A well-known East London pastor, whose “miracles” of healing sick and paralysed congregants have been called out as fake, says he is being targeted by jealous detractors.
Spirit Life Church leader, pastor Jay Israel, 26, claims he has been accused of drug dealing, money laundering and scamming congregants to maintain his “lavish” lifestyle.
After more than a year, he has now decided to break his silence, saying the attacks are because he is a successful foreign preacher, operating in SA.
Despite the controversy around false prophets, Israel has backed Pastor Alph Lukau, of Alleluia Ministries International, whose hoax resurrection video went viral in February.
Israel has described him as his “spiritual father” and a “man that I look up to”.
Eastern Cape leader of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) Reverend Lulama Ntshingwa distanced the organisation from Spirit Life Church and other Pentecostal churches.
“All these churches and leaders who do these things, don’t want to be a part of SACC. All member churches are accountable, but these churches coming out of nowhere, do not want to account. We are not saying our churches do not have problems, but people must stay away from these instant churches.”
Much of the scepticism about Israel revolves around an incident at Israel’s Arcadia-based church in 2018...