A concerned citizen is calling on the Government to investigate a number of so-called religious organizations and put regulations in place to protect vulnerable residents.
Her call comes amidst allegations of millions of dollars having been channeled by a prominent citizen into a local church.
In an open letter, the woman asks the Government to take action immediately against the organizations that are “operating in the name of church, but are actually businesses, enriching themselves on the backs of hardworking men and women.”
The woman is a former member of such an organization, and said that the heads of these “churches” instill fear in their congregations.
She says she was told that she would be cursed, or die, if she left the organization. And after finding the courage to leave, she says the members prayed for her demise.
She says, as well, that members would suffer severe rebuke for not paying their tithes.
Accordingly, the woman is asking about the Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which was established years ago, reportedly to oversee the operations of religious bodies.
If this body is still functioning, she wants to know why it has not stepped in to ensure that persons who operate under the cover of churches are doing exactly that – and not just using the name of God to make money.
The woman is concerned that members of these organizations are being plunged into poverty because of “these wolves in sheep’s clothing,” as she describes them.
She says there are dozens of churches operating in this fashion in Antigua. Therefore, she says regulations need to be put in place to protect people seeking a relationship with God, but who are being led astray by greedy, evil men.
