‘Why do intangible gods and God have genders?’ (short 300-word response)
‘Science does not include God, therefore God does not exist’ (short 300-word response)
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Not necessarily. I will briefly explain why.

Pentecostalism proliferates across much of Africa, where it is the fastest-growing religion. Generally, religions contain powerful social dimensions, which are particularly pronounced in African Pentecostalism.

The soil is fertile. When missionaries accompanied colonial invasions into Africa (first in the West around 1500), they found native tribes with rich religious mythologies. Through processes of assimilating, editing, and rejecting of traditional African religious beliefs, missionaries could effectively reach the native populations as a strategy for conversion. For example, the supreme being somewhat paralleled a monotheistic conception, and important African ancestors became associated with Christian angels. Many African practices were condemned (e.g., offerings made at altars). The point is that Africans were and are already very religious.

Fast forward, and neo-liberal influences since the 1960s have exacerbated poverty and produced an exploitative capitalist ideology. Those claiming to be “prophets” based on putative subjective supernatural experiences found and lead religious institutions. They are like CEOs providing followers with what one scholar calls “salvation goods“. This entails prosperity theology and offering niche services similar to a consumer market. These “specializations” include services for safety from witchcraft; healing of HIV/AIDS; female fertility; and spiritual and material wealth. Like businesses, these churches compete in a competitive market by offering salvation services for money.

These are attractive “services” for the needy. When they attend a megachurch (those with at least 2,000 members, which is on the very small end), they see the preacher, the anointed “prophet”, brandishing expensive material gear and promising wealth for faith in God and contributing to the institution.

Pentecostalism is entangled with politics. Politicians want the support of preachers because of their financial resources and large following. Some preachers are the major financial contributors to political rallies and promotions, and fund large “villages” in which these take place.

In short, African Pentecostalism provides both unity and disunity. It is indisputable that it proliferates, with social unity being a major contributor to that. Like most religions, it brings people together who are in similar situations and have similar experiences, to whom preachers’ speak directly.