Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

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Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG, from Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, IURD) is the name for a rapidly growing Brazilian sect. The UCKG, which is sometimes also referred to as a new religious movement, is spreading world-wide, especially in Portuguese-speaking countries.

The UCKG often presents itself as a spiritual Christian centre and as a charity (it is a registered charity in many countries) and is also known by the name 'UCKG HelpCentre'.

Contents

[edit] History

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God adopted its current name in 1979. It was originally founded in 1977, by Edir Macedo and R. R. Soares. Before that, Macedo had been a funeral home director, as well as a salesman for the Rio de Janeiro state lottery. Neither Macedo nor Soares has any formal theological training, but both worked as preachers of a more traditional Pentecostal church, but decided to create a sect whose doctrines more closely reflected their own view of the Gospel as well as the prospect of making profits from this business venture. After the sect's creation, Soares ruptured and established his own Church of the Grace of God (later renamed International Church of the Grace of God).

According to historical exposition by UCKG's bishop Marcelo Crivella, the UCKG and the Church of the Grace share the Pentecostal Church of New Life as a common origin. The division would have been caused by differences of vision of their leaders: while the Church of New Life, directed by the Canadian preacher Robert McAlister, focused on the believers' spiritual improvement, both Macedo and Soares directed their work at showing God's power to non-believers. Whilst Soares emphasized divine cure, Macedo focused on liberation from evil.

The UCKG today is the fastest-growing religious organization in Brazil, with 6 million followers as of 2006. The sect treats an expansion to other countries as one of its main goals. According to the UCKG official website, the sect today is present in 115 nations worldwide. Most of the sect's so-called "pastors" and "bishops" are imported from Brazil which has created doubts with regard to the theological training and qualifications of the mostly self-appointed bishops.

[edit] Ecclesiastical organization

The UCKG follows an episcopal model that can rudimentarily be compared with the model used by the Catholic Church. Unlike many Protestant churches, the UCKG is structured in a top-down rather than bottom-up hierarchy.

Each local congregation of the UCKG counts on some (unpaid) assistants, who are subordinated to the pastors and people in charge of lesser works. Assistants invite people to participate in worship, arrange the reception of the people that arrive at the temples, visit homes of patients and the hospitals, aid the pastors, etc. The pastors do the religious service, orient the workers, and administrate the local sect. The latter includes financial aspects. Above the pastor are the bishops (Obispos), who regulate the doctrinal lines and supervise the work of the pastors.

Different levels of importance and influence exist among bishops in a way unlike the Roman Catholic Church. Although there are varying levels of importance there are no higher ranks than bishop. As is common in religious sects, UCKG leaders are often self-appointed and cannot look back at a rigorous theological training. Many so-called pastors are in their early twenties, unlike in many recognised churches.

UCKG clergy are normally imported from Brazil or Portugal. Some clergy are recruited from within the congregation. Each trainee pastor embarks on a programme of superficial theoretical learning based loosely on a Pentecostal syllabus.

[edit] Doctrines

UCKG's statutes of faith describe thirteen basic doctrines:

  • the existence of one and only God, in the form of the Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
  • the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,
  • Salvation for those who have faith in Christ,
  • eternal life,
  • inerrancy of the Bible, which was written by men divinely inspired by God,
  • the Church as the universal union of all the Christians,
  • baptism by immersion,
  • divine healing,
  • the baptism with the Holy Spirit,
  • the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
  • the Holy Supper(or, "Lord's Supper"),
  • the tithe and voluntary giving,


Thus presented, such doctrines are similar to those of many churches of Christian denominations, particularly those of a Protestant, especially of Pentecostal character. A striking exception is the emphasis on prosperity and tithing.

A more detailed study of these basic doctrinal principles raises serious differences to accepted Christian beliefs.

[edit] Practices

The doctrines of the UCKG influence the organization of the sect and the lifestyles of its followers. This has not always been clear: as in many other religious sects, the behavior of the members is influenced much more by doctrines, traditions and unwritten rules which often do not have a theological basis in the Bible.

[edit] Tithe and offerings

The tithe is present in diverse abrahamic religions, a continuation of the tradition instituted as sacrifice Melchizedek offered to the patriarch Abraham. (Genesis 14,18-24) This practice was regularly incorporated into judaism in the times of Moses, and Christianity inherited this, with tithes being not unusual in Christian denominations.

However, the UCKG has made the tithe and offerings its central driving force. The UCKG's central message is the need to sacrifice first before any reward from God can be expected. This sacrifice is usually in the form of financial giving through the tithe and other offerings. As in other sects, the UCKG creates a bond of dependence with followers who are expected to give offerings continuously to receive blessings. Former members of the sect have testified that they were often required to sacrifice their entire salaries in order to be blessed by God. [1] A common intimidating method used by pastors and bishops is to ask followers to give money publicly (contrary to the Bible), gradually decreasing from high to low amounts so that those who give more can be observed by the whole congregation.[2] This practice contradicts to Jesus teaching that offerings should be given in secret (Matthew 6:3-4).

[edit] Spirituality

The followers believe the work of fallen spirits or demons (sometimes called "encostos") have real oppressing power on people. Such oppressing spirits can act directly on the person, through a demonic possession, or around of it, conspiring, through other people or circumstances. This may come about because of "breaches." (lapses of behavior or in the connection to God).

The Lord’s Prayer which includes the words ‘deliver us from evil’ is in common use across Christian denominations. The UCKG approach is to pray for spiritual cleansing from all negativity. This is deemed ‘deliverance’ and resembles exorcism.

Prayerful support is offered as an alternative to psychiatric care or counselling. So-called “spiritual cleansing” services are held regularly.

Even though the sect claims to heal followers from evil spirits, healing services typically involve the staged healing from minor back problems or the like. The sect even claims it can “cure” homosexuality and conditions as varied as epilepsy, HIV, depression and financial problems.[3]

[edit] Controversies

Not only is the UCKG one of the fastest-growing sects in Brazil, the sect’s members are also fairly outspoken on its beliefs and goals. This has led to debates within the Brazilian religious sphere in the past two decades, concerning the nature of the UCKG's growth and its consequences. Some suggest that the criticism is fueled by religious or political motivations, or simply to discredit a media rival. The most important media scandal involving the UCKG was the "kick of the saint" incident, described later in this article.

Bispo Macedo, the founder and leader of the sect, has also been prosecuted for tax evasion in the state of São Paulo. Bishop Edir Macedo was imprisoned for 11 days in 1992.

Even beyond Brazil the sect has been criticized for its practices, especially its focus on tithes and offerings (see above), and for its involvement in major controversies described below.


[edit] Money laundering and fraud

The sect's practices in terms of calling for tithing and offerings have not only been criticised for their weak theological basis. They have also reinforced longstanding accusations that the sect is involved in large-scale global money-laundering activities.

The sect regularly donates parts of its UK funds to its sister organizations in Brazil and Portugal.[4] While this is legal in practice, it fits into a wider pattern of money transfers conducted by the sect. An inquiry by the Brazilian Office of the Attorney-General has looked into the relations between the sect's leaders and leaders of two dubious companies - Cableinvest Limited and Investholding Limited. Both companies are headquartered in the Caiman Islands, located in a British tax paradise in the Caribbean. Directing the operations in Caiman Islands is Marcelo Crivella, a 43-yar-old economist from Rio de Janeiro and nephew of Edir Macedo, the main leader of the sect.[5] In poor countries such as Mozambique the sect has started to create a financial empire based on followers' offerings.

The sect's money laundering project allegedly involves a triangle trade between dollar changers in Brazil, offshore companies of the Caiman Islands and investment banks in Uruguay. A small, documented part of the project includes 76 contracts from February to October 1992, where the two companies had borrowed US$ 6.3 million to the bishops, reverends and a group of the sect's sympathisers.[6]


[edit] Victoria Climbié's death

Main article: Victoria Climbié

Victoria Climbié was a child murder victim whose death led to major changes in child protection policies in the UK.

The eight-year-old died from abuse and neglect while living with her aunt Marie-Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning. Victoria was seen by dozens of social workers, nurses, doctors and police officers before she died but all failed to spot and stop the abuse as she was slowly tortured to death. Marie Thérèse Kouao and Carl Manning were charged with child cruelty and murder. During police interviews, both claimed that Victoria was possessed. Their trial ran from November 2000 to January 12, 2001. Both were found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Victoria's murder led to a public inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, which investigated the role of social services, the National Health Service, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and the police in her death.

The eight-year-old attended the UCKG with her aunt on three occasions and the pastors had very little contact with her. Even though a Charity Commission investigation ascertained that there was no wrongdoing on the part of the sect, the local UCKG pastor thought she was possessed by evil spirits and taken to a "deliverance from witchcraft" service.[7]

The sect only implemented a formal Child Protection policy after the death of the child.

[edit] UK Charity Commission Inquiry

Additionally, in the wake of the public attention to the UCKG's involvement in the Climbié case, an official inquiry by the UK Charity Commission was launched into the UCKG's financial records, issues over child protection and discrepancies in its constitution.

The inquiry revealed several dubious facts about the sect. It was shown that substantial amounts of money (£1.36m in 2000) are regularly donated or transferred to the sister sect in Brazil. In addition, the inquiry pointed out that two employees (pastors) of UCKG were also members of the Executive Committee of the registered charity and as such were charity trustees. Subsequently, the pastors had to resign from the Executive Committee. The Charity Commission also complained about the UCKG's lack of a formal child protection policy. Such a policy was finally implemented on the commission's advice.

[edit] Belgian Parliament Inquiry

A 1997 Belgian Parliament Inquiry Committee on Sects .pdf file with text in French and Dutch labeled the UCKG as a dangerous cult. According to the Committee's report, the UCKG is out to defraud believers. The report said that "This is an authentic crime organization whose only goal is to enrich itself. This is an extreme form of religious merchandising."

Another excerpt: "[The Church] pretends that the Kingdom of God is down here and that it can offer a solution to every possible problem, depression, unemployment, family and financial problems. In fact, [the UCKG] apparently seems to be a truly criminal association, whose only purpose is enriching."[8]

[edit] The "Kicking of the Saint"

Main article: Kicking of the Saint

The most serious controversy involving the UCKG in Brazil is the episode known as the "Kick of the Saint." In the early hours of October 12, 1995 - a holiday in honor of national Catholic patron Our Lady of Aparecida - UCKG's bishop Sergio von Helde expressed his objection to icon worship on the UCKG-owned Record TV.

The way he showed his hostility gained notice. He walked to an image of Brazil's patron and proceeded to hit it several times with his feet. Von Helde simultaneously shouted "This is no god" and "Can God really be compared to this ugly thing?" 884K QuickTime Movie.

This incident caused commotion in Brazil. Media outlets repeatedly depicted the scene for many days. The large Catholic community responded with ire, often using violent means. Followers of other religions also expressed reprovation. Von Helde's kicks sparked great hostility against the UCKG (and, to a lesser extent, Protestants in general) that dates to current times.

Additionally several public authorities supported the initial commotion and hostility to the group. State marshalls, public attorneys and politicians, as well as ordinary people from all over the country, filed many complaints against both Von Helde and the UCKG, alleging crimes of vilification and disrespect of the constitutional right to freedom of worship. The case occupied large portions of the news for many days, until its ratings potential was completely exhausted.

Although it lost media attention, the "kicking the saint" case left scars in a generation of Brazilians. It is still brought back to memory by groups opposing the UCKG, especially in the political sphere.

Consequences of the case are stronger among Catholics. However, some segments of the Catholic population argue that the issue was exaggerated. According to them a saint's image is not in itself sacred, unless it has been sanctified by a competent priest, and since Von Helde probably didn't bother to sanctify the one he kicked, he had indeed kicked just an ordinary doll, and not an object of Catholic devotion. For those who support this idea, the case, while still showing some disdain and disrespect of another's faith, was more a media phenomenon than a severe religious schism.

Among protestant and other evangelical groups views vary even more. Since they do not believe in any religious art, they agree with UCKG in deeming saints' images as idols. For this reason, many of them were sympathetic to the UCKG's statement of what they saw as the truth. Other Protestants argued that it was gratuitous and unnecessarily disrespectful. The two groups then had some friction between each other; UCKG supporters accused the others of cowardice and attempting to get illegitimate sympathy from Catholics, while the latter accused the former of inconsequential fanaticism.

[edit] Media empire

The UCKG is frowned upon by some Brazilians, particularly mainstream newspapers and newsmagazines. Their involvement in telecommunications has also brought controversy.

In 1989 the UCKG acquired Rede Record, a media conglomerate (including a major national television) headquartered in São Paulo. The sect also controls 30 radio stations, two newspapers and a magazine.

Recently the UCKG extented its media acquisitions to other nations, particularly in Latin America.

[edit] Politics

The UCKG is today an important political player in Brazil. 18 congressmen elected in the 2002 paliamentary elections to the Chamber of Deputies (Lower House), and 1 senator, bishop Marcelo Crivella, a member of the Senate (Upper House), publicly declared themselves to be members of the sect and actively sought votes from sect members.

Politicians from various political parties consider support from the UCKG a valuable advantage.

Many high-ranked sect members- "bishops" - have been involved in notable corruption scandals, such as the recent Mensalão scandal.

[edit] Acquisition of Cultural Landmarks

Throughout the years the UCKG has acquired or tried to acquire several cultural landmarks to convert them into large cult places. Theatres and cinemas offer the perfect venue for a growing church. Prepared to receive thousands of believers and with an easy-to-convert structure, these have been targeted by the UCKG in many countries. One famous example was the One Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which was considered by many as a jewel of the Hollywood golden era[9] [10]. After some years, the building was reopened as a theater in February 2008 [11]. Another case that sparked heated controversy was the attempted acquisition, in 1995, of Coliseu do Porto, arguably the most famous show theater in the city of Porto in Portugal. In 1995 the building was owned by French insurance companies' group AXA, who tried to sell it to the UCKG. However, the issue led people connected with political power, culture and arts to mobilize the population of the city into a large demonstration of condemnation of the move. A few months later (November 1995) the city and the government, declaring the cultural importance of the building, made an agreement with AXA to transfer the property to a group of citizens that manages the theater as a cultural hotspot since then [12] [13].

[edit] Views from other religious groups

Other religious groups often criticize the UCKG for its unconventional and controversial practices.

[edit] Evangelical churches

Other Protestant and Evangelical groups do not have a unanimous opinion of the UCKG. In both cases the terms cover a diversity of religious orientations. Many of these groups use the expression "Theology of the Prosperity" to accuse the UCKG members of seeking material gain from their faith. Another accusation is that the UCKG officers have little Biblical knowledge. They criticize the alleged superficiality of their knowledge as possibly being caused by the materialistic concerns of the UCKG. One of the consequences of this Biblical "superficiality", critics claim, is that traces of non-Christians rituals like the use of salt or branches of rue.

[edit] Catholic Church

There are many differences in theological beliefs between the UCKG and the Catholic Church, Brazil's major religion. The most prominent question is UCKG's vehement condemnation of dulia (veneration of saints and martyrs), which evokes reactions and manifestations of repulse from Catholics. Like Protestant denominations, UCKG's position is that Catholics veneration of saints constitutes idolatry.

[edit] Beliefs of African origin

The UCKG leaders state that incorporation of elements of African origin to Christianity should be avoided. This is a common practice in Brazil, deriving from colonial times, when African slaves adapted Catholic religious practices to their rituals. Religious syncretism gave birth to modern Brazilian religions Umbanda and Candomblé. The UCKG repudiates such beliefs as corrupted and perverse, akin to worship of demons. Unsurprisingly followers of African religions have demonstrated outrage.

In the beginning of 2005, animosity between the UCKG and African religions' practicers reached its peak. This occurred because of a new edition of a book by bishop Edir Macedo, in which he associates African deities and spiritual entities to demons and creatures in service of Satan. He adds that the objective of these forces is in opposition to the will of Yahweh, God of the Christians, as well as the destruction of the integrity and the ruin of humans. Some people, particularly in the state of Bahia, notorious for bearing the largest number of members of African-Brazilian religions, have asked for the law to act on the book. On the other hand, local newspapers of the city of Rio de Janeiro reported about violent acts committed by UCKG followers against praticants of African-Brazilian religions, such as throwing stones and beating.

[edit] External links