Pentecostalism and Its 100 Years in the Democratic Republic of Congo: From Rational Reformism to Blind Imperialism

Today's distorted form of Pentecostalism-as, indeed, the practices in many other denominations that have emerged as a result of the religious business model, led by Black preachers-bears no resemblance to that of the pioneers of the past, led by white missionaries. By choosing to write about Pentecostalism, the author contributes his own perspective to the broader discussion that, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as elsewhere, must be led by the church-specifically, the church of today. This is a necessary debate that the church cannot avoid, whether it likes it or not. Pentecostalism is treated here merely as a catalyst that prompts the author to examine the various practices of religious leaders. A Christian himself, the author does not shy away from an observation that-whether some like it or not-is scathing: the white missionary preached the gospel that transformed the "savage"; but the Black preacher used that same Gospel to ensnare his fellow men in the yoke of servitude, spouting empty words while dressing them up with a few Bible verses-from that very book whose admirers are on the verge of throwing it over the millstones.