Solomon Male

Solomon Male

Moses Solomon Male (pronounced 'mal-eh') is a pastor in Uganda and Executive Director of Arising For Christ. He is an outspoken critic of corruption in churches, especially those that promote prosperity theology which he calls the gospel of extortion.

He also opposed indulgence in the occult (magic, witchcraft, divination and necromancy) responsible for compelling people into human sacrifice; has openly made a stand against homosexuality; and cares for victims of pedophilia and sexual abuse.

Male was born on 17 August 1962, and converted to a personal faith in Christ on 31 October 1987. In 1988 he became one of the ministers of a church, Holy Church of Christ, "New Chapter" renamed The Synagogue Church of All Nations, whose leaders and members are followers of John Obiri Yeboah, a Ghanain-born former Catholic priest who came to Uganda. Male left that church in 1992, denouncing it as a cult. In 1993 Male was arrested as a result of his accusations against the church, but he was later released and the case was withdrawn. Male then began an evangelistic ministry to help people who had suffered abuse from cults or occult groups.

In 1999 he founded Arising for Christ (ARCH), an Christian organisation whose leadership wants to restore "the sanctity of Christ and to rid the Church of fake and selfish people who carry themselves as pastors to con the desperate and unsuspecting public." The organisation claimed in January 2008 to have compiled a list of 300 believers who accuse born-again pastors of extortion, fraud, sex slavery and other crimes.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Male claimed to be following Martin Luther who centuries before had railed against vice, luxury and corruption among his fellow clergy. He compares the manipulation of sick people into paying for prayers to the sale of indulgences:

"The man who stood against the evil in the church was Martin Luther, because he was against the selling of worthless objects which were to save you from hell. The moment he started the Protestant movement, it gave hope that when something is wrong, there is the possibility of setting it right."