Charity celebrates “miracle” of man delivered from “homosexual spirit”
A newly registered Pentecostal Christian charity in Scotland is promoting gay ‘conversion therapy’, spiritual abuse and the subjugation of women, say secularists.
The website of Forward In Faith Church International Incorporated (FIFCII) describes the exorcism of a man possessed by a “homosexual spirit” as a “miracle”.
Another page sets out the responsibilities of a wife: she is to respect her husband, say yes when he asks for sex, and not nag.
The National Secular Society (NSS) has raised concerns about FIFCII, which registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ in May, with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Charities are legally required to act in the public benefit.
The NSS said OSCR is either unable or unwilling to do anything about religious intolerance promoted by faith groups, despite these views endangering lives.
NSS human right leads Alejandro Sanchez said: “This organisation promotes vicious homophobia and misogyny, and may well be endangering lives with reckless allegations of witchcraft.
“Any suggestion it is acting in the public benefit and worthy of charitable status is absurd.
“We know from experience OSCR has been either unable or unwilling to take action against religious charities that foster intolerance and extreme views.
“It is now time legislators urgently review ‘the advancement of religion’ as a charitable purpose. It must not be used as a ‘backdoor’ for religious groups to promote conversion therapy and the subjugation of women.”
FIFCII’s headquarters are in Zimbabwe. According to the website, it was founded by Archbishop Dr. Ezekiel Guti who was told by God to “learn to preach in English because you shall go to many countries with my word”.
The ministry has spread to most of the major cities of the United Kingdom including, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow and Cardiff.
One Apostle’s Update blog post on the charity’s website in 2017 describes how a man was delivered from a “homosexual spirit” which “bound him for many years” during a “miracle night” in St Kitts and Nevis.
Another 2017 blog describes the ‘deliverance’ of a 14-year-old girl in Zimbabwe who was taken nightly to “eat human flesh and drink human blood” as part of a ‘witchcraft’ ritual.
Allegations of witchcraft or demonic possession are a central feature of spiritual abuse. Eight year old Victoria Climbié was subjected to years of abuse linked to ‘witchcraft’ beliefs before her death in 2000. Figures suggest thousands of children in the UK are victims of abuse linked to witchcraft beliefs.
A third blog from 2015 praises the deliverance of 17 people in Zimbabwe from “spiritual husbands, bitterness, homosexuality, witchcraft, satanism … to mention a few”.
‘Spiritual husbands’ are spirits believed to have sex with an individual while they sleep.
Another blog from June this year describes the “miracle” of people “who don’t eat meat” or were “accused of witchcraft” being “delivered” in Zimbabwe.
On the subjugation of women, pastor Fiona Arthurs sets out a wife’s responsibilities in a sermon titled A Wise Woman’s Responsibility.
It says sex is “the very reason” for marriage adding: “When we said ‘I do’ we were saying ‘I do’ to his desire for sex."
It says a woman who makes “excuses” such as “headache” or “backache” is “foolish”.
The sermon adds that women “must not nag our husbands” and nagging “will push him away.”
Respect for one’s husband is “a necessity”, it claims.
OSCR said it had received a concern about the charity last month but as it operates across the UK, the lead regulator for the issue is the Charity Commission for England and Wales, who has been contacted for a response.
