Prophet orders congregants to divorce. It is alleged Bishop Philip Chipato, who also doubles up as a prophet, encouraged married male congregants to divorce their wives who no longer attend church services.

An Apostolic church bishop in Bulawayo has been accused of wrecking church members’ marriages by ordering married congregants to divorce their partners who would have stopped coming to church.

A pastor who requested anonymity said Chipato preached castigating married female congregants who had somehow stopped coming to church.

It is further said as a result Bishop Chipato reportedly ordered one of his pastors, Cleopas Midzi, to divorce his wife Vimbai Denhere who had stopped attending church services.

“Vimbai stopped coming to church and after about two weeks Bishop Chipato started to teach a series of lessons demonising married partners who would have stopped coming to church. He also ran a series of sermons preaching against such truant members while encouraging their partners to divorce them,”said a source.

An elder of the church who requested anonymity said as a result Midzi divorced his wife. Contacted for a comment Vimbai said:

“I stopped going to that church (Word Apostolic Church) because I did not like the things that were done at that church. His teachings were not in conformity with the word of God. After a month Chipato influenced my husband (Midzi) to divorce me and left me with two children and he is not taking care of them.

The bishop denied all allegations.
-Online