A BISHOP at a popular charismatic church allegedly raped one of his aides and then quoted scriptures from the Bible to comfort her.
The woman, whose job was to take care of his needs when he visited Johannesburg, said the bishop ordered her to his hotel room at around 11am one day in October last year. The incident happened at a Sandton hotel that the bishop used regularly.
"I wanted to sit down but he grabbed my hand and said, 'don't be scared, all is well'. He pulled me closer to him and ripped my yellow shirt open. I started saying no and realised that he had an erection. He pushed me to the bed and pressed my thighs down, they [the thighs] were in pain. I kept saying no, please don't. He said to me 'shhhhh, don't be scared, it's OK'."
The bishop at the Command of Faith Miracle Ministries Worldwide then allegedly overpowered her, unzipped her jeans and raped her.
She said he apologised when she asked why he had raped her. He allegedly also told her to pray, as he quoted the scripture 1 John 1:9 which reads: "If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."
The woman said she reported the matter to other church elders but it was covered up. After a year of fighting for action to be taken by the church did not yield any progress, she reported the rape and intimidation to the Sandton police last week.
She said the bishop's advances started in 2012. He once asked her to sleep in his hotel bed naked but she refused.
"That was the first time I got scared of being around him. I did not tell anyone because he is a bishop of the church and everyone would believe him over me. I just prayed for myself and asked God for protection."
She said the bishop began to call her at ungodly hours of the night.
"He demanded that I email him my HIV status but I did not respond.
"He would then want to have sex with me over the phone, sweet talking and calling me baby," she said.
"He would want to know if I am alone and what I am wearing. But I would not satisfy his desires."
She said she reported the rape to her pastor who told her to pray and referred her to his wife. The pastor's wife allegedly gave her a Joyce Meyer book titled Living Beyond Your Feelings.
"She told me to be like David in the Bible, so that I do not live under a curse but a blessing."
Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela confirmed the case.
ratsatsip@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
'Bishop raped and told me to pray'
A BISHOP at a popular charismatic church allegedly raped one of his aides and then quoted scriptures from the Bible to comfort her.
The woman, whose job was to take care of his needs when he visited Johannesburg, said the bishop ordered her to his hotel room at around 11am one day in October last year. The incident happened at a Sandton hotel that the bishop used regularly.
"I wanted to sit down but he grabbed my hand and said, 'don't be scared, all is well'. He pulled me closer to him and ripped my yellow shirt open. I started saying no and realised that he had an erection. He pushed me to the bed and pressed my thighs down, they [the thighs] were in pain. I kept saying no, please don't. He said to me 'shhhhh, don't be scared, it's OK'."
The bishop at the Command of Faith Miracle Ministries Worldwide then allegedly overpowered her, unzipped her jeans and raped her.
She said he apologised when she asked why he had raped her. He allegedly also told her to pray, as he quoted the scripture 1 John 1:9 which reads: "If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."
The woman said she reported the matter to other church elders but it was covered up. After a year of fighting for action to be taken by the church did not yield any progress, she reported the rape and intimidation to the Sandton police last week.
She said the bishop's advances started in 2012. He once asked her to sleep in his hotel bed naked but she refused.
"That was the first time I got scared of being around him. I did not tell anyone because he is a bishop of the church and everyone would believe him over me. I just prayed for myself and asked God for protection."
She said the bishop began to call her at ungodly hours of the night.
"He demanded that I email him my HIV status but I did not respond.
"He would then want to have sex with me over the phone, sweet talking and calling me baby," she said.
"He would want to know if I am alone and what I am wearing. But I would not satisfy his desires."
She said she reported the rape to her pastor who told her to pray and referred her to his wife. The pastor's wife allegedly gave her a Joyce Meyer book titled Living Beyond Your Feelings.
"She told me to be like David in the Bible, so that I do not live under a curse but a blessing."
Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela confirmed the case.
ratsatsip@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos