Wutaunashe’s backers beg church deserters to return

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

A group of bishops backing embattled Family of God (FOG) founder and prophet, Andrew Wutawunashe, has sent out a pastoral communique appealing to followers who have left the church to return.

Wutawunashe is currently embroiled in a love scandal and is set to divorce his wife of 10 years, Rutendo, over alleged infidelity.

The prophet of the Pentecostal FOG church has already revealed that he has been separated with his wife for years and reports indicate that he is seeing another church congregant who he intends to marry.

The bishops, however, dismissed the claim of his impending marriage as part of a smear campaign by former key members of FOG who have broken away to form another church, the Family Covenant Church (FCC), to which Rutendo now belongs.

In the communiqué, Wutawunashe’s backers described themselves as the “College of Bishops of the Worldwide Family of God Churches, also known as the African Revival”.

They said they were aware of a string of false claims against Wutaunashe spearheaded by two unnamed bishops who they said used to be part of their college.

“The destructive actions of the leaders…continue to be orchestrated through their followers. It is our sincere conviction after diligent and prayerful enquiry to warn bona fide Christians and members of the Family of God Churches not to be lured and ensnared by these deceptive tactics;” read the communiqué that has been shared on social media.

“We also strongly urge and welcome everyone who has been driven to leave the Revival through these deceptions, to return to the Family of God. As your shepherds we are persuaded that the Lord Jesus Christ who planted you in this Revival has not uprooted you from it,” said the bishops.

They claimed that Wutawunashe had voluntarily disclosed his family conflict in confidential communication that was then leaked by one of the “errant” bishops.

“This confidential communication…was mischievously released to the social pages by a leader whose motive was to create confusion and divide and destroy the church for his own benefit,” said the team of bishops.

They added that leaking the prophet’s letter was part of a strategy to form a splinter church, with Wutawunashe’s detractors claiming that remaining in FOG would taint followers with the spirit of fornication and adultery.

They dismissed the rebel pastors’ claim that Wutawunashe had already paid a bride price for his mistress of years who is said to be based in Botswana.

“This deliberate and blatant lie was later developed into another fabrication that the Prophet had made this girl pregnant,” noted the prophet’s supporters.

They dismissed an alleged claim by FCC members that FOG had been dismantled and rebranded as the breakaway church.

They named one Lawrence Muzembi and Melody Chinouriri as having played an active role in an anti-Wutawunashe social media campaign called “Awake Church” to tarnish the prophet’s image.

The bishops hinted that the group practised homosexuality which they said their prophet was against.

“Strong claims have been made that this project is a homosexual and politically funded sponsored platform to destroy Prophet Wutawunashe and the Family of God for taking a stand that supports President (Robert) Mugabe’s opposition to homosexuality,” they said.

They denied thatWutawunashe was involved in financial impropriety and rubbished Rutendo’s reports that the FOG property was privately owned by the family rather than the church. Nehanda Radio