By Our Reporter
WORLD
The mushrooming of Pentecostal Churches has driven many pastors into weird means of attracting flock.
In Kenya, controversial Pastor Victor Kanyari recently paid Isaac Otesa popularly known as Goliath Wa Bungoma KSh8,000 to fall down as he was being prayed for.
This was revealed in an exclusive interview with City Digest where Goliath Wa Bungoma confirmed that Pastor Kanyari paid him Kshs8000 for the stunt.
“A man called Kawera told me that if you go to Pastor Kanyari’s church, when you fall down while being prayed for, you are paid Kshs8,000,” Goliath Wa Bungoma said in the interview.
Goliath Wa Bungoma Has Revealed That Pastor Kanyari Paid Him KSh 8,000/- Ndio Akiombewa Aanguke
Pastor Victor Kanyari is the founder & Senior Pastor of Salvation Healing Ministry. He is also Director & Founder: Shifu TV Kenya, Prophetic TV, Vika TV & Dunny TV.
This is not the first time Kanyari is in the news for the wrong reasons, during a recent Sunday service, a female TikToker, Faith M Peters, shocked the congregation by presenting Kanyari with an unexpected gift: condoms, panty liners and Vaseline.
She then surprised everyone by declaring her love for him. Kanyari happily accepted the gifts and even unwrapped them on the pulpit, sparking a wave of mixed reactions.
In another incident, Kanyari tackled the sensitive issue of sexuality by inviting a German-based gay Kenyan TikToker known as Mpenzi Chokuu to his live TikTok.
Chokuu, dressed in a buibui, took part in a confusing mix of religious pronouncements and mock exorcism led by Kanyari. Chokuu added to the theatrics by vigorously shaking his bottom in response to the pastor’s actions. Kanyari’s viewers found all these antics disrespectful.
These episodes received mixed reactions on social media.
One of Kanyari’s followers commented, “I saw a video of people giving Pastor Kanyari some funny gifts in his church. This is a joke. Content creation should not go there”.
Nairobi News contacted the controversial Pastor, who explained that his motives for joining TikTok were not about personal gain, but about saving more souls.
“Hakuna kitu nasema haisemwi hii dunia. (All I have said has been said) I am sure even some pastors watch worse content. What I am doing is just agreeing to go down to the level of these filthy content creators to try and understand what they are going through. I am spreading the word of God and winning even more souls,” said Kanyari.
But how far is Kanyari willing to go to get more attention?
He explained that his church attendance has increased since he started using TikTok with his latest preaching style, going live during his Sunday services.
“Right now I have over 10,000 people watching me live on TikTok every Sunday. That means more people want to know God. TikTok is for fun and people should stop taking things so seriously. My intention is not to make money because even the money I get, I have donated to needy people”.
When asked if his mother, who is also a preacher, had seen his videos, Kanyari said she was a busy woman.
“She does not have access to TikTok. She has nothing to say about the way I preach.”
TikTok is increasingly being used by preachers for a number of reasons, such as broad reach and engagement.
TikTok’s algorithm also allows content to go viral quickly, giving preachers the opportunity to reach a global audience. Short, engaging videos can attract thousands, if not millions, of viewers, increasing the spread of their messages.
