The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe has been in turmoil in the past two years than at any stage in its history in the country.
I am not Christian and I hope this disclaimer will help.
It means I do not subscribe to either faction and have been questioning the Christology of their activities, without fear or favour. It means I am an outsider, reading from the terraces.
Today, I climb down the terraces to wade into the murky waters. I am there deep in it in a manner that going back is as good as going forward. I have observed this narrative for long.
It is fact not fiction that the current stand-off in AFM is not about anything, but wealth, wealth and wealth.
It is gospreneurship, the art of making money from the word of God. It is a complex struggle to amass wealth, which a few leaders and their cronies have enjoyed over the years, plundered and invested in private business and property.
Today, some who have been in the top echelons of the AFM run chain stores, own an array of moveable and immovable property.
Suffice to say the gloves are off in a fight that defines constitutionalism, religion and religiosity, the art and the belief; the belief and the execution of the belief, wealth and how to access wealth from the church.
Here, the church is no longer the church, but a means to an end, a means to earthly prosperity.
The fad of our time in AFM is that the wheels of lust and plunder have reared their ugly face, turning and turning; turning and turning, again and again, through deep-rooted but calculated factionalism, mudslinging and back biting — all as a means to gain access to the church’s wealth.
While many congregants engrossed themselves in the Bible, unbeknown to them, some have been spinning wealth, wealth and wealth.
A pastor in Bikita, for instance, would get harurwa (stink bugs) as appreciation, one in Dande would get masawu (wild fruits), but one in a plush Harare parish would get three of the latest cars as appreciation, plus scores of thousands of dollars.
The appreciation is two-pronged.
There is appreciation given to the pastor’s wife, which comes in cash, groceries and vehicles. There is appreciation for the pastor himself, which comes in mainly cash and cars.
The initial thinking on the appreciation was that a pastor’s wife receives and hosts many children of the church, seeking solace or refuge to the word, and therefore needs to feed and house them for that period.
But soon it was commercialised.
The timbre of it all is that the top church leaders started positioning their cronies into well-paying parishes at the expense of the word.
Each pastor placed at the well-oiled parish would also tithe to the leadership.
In the final deployment matrix, those who did not have good relations with the leadership were deployed to “poor” parishes.
The fight at the moment is for those who have been closed outside for too long to also gain power and have access to the wealth.
The other faction has been for the idea of having all pastors get a generic salary and benefits, which is not going down well with those who have been benefiting.
It is wrong to say that at least generic salaries or uniform benefits would save the word from gospreneurs, masquerading as pastors and reverends, masquerading as true men of the cloth.
There is a clique demanding an audit of the past regime and that in effect would open a can of worms. But there is need for not only an audit of the church books, but a real lifestyle audit of the leaders, past and present.
The word of God has been abused left, right and centre.
AFM has become a wealth spinning venture. It is fact that some church leaders have more cars than their fingers. They have more cars and houses than the verses of the Bible they can recite.
They know more about how to make money from the church than how to convert people to the church.
Many progressive thinkers within the church now have more questions than answers. It is no longer clear when the church is the church?
When is the church about the word and not money? At what stage is the church a wealth- spinning venture?
When all is said and done, those getting the creepy-crawlies in Bikita and those getting free-falling masawu in Dande might remain closed out while others amass wealth in plush suburbs and rich parishes.
The top echelons of the church locally and internationally can claim to have solved the problem in Zimbabwe, but that can only be a dream.
The fight will remain until there is even distribution of wealth in the church.
It is no longer a church, but The Church. The Business. The wealth-spinning venture.
Info News
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Medicare Advantage Plans: Benefits, Costs, Networks, and What to Know Before Enrolling
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Medicare Advantage Plans: What You Need to Know
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Medicare Advantage plans are one of the most popular Medicare coverage choices. They are also one of the most misunderstood.
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A Medicare Advantage plan, also called Part C, is an alternative way to receive Medicare benefits. These plans are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
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What Does Medicare Advantage Cover?
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These may include:
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Dental
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rnWellness programs
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Benefits vary. Always read the plan documents.
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Types of Medicare Advantage Plans
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Medicare lists several types of Medicare Advantage plans, including HMO, PPO, PFFS, SNP, and MSA plans.
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HMO Plans
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Health Maintenance Organization plans usually require you to use network providers, except in emergencies. You may need referrals for specialists.
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PPO Plans
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SNP Plans
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Special Needs Plans are designed for people with certain diseases, specific care needs, or certain financial situations.
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PFFS Plans
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Private Fee-for-Service plans determine how much they pay providers and how much you pay when receiving care.
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MSA Plans
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Medicare Advantage Costs
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Monthly premium
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A $0 premium plan does not mean free health care. You may still have copays, coinsurance, drug costs, and network rules.
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Why Provider Networks Matter
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Provider networks are one of the biggest Medicare Advantage issues.
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Before enrolling, confirm:
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Your primary doctor accepts the plan
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rnYou understand referral rules
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Do not rely only on old provider lists. Confirm directly with the provider and the plan.
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Prescription Drug Coverage
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Many Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage.
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Check:
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Medication formulary
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Medicare Advantage Pros
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Bundled coverage
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Medicare Advantage Cons
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Potential disadvantages include:
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Provider networks
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rnReferral rules
rnOut-of-network costs
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A plan that works well for one person may not work well for another.
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Who May Like Medicare Advantage?
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Medicare Advantage may be attractive for people who:
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Want bundled coverage
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rnWant dental, vision, or hearing extras
rnDo not travel often for care
rnAre comfortable with plan rules
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Who May Want to Compare Carefully?
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Compare carefully if you:
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Travel frequently
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rnHave expensive medications
rnNeed out-of-network flexibility
rnReceive care across multiple states
rnHave complex medical conditions
rnPrefer Original Medicare provider access
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Final Thoughts
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Medicare Advantage plans can be a good fit for many people, but you must compare carefully.
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Do not choose based only on premium or extra benefits. Check doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, referrals, out-of-pocket limits, and plan rules.
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The right Medicare Advantage plan should match your real health care life.
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