By: Rev. Santino Odong Othol
The above-mentioned article, written by Abraham Anyon Ngor, was published on Monday April 24, 2023, by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Issue No. 851. On that day, I was in Yei town. While listening to morning news on Radio Miraya FM, I heard the above-mentioned article from the newspapers’ headings highlights/reviews. Eventually, I asked one of my relatives here in Juba to reserve for me a copy of this newspaper issue which I read immediately upon my arrival from Yei on Tuesday, April 25/2023. The reason for which I wanted to read this copy is because for a long time, I have followed with great concern the teachings of Brother Abraham Chol Makueth. Thus, despite a lot of commitments including engagements in attending to the affairs of the returnees and refugees who are affected by the ongoing war in the Sudan, I thought it worth sparing some time for this essential article so that I will not have to repent for keeping silent as Martin Luther King once said “We shall have to repent in this generation, not so much for the evil deeds of the wicked people, but for the appalling silence of the good people”. Hence, I chose not to keep quiet in this debate because if we keep quiet at times like these many people of God will be led astray by wrong teachings, as it happened in South Africa a few years ago, when a pastor asked members of his congregation to eat grass like animals, so that they become closer to God, he claimed. Likewise, misleading teachings of a Kenyan pastor resulted in the death of a hundred of his followers a few weeks ago. These are only, two examples of multiple false teachings which led people astray, worldwide over the centuries. This is in line with what Hellen Nyantoc Manyiel, a Kush International Church member who said “they were with Abraham because he was showing them the way to life by worshipping Jesus. However, now she said he is taking people astray.” This act of taking people away has to be stopped before it goes far. That is why I congratulate those members of Kush International Church who rejected to worship Abraham Chol Makueth.
Before commenting on the article, which is the subject of this writing, I would like to respond to an anticipated critique which might be put forward that why do you get involved in internal affairs of a different church? Kush International Church in this case. Even though this is an internal affair of Kush International Church, the fact that it has gone public, is no longer a private issue. Additionally, the extent and impact of Abraham’s teachings are not limited to Kush Internal Church members alone. This applies to teachings of all other religious leaders; they are not limited to their institutions alone. These two reasons, among others, give individuals concerned like me to express their opinions with due respect to the Church or religious institution concerned, Kush International in this case once again. Therefore, I pray and trust that this article will be of benefit to the readers, especially members of Kush International Church.
As I mentioned earlier that I followed Abraham’s teachings with great concern for a long time; perhaps in 2012 or 2013, when I was in Malakal town, brother Abraham Chol Makueth went to Malakal and took a big population of the town for baptism and rebaptism in the River Nile claiming that previous baptism of those Christians he intended to re-baptize including that of church leaders who he said were opposed to his teachings, was invalid because of the mode in which they were baptized. Besides this, brother Abraham taught many inappropriate teachings including uttering a prophecy that it would not rain in Malakal until he would have returned to Juba, a prophecy which to the best of my knowledge, was not fulfilled. These claims disturbed me a lot especially those regarding baptism and rebaptism. A matter which prompted me to ask the Catholic Church Mwahaba Radio to give me a chance on their radio station to correct Abraham’s misleading teachings especially, on baptism which actually is one of the controversial subjects in the Church which has been debated for centuries and still being debated at present. But, due to the fact that my request was not in line with Mwahaba Radio’s operational policies, they did not accept my request. And since there were no newspapers in the town and no widespread use of social media at that time as it is nowadays, I could not succeed in my endeavour. However, on September 19/2018, on the then Arabic daily newspaper “Iradet El Shaab” Issue No 32, I came across an interview by the paper with Abraham Chol in which he claimed that South Sudan’s many problems were due to its refusal of its real name which is “Kush” according to him. Disturbed by misinformation in the interview, in the following days I responded to it on the same newspaper explaining what I thought is the correct understanding of the biblical Kush based on historical and geographical evidence that biblical Kush did not apply only to South Sudan; instead, it comprehended a large land in Africa reaching even to some parts of West Africa.
In subsequent years, I followed mainly on radio, the misleading teachings of Abraham Chol Makueth, including his denial of Jesus Christ. The claim that he is Adam, son of God and people should worship him, a fact which is evident in the article which is the subject of this piece of writing whereby, Pastor Samuel Mabor Aliet, who is now in charge of Kush International Church says ‘The reason why we banned him [That is Abraham Chol] is that he denied Jesus. He said that Jesus is for illuminati and Jesus is a white man…… and Jesus was sent to the Israelites and not to the Cushites… He [Abraham Chol] ordered all those who did not worship him to leave the Church immediately to go to other churches.
While listening to Abraham’s false teachings over the years, I prayed for him many times and pitied those who followed his teachings for accepting such obvious heretical teachings. That is why I am now pleased by the positive move and action of Kush International Church members as they came to know the truth which Jesus said will set people free when they know it (Gospel of John 8:36). The truth set them free and recognized the misleading teachings of Abraham Chol Makueth.
I want to make it crystal clear that despite my disagreement with Abraham’s heretical teachings, the Bible requires us to love every person who is created in God’s image and pray for them including those whom we disagree with as the scripture tells us that “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) NIV. However, loving one another does not prohibit telling the truth as Paul says, “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) NIV and as the Arabic famous proverbs say “el ikhitilaf fi rai la tafsud lil wud gadiya” which could be roughly translated as “difference of opinion does not spoil love.”
Regarding the article, which is the subject of this writing, I would like to appreciate and congratulate the present Kush International new leadership for the corrective step which they have taken by removing Abraham from leading the church so that, he will not continue misleading the church members and the public. I appreciate this move because it is a good step in the right direction. A big problem with (AICs) (African initiated churches) the category to which Kush International Church belongs is autocratic style of leadership in which, an individual leader mostly, a founder acts as an autocrat with unlimited powers despite the fact that no human being is absolute. Saying this is not looking down on (AICs) and does not mean that other churches are perfect. No church is perfect, but leading a church by only one individual creates more problems.
Bravo to Kush International Church members who stand with the truth that no human being can be worshipped. The demand to worship a human being is contrary to the scriptures. For example, Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (NIV) says that:
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known)” and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Somebody demanding people to worship him or her is a kind of asking people to worship other gods. Thus, the Kush International Church members who refused to worship Abraham Chol Makueth, passed the test mentioned in the above biblical cited text. Those who still support Abraham’s wrong teachings have to rethink and make the right decision. I pray and advise them to accept being freed by the Son of God from their blindness to truth.
In Acts of the Apostles chapter 14:8-15, when Paul and Barnabas healed a crippled man in Lystra, the priest of god “Zeus whose temple was outside the city”, attempted to worship Paul and Barnabas by offering sacrifices to them. But the apostles refused as they told him and others:
“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them”, (Acts 14:15) NIV.
This is a clear sound biblical teaching that to worship human person is not only wrong, but it is idolatry. Hence, it has to be opposed. In this case, it was rejected by the true preachers of the Gospel whereas in the case of Kush International Church, it is objected to by Christian believers who know the truth of the Gospel that is why they are to be appreciated.
Now, when somebody says that they worship Abraham because he does miracles and God is in him as pastor Eva says that ‘all the church members agreed for Abraham to be the King because he does wonder no human being can do’, is a complete ignorance about the scriptures.
Eva continued to say:
“2021 in July, all Cushites agreed and voted from him [Abraham Chol] to be King of Kush Kingdom, because of the things he does no human being can do, healing people sick of HIV. Who can do that? [asked Eva] We are defending our identity. It was Jesus who told Abraham that this is the route you have to take, you are a Cushite. Jesus was sent to the Israelites, you [Abraham] are sent to the people of Cush. So [it was] revealed to Abraham in the spirit that you [Abraham] are not Christian but a Cushite.”
Eva’s second statement above contradicts itself. First, she said that it was the church in July 2021, which voted for Abraham Chol Makueth to be King of Kush kingdom because he does miracles such as healing the sick with HIV which no human being can do. She contradicts herself when she said that it was Jesus who revealed that Abraham is a Kushite. So, the question is which one is correct? Was Abraham made king by the church, voting him into such position? Or was it Jesus who revealed to Abraham that he is Kushite and king. Now what was the basis of the church’s voting for the king? Does the church’s constitution say that? Or what was the basis? I think these are legitimate questions which need answers. Eva further argues that they “worship Abraham because God is in him.”
These arguments are complete blindness and ignorance about God and the scripture which clearly teaches that there will be false Christs and false prophets, who will perform great miracles in the end times to mislead people including the elect, if this were possible (Matthew 24:24).
It is very strange that some people are misled to the extent of believing that God, their creator and creator of the whole universe could be limited in a tiny human person. No surprise, some false prophets of the Old Testament times made the same claim. Zedekiah, son of Kenaanah was one of the Old Testament false prophets, who tried to limit the Spirit of the Lord to himself as he slapped in the face Micaiah son of Imlah a true prophet saying, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?” (1Kings 22:24) NIV. This is exactly the same claim which Eva made regarding Abraham Chol Makueth.
Such people forget that the Lord God is their creator who is omnipresent, a Latin word which means that he is present everywhere at the same time. He cannot be limited in a tiny creature like human person, any other creature, or human made objects. This is a similar sin which some Jews did by attempting to limit God in the temple as they continued doing all kinds of evils thinking that this would not matter as long as they trusted in the temple. As a result, Jeremiah the prophet had to rebuke them not to think that God is confined to the temple (Jeremiah 7:1-15). Similarly, Stephen in Acts of the Apostles 7:48 says that God does not live in houses made by men. In the following verse (Acts 7:49) NIV, he quotes Isaiah 66:1 in which God says “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of a house you build for me? Says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?”
To sum up, in this article, I thought it essential to appreciate the corrective move by the Kush International Church members who stood up for the truth and refused to worship a mere person who is like them because we should appreciate what is right and criticize what is wrong. For this reason, I congratulate them for this step in the right direction. Moreover, in this article I have explained that I followed with great concern, the false teachings of Abraham Chol Makueth over the years. That is why I appreciate the decision which was taken by some Kush International Church members who rejected the worship of Abraham Chol. Therefore, I am urging the other members of Kush International Church, who are still following the wrong teachings of Abraham Chol, to rethink and make the right decision like those who have rejected the heretical teachings of Abraham Chol. I pray that the Lord will enlighten their minds and hearts to know the truth of the Gospel, accept it and apply it. I also pray for Abraham Chol and urge him to repent from his sin of denying Jesus and demanding to be worshipped. May the gracious Lord forgive him and bring him back to his service.
Finally, but not the least, I tried to express my opinion without being harsh on those whom I disagree with. However, if somebody will feel hurt by some of my words and expressions, please pardon me. I have no intention to hurting you. I hope this humble contribution of opinion will be of help and benefit to the readers, especially members of Kush International Church.
Sources
Anderson, Michael. 2005. “Martin Luther King.” VMI Publishers: Sisters, Oregon: USA.
A South African Preacher Asked His Congregation to Eat Grass to Be Closer to God. www.nydailynews.com. Accessed May 5, 20203.
Fdl, Yusuf Hassn. Sudan in Africa. Khartoum University Press. 1985.
Othol, Santino Odong. 2018. Is South Sudan the Biblical Kush. “Eradet Elshaab Daily News Paper”, Juba, South Sudan.
Partalis, P.J. To the Nile. Australia: Giffin Press. n. d.
Two Kenyan Pastors Caused The Death of 100 People of Their followers. www.voanews.com. Accessed May 5, 2023.
The writer is a pastor and could be reached at: Email: santinoodong@gmail.com /Telephones: +211912661560/ +211922313319.