Why bus preachers shun local commuters

We are living in the last days, brethren! Repent and be saved now or perish in hell. Salvation is free regardless of your past sins,” thundered a self-styled pastor as he went about the passageway of a Mzuzu-bound bus.

Passengers were about to depart Wenela Bus Station in Blantyre when he invaded the bus with his unsolicited sermon.

His hoarse but audible and convincing voice, coupled with eloquence, indicated that he was indeed an ‘anointed’ messenger of God.

Sitting next to me was my uncle, Mr. Thom, who had spent almost three decades without setting foot in a place of worship.

Apparently, he had dedicated his life to beer drinking such that a day hardly passes without taking one or two Kapwanthi.

Even as we were travelling to Mzuzu, he had one comfortably resting in his blazer’s pocket.

The preacher roared on with his sermon which centred on exorcising the bus of demonic forces responsible for road accidents to ensure passengers travelled safely to their destinations.

He repeatedly commanded the Holy Spirit to rid the road of evil spirits and spare passengers any form of accidents.

The pastor had crafted his homily in such a way that Uncle Thom felt God was beckoning him to accept his call to repentance.

The preacher’s intimidating but assuring message left my uncle wondering how he had managed to live without God for such a long time.

While Thom is praising bus preachers as true messengers of God, some people regard them as opportunists.

Theresa Banda, a Muloza-bound passenger I found at the depot, also tows this line of thinking.

“I feel these people are not necessarily coming here to spread the gospel, but to earn a living by begging for alms disguised as transport refund after praying for passengers’ safe journeys,” said Banda.

She argued that if this were not the case, the preachers would not have been targeting big buses only, leaving out minibuses, which make a significant contribution to road accidents in the country.

“If salvation is for all mankind, those travelling in minibuses need prayers as well. Otherwise, my conclusion is that these pastors are just after ripping off passengers by instilling fear in travellers,” she said.

But spokesperson of Wenela Bus Station Pastors Association (WBSPA) Pastor Odilo Gama said not all depot pastors are after money.

Gama, who also ministers at a Ndirande-based Jesus Pentecostal Church, defended that a majority of the pastors were commissioned by God to proclaim the gospel to the world.

“Some of us are genuine and we are here to fight evil forces evidently present on the roads of Malawi to cause mysterious accidents,” he said.

Quoting Revelation 12:12, Gama said Satan has intensified his evil battle against God’s children and is using all available tactics to destroy life, including mysterious road accidents.

“And this is because the devil has come down upon the earth, having great rage, knowing he has a short time. Thus, we decided to fight this devil on all fronts; churches, streets, communities in which we live and on our roads to protect lives of God’s people,” said Gama

He conceded that some individuals are taking advantage of the ministry to meet their financial needs.

Gama said this is the major reason the association was formed to scrutinise men and women who wish to venture into the bus ministry.

He said one needs to be a certified pastor of a recognised church or ministry to be admitted into the grouping.

According to Gama, this has helped to curb improper conduct among preachers who minister to passengers.