Is the wife of a prophet a prophetess?

LAST week Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder Prophet Walter Magaya’s wife, Tendai, grabbed headlines as she led a church service where “miracles” are said to have been performed.

This raised speculation as to whether Mrs Magaya was now a prophetess and no explanation has been proffered by PHD.

PHD’s Overseer Admire Mango could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered through the week and he did not respond to SMS’s.

Since PHD came into being about four years ago, Mrs Magaya has kept a low profile, opting for a backseat in the church until last week when she took to the pulpit and “delivered people and healed the sick”.

Is the wife of a prophet a prophetess?

If she is now exercising the spiritual powers exhibited by her husband, then Mrs Magaya joins other women married to prophets who are referred to as prophetesses.

Others prophet-prophetess couples are Spirit Embassy’s Urbert and Beverly Angel and United Family International Church’s Emmanuel and Ruth Makandiwa.

The question people are asking is how wives of prophets become prophetesses.

Some are asking if it is by God’s calling or impartation from the “powerful” husbands. In worst case scenarios, some have suggested use of juju although this allegation remains completely unproven.

Unity Apostolic International Church’s Prophet Emmanuel Mwale said prophets were able to impart “the grace they have to anyone”.

“It’s like if you move around with the man of God you automatically get your own share of anointing, what more with his wife? All the people that I move around with (the protocol people) are anointed only because I move with them,” Prophet Mwale said.

He warned against underestimating the power of prophets.

“We have a certain level that we sometimes reach when we are praying, if we can pray for someone who has multiples of demons and he or she is set free; what about imparting grace to my wife? It’s possible.”

Prophet Mwale said God could use anyone to do anything.

Concurring with Prophet Mwale, a Spirit Embassy official who refused to be named said there were Bible verses that support impartation.

“2 Kings talks about Elijah and Elisha; there was impartation there.

The fact that it happened proves that it is possible. And again most of the servants of God are called when they are still single, when they start to pray for life partners chances are very high that God unveils to them people who are anointed so that they move together in the spirit,” he said.

However, Harare-based theologian Pr Innocent Sibanda said “anointed couples” had nothing to do with a calling but more with the proliferation of “gospreneurship”.

“What I know is that to be a pastor, prophet, reverend, bishop or even a deacon you have to receive a calling from God, it is not automatic. There are some genuine cases but there are very few; the majority is doing it for continuity and money spinning purposes.

“I cannot provide names here for professional reasons but I know of a certain couple here in Harare that did exactly what you asked,” Mr Sibanda said.

He said the Bible has people whom God visited and they did great things but their wives remained anonymous.

Methodist Church in Zimbabwe education secretary, Rev Eliot Mashonganyika said, “In our church we have men who are pastors but their wives are not. We have women who are pastors but their husbands are not and we also have couples who are pastors but what I know is that it should not be automatic, we value the calling.

“As you know, churches differ in doctrines. Maybe it is because of modern doctrines that when a man receives the anointing the wife will also get some.”