archbishop Winker ‘prophetically’ summoned heaven to breathe down fire against critics of President Weah and his administration, the president has weighed in on the hullabaloo that ensued over the prelate’s prayer.
Public condemnation flew at Archbishop Winker from every angle including the Christian community to which he belongs and from politicians as well, when on Tuesday, 22 January 2019, during a church service in observance of the one year anniversary of the Weah-led government, the Archbishop while offering what he termed a prophetic prayer, pleaded with God to rise up against those who will rise up against President Weah and/or his administration.
“Mr. President, I’m here to make prophetic declaration toward [the] nation Liberia,” Archbishop Winker stated, adding, “I want [to] throw out one piece of challenge. I stand representing the church, to plead with you; in the midst of storm, opposition, bad mouthing, don’t fail the church.”
Then offering his ‘prophetic’ prayer for President Weah, who was flanked by two women, his wife Clar on his right and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor to the left, Archbishop Winker screamed, “We pray that anyone that will rise up against him, rise up against his leadership, rise up against them – You be the one to fight for him Lord.”
Minutes after the Archbishop’s decrees, a vocal Liberian politician, Abraham Darius Dillon took to Facebook and with sarcasm wrote: “ArchBishop Isaac Winker has spoken; we must listen! Today, during the church service marking one year into George Weah’s Presidency, the Man of God said; “Anyone who rises against your (Weah) leadership, [GOD] rise against them.”
“Yes, the Man of God has spoken! According to the great Bishop, God will “rise against” you, even if you are against and exposing the bad policies and dictatorial tendencies under the Weah leadership.”
Yes! We all must now support everything that is happening; I mean everything about Weah’s leadership for God not to “rise against” us.”
As if not being satisfied with his previous comments, Dillon again on Tuesday, in a live video screamed on Facebook, challenged Archbishop Winker for not speaking against ills in the society under the rule of President Weah, and for rather praying for God’s wrath against those who will rise up against the president and his leadership.
“I didn’t hear Bishop Winker advice the government and government officials to do what is right and to reconcile our people,” I did not hear the man of God, the Bishop say anything that will reconcile the country and call people into salvation onto Jesus Christ. I did not hear the man of God preach so that people can change – so that public officials can change from doing what is wrong and live by what the word of God is, and perform their duties in keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ,” Dillon said.
Dillon, who registered his disagreement with Archbishop Winker in no uncertain term, seemed appalled over what he called the Archbishop making the choice to have used the name of Jesus Christ to bash at politicians and critics of Weah’s government, without the cleric mentioning any trace of bad governance during the one year rule of the administration, and without the cleric also using the holy scripture to have preached from a moral stand point for Liberians to want to repent from their wicked ways, and to shame public officials who are stealing, dividing the country and ill-performing.
For Archbishop Winker to have not named and shamed officials of government engaging into stealing, and for the Pentecostal prelate to have elected instead to have only sought God’s wrath to be brought upon those who criticize the government for wrongdoings, according to Dillon, the clergy man should be ashamed of himself – “Shame on you Bishop Winker…” Dillon said.
Dillon, was not alone, as a fellow preacher man also joined in as well – the senior pastor of the New Georgia Baptist Church, Rev. Victor Koon, in reference to Archbishop Winker’s prayer for President Weah against the president’s critics, wrote on Facebook: “I sincerely think its dishonest to declare that God is a God of political convenience. That God’s message comes to suit the political fancy of a leader.”
He continued: “I have always held strongly to the conviction that no leader is appointed for the leader’s own sake, but for the sake of the people. Therefore when leaders are dishonest or work to promote their own well-being at the expense of the people, trust me, God will not pacify that leader or pat them on the back. Pharaoh is a classic example.”
Rev. Koon is of the belief that in such times that any given leader deals in dishonesty or work to promote himself or herself, God will raise up prophets who will instead speak God’s heart in truth, and who will champion God’s agenda for righteousness and justice.
“Interestingly, in such times there may be few true prophets to tell let the leader know where God stands when his people are being stepped on,” Rev. Koon noted, adding, “some of the people might even think it’s in God’s will for people not to rock the boat and make pharaoh mad so he does not increase their oppression and target them.”
Howbeit, Rev, Koon. Who clarified that he did not listen to Bishop Winker assertions, further wrote: “Again, I didn’t listen to Archbishop Winker, but if what’s being circulated here is true, that he said, “Anyone who rises against the government, God will rise again them,” wow! I will only say here that the WORD of God is a DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. If that word contains a call to the citizens to respect the government, then that same must also challenge the government about their responsibility not to oppress God’s people.”
He maintained that without the Archbishop qualifying his statement, “I think any preacher would be in error, no matter your position! Dr. D. A. Carson was right in saying, “A TEXT WITHOUT A CONTEXT IS A PRETEXT FOR A PROOF TEXT.” Essentially this means without context you can make the text say anything you want it to say other than what God intends for it to say. God is not a respecter of person”!”
Another prelate, Rev. Dr. Katurah York Cooper of the Empowerment Temple AME Church also wrote on Facebook: “Ministers of the gospel must do what Jesus did. Jesus stood on the side of the poor, the weak, the oppressed, the rejected, the sick.”
“Jesus always challenged the powerful, the elite, the rich, those in authority to stand with him to empower the weak. Minister of the gospel, where are you standing?” Rev. Dr. Cooper asked.
“Peculiar, is how scripture describes a follower of Jesus Christ, uncommon, unique, different and never following a popular movement just to be in a crowd,” she wrote, warning that the spirit of every one that says thus says the Lord must be tested to know as to whether their spirit indeed makes witness with the Spirit of God.
“Test every spirit whether it is from God or from the desires of the human heart,” said Rev. Dr. Cooper, who added, “God will judge us.”
Additionally, the tread under the post of politician Abraham Darius Dillon on the same subject generated several reactions, with many Liberians slamming Archbishop Winker for his ‘prophetic’ prayer beseeching God to deal harshly with critics of the Liberian president and his government.
But speaking last Sunday at the City Hope International Church in Oldest Congo Town, President Weah, who made specific reference to what he referred to as insults rained on Archbishop Winker as a result of the clergy man’s ‘prophetic’ decrees, emphasized that parents, elderly people and national leaders deserve the respect of their people at all times.
Singling out the young people of Liberia, President Weah said the fast-declining moral behaviors being replaced by unacceptable social behaviors largely by young people, stated that such attitudes and behaviors towards parents, elderly people and national leaders determine to a larger extent how one is successful in life, bragging that this is one of the secrets of his success, including ascending to the presidency of the country.
President Weah, who expressed disappointment over the widespread critical posture of many citizens and what he referred to as disrespect being shown against parents, the elderly and those in authority by some Liberians, noted that it was even more unfortunate that people of elite class and some educated individuals are also engaged in such acts.
He took time out to also blast people who he said are advocating for Liberia to be declared a Christian state, chiding them of also being among those disobeying the simplest commandment of the Bible that teaches respect for fathers and mothers.
He frowned on what he says is now becoming habitual on the part of many Liberians, especially those he referred to as being educated persons, who he said take to the airwave and release vulgar languages on radio and TV while children are listening and watching, saying, “I wonder whether these folks are still angry and dispirited for not being voted into power.”
“My success in life, including becoming president, is due to my love and respect for constituted authorities, for the state and fellow citizens,” President Weah bragged.
He continued: “I didn’t one day go on Facebook or radio stations to insult any leader, or caused anyone to do so. Everyone here knows the stories from past elections,” he continued. “Even where I was not made the referred person, I did not rain insults on anyone because it was not the approved time by God for me to be President of Liberia.”
