Never ceases to amaze how a prophet’s wife automatically becomes a prophetess

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka

It never ceases to amaze how a prophet’s wife automatically becomes a prophetess. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is the trend nowadays among several evangelical churches. Isn’t it true that becoming a prophet is a calling that comes from the Almighty who is above?

Oddly enough, does it follow that the gift accruing to one partner automatically goes to the one he shares a bed with? Yes, love is contagious but is it the same when it comes to spiritual matters?

There has been an increase in the number of prophets from the pentecostal churches who have joined the divine ranking together with their wives. The majority of wives of renowned prophets have assumed the title of prophetess. But what boggles the mind is does a female prophet’s husband automatically becomes a prophet?

Examples that quickly come to mind include that of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa and Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa, Apostle Dr Ezekiel Guti and Apostle Dr Eunor Guti, Prophet Uebert Angel and Prophetess Beverly Angel, Apostle Admire Kasi and Prophetess Ivy Kombo Kasi, Pastor Tom Deuschle and Pastor Bonnie Deuschle.

All these couples are running ministries, in which both parties have special anointing and have since taken up pivotal roles either as prophets, prophetess or other pastoral roles linked to their ministries.

Just recently, people saw Prophetess Angel, Prophetess Makandiwa and a fellow prophetess holding their own at a women’s convention. But are these women any different from the apostolic sects where the wives of prophets are referred to as Mai Muprorofita?

Well, your guess is as good as mine. In the apostolic sects Mai Muprorofita is a term used to describe the wife of the prophet not so much that they have the same gift. NO! It is simply a title to mean they are married to a prophet. Contrast them with today’s celebrity ‘‘prophets’’ who roll in the latest rides, don designer wear, travel with entourages and bodyguards like film stars you will notice there is a world of difference.

But at an elaborate level when you talk of Pastor Bonnie, Prophetess Angel, Prophetess Kombo-Kasi or Prophetess Makandiwa you are talking of women who have the same anointing as their husbands.

Their followers believe they can prophesy, they can heal the sick and they can pray for prosperity and so on and so forth. According to Herald Features Editor Isdore Guvamombe, only a female prophet is the one called a prophetess.

Does this phenomenon of “anointed couples” have anything to do with the proliferation of gospreneurship? Is it about ensuring continuity in these latter day, money-spinning family enterprises? he asks.

Understandably, they say opposites attract, but now it isn’t so because we are seeing couples who love each other, share the same house, romance on and off the pulpit and do things together having the same calling.

The point is why are the prophets keeping the anointment within their families?

Saturday Lifestyle sought views from different church leaders to find out whether there is any biblical explanation to this new phenomenon.

Speaking during one of his interviews on Miracle TV recently, Prophet Uebert Angel said there was nothing amiss for a prophet’s wife to wake up one morning being a prophetess. He singled out Prophet Jeremiah from the Holy Bible.

Another well-known prophetess, who chose to remain anonymous, said hers was anointment from God, something which happened when she had gone for a revival crusade with her husband, who is also a prophet.

“I heard a voice telling me to call out a name of a person who was in the crowd and pray for her so that she could be healed. The woman had an unusual ailment and when I prayed for her, she was healed,” the prophetess revealed.

Pastor Ruth Musarurwa of Christ Embassy said it was rare that couples receive the same calling at the same time.

“Since I am not a prophetesses, I would like to speak on behalf of pastors since I am one of them. God calls you individually unless both husband and wife are called at different times usually this happens at an early age. God looks at you and see if you have heart to become a pastor. In other words, it does not follow that when a husband receives a calling then his wife also gets it,” she said.

Prophet Evidence Chari of Throne of Grace Ministries said it was possible for a prophet’s wife to become a prophetess through what was called impartation.

“It is very possible and anyone can become a prophet or prophetess through impartation. A prophet can actually pray for a member of the church who will get the anointing to lead a branch or province. Just like what the Holy Bible says that a woman is a helper. So in this view when a wife becomes a prophetess through impartation it could be that she had a gift to prophesy or that she is in that office.

“So it depends on what sort of impartation was it through the or the office to be called a prophetess,” he said.

Asked if a prophetess’ husband would also become a prophet through the same anointing, he said the calling might come at a later stage.

“I have not heard of such but I believe that it is still possible. It all depends on anointing from one person to the other. This is why other preachers who are not prophets can prophesy and some prophets do not necessarily prophesy because it is just an office which they are put into,” he said.

Ironically, biblically people are told that it is only God who can give men the gift to prophesy, to evangelise and do other godly works that are of a spiritual nature.

Ephesians Chapter 4 from verse 10 to 14 clearly illustrates that to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

Verse 10: “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ— 6 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love,” read the verses.

So did all these prophets and prophetess get the gifts by God?

However, Bishop Trevor E. C. Manhanga more popularly known as Muranda waMwari said there was no reference in the Holy Bible with regard to this new development.

“Generally, in the Bible we do not see the calling to the office of a prophet as being embracing both husband and wife or vice versa. There is no biblical backing for this. When one looks at the prophets in the Old Testament, Elijah, Elishah, Isaiah and Jeremiah to name a few did not have their wives as prophetesses.

“Likewise the prophetess Deborah did not have her husband along as a prophet alongside her. Now I am not saying that God cannot call a husband and wife as prophets but there is no biblical precedence,” Bishop Manhanga said. The Herald