PASTOR, WHO CLAIMS HE RAISES BABIES FROM THE DEAD, WINS GOOD HOPE BID

CAPE TOWN—The pastor, whose church has likely bought the landmark Good Hope Centre in Cape Town, charges congregants up to R10,000 to become “partners” in his ministry. For this, Nigerian pastor Ikechukwu John Anosike offers access to prophetic declarations, prayer sessions, and even a personal voice note from the man of God himself. The charismatic preacher, who claims to raise babies from the dead, encourages congregants to “move with the rhythm of heaven” and has a penchant for military fatigues.

He presides over energetic services in which congregants frequently collapse in religious seizures. The paid partnership programme of Spirit Revelation Ecclesia has come under scrutiny after Anosike announced he was the winning bidder for Cape Town’s historic Good Hope Centre, with an offer of R135m. The 49-year-old building, in the sought-after Foreshore area, was one of 53 properties the City of Cape Town recently placed on auction as part of a plan to dispose of underutilised municipal assets.

The city says it is conducting a “post-auction audit of all submissions” and will “make a final decision” once this is completed. Anosike, whose South African ID number shows him to be 45-years-old, appears to make a substantial income from preaching, with several high-value properties in Constantia listed as his residences. He has reportedly been ministering in South Africa for about 16 years and operates a church in Maitland.

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He calls himself “the bondservant of Christ” and describes his ministry as a “government, not a nonprofit organisation”, where mandatory tithes are considered “taxes”. A YouTube video posted by the church this week, titled “Pastor John Anosike finally responds to the Good Hope saga”, outlines plans to “identify the first land, hundreds of acres, to establish the prototype for the city of sons” later this year. According to the church’s website, the partnership scheme is divided into three tiers: The church also encourages congregants to make additional donations through a “salary vow”, which it says “uplifts the hand of the man of God”, allowing him to focus on ministry without financial burden. Members are further encouraged to contribute to a Good Hope Building Vow, referencing the same Good Hope Centre where the ministry says it hosted its first Spirit Revelation Conference in 2013.

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