Uebert Angel

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Uebert Angel
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Uebert Angel speaking in London, UK 2021
Born
Uebert Mudzanire

(1978-09-06) 6 September 1978 (age 46) [1] [2]
Zaka, Zimbabwe
NationalityZimbabwean and British
Occupation(s)Ministry founder, televangelist, businessman, Ambassador
SpouseBeverly Angel [3]
Website www.uebertangel.org

Uebert Angel (born Uebert Mudzanire; [4] 6 September 1978) is a British-Zimbabwean Businessman and a preacher. [5] He is an evangelical preacher and the founder of Spirit Embassy, a Pentecostal ministry in the United Kingdom.

Contents

He is also the Presidential Envoy and Ambassador At Large for the country of Zimbabwe to Europe and the Americas. [6] [7] He is commonly referred to as Prophet Angel [8] and also formerly known as Uebert Angel Mudzanire. [9] [10] [11] [12] The church was founded in 2007 as "Spirit Embassy" and in October 2015 it rebranded its name to "Good News Church", retaining "Spirit Embassy" as a term for Angel's overall ministry. [13] [14]

Described as "a young charismatic prophet", Angel travels by helicopter to preach the message that God wants his flock to be rich, as rich as he is. [15] He is also the founder of The Angel Organisation which is the parent company for his other business interests. [16]

Angel has been critiqued for advocating prosperity theology through his sermons, teachings and writings, or the prosperity gospel, a pseudo-theological belief that the reward of financial and material gain is the divine will of God for all pious Christians.[ citation needed ]

Identity

Angel's true identity has been subject of debate. A Zimbabwean newspaper revealed that he uses two national identification cards with different birthdays. The same paper also revealed that his British passport uses a different birthday than the one submitted when registering companies. [17]

Life and education

Angel was born and grew up in Masvingo, Zimbabwe and later moved to Manchester, England, where he founded the Spirit Embassy ministry in 2007. [18] Angel has two financial degrees, one post-graduate degree in education from University of Bolton, and a Masters in Entrepreneurship from the University of Edinburgh. [19]

Ministry and prosperity theology

In October 2015 the Spirit Embassy ministry re-branded its name to the "Good News Church" (sometimes referred to as "Spirit Embassy Good News Church"). [14] [20] The church ministry attracted numerous followers and there are currently 70 branches in over 15 different countries in Europe, Africa and the US. Angel has also launched Miracle TV and Good News TV where he carries out regular speaking engagements and broadcasts programs on behalf of the Good News Church. [21] He is also the founder and president of Osborn Institute of Theology, an online Bible school which was launched in August 2012. [22]

Angel has been critiqued for advocating prosperity theology through his sermons, teachings and writings, or the prosperity gospel, [23] a pseudo-theological belief that the reward of financial and material gain is the divine will of God for all pious Christians. [24] Thus, his ministry appears to be indirectly promoting tithing and prosperity theology [25] in a very persuading manner. [26] [27] This is similar to the doctrines of other mega churches, televangelists, and several prominent figures associated with prosperity theology.[ citation needed ]

Angel has been in the center of multiple scams and controversies throughout his ministry and various charities, leading to him being called a 'fraudster' or a 'false prophet'. [28] Despite attempts to brush the allegations aside, there have been various accusations nevertheless, which have been both financial and sexual in nature. [29] [30] [31]

Business activities

Angel started his career in 2005 as a businessman when he founded Club Millionaire Limited, providing concierge services in Britain. [32] He entered the real estate business developing residential properties and later moved to commercial establishments, land and building acquisition, as well as buying and selling of properties. In 2006 he made his first property sale, and in 2008 he founded Sam Barkeley Construction and The Angel Organisation, the parent company for his business interests, of which he currently is CEO. [33] He also runs other business enterprises under the parent company, including Brits Bank and Atom Mobile. [34] He is also the founder of The Millionaire Academy, whose stated purpose is to instruct individuals how to become successful entrepreneurs and run businesses of their own. [35]

In 2014, a Radio Station in Zimbabwe claimed to have access to an "unedited Forbes Magazine story" detailing Uebert Angel's wealth. [32] m Angel is involved in a number of commercial real estate projects including the transformation of an old West Midlands Cinema and nightclub into a theatre style events centre. [36] Another UK project is the building of Angel's office headquarters in Lincolnshire, East Midlands. [37]

Angel has launched several businesses which have never taken off. Out of 20 companies opened in a period of two years, only two are active. [38] He launched a bank in 2017 amid fanfare but the institution later folded despite church members putting deposits. [39] [40] He launched a television news channel, which was soon exposed as using models from Fiverr, a freelancer website. [41] [42] That news business also collapsed and was de-registered. Angel has also launched an energy drink, which folded in unclear circumstances. [42]

Ambassadorial role

In March 2021 Angel was appointed as the nation of Zimbabwe's Ambassador at Large and Presidential Envoy by Zimbabwean president H.E. President Emmerson Mnangagwa. [43] The ambassadorial role came with the responsibility for Angel to seek trade and investment opportunities for the country of Zimbabwe. [19] Since being appointed Angel has embarked on a number of projects. [44]

In July 2023, Angel was appointed as the Ambassador for Interfaith Dialogue and Humanitarian Affairs at the Pan African Parliament of the African Union. [45]

Fraud allegation

The accusation defrauded a Bentley Continental from the owner, which was valued at over $300,000. [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] It was assumed that Angel fled to the UK in 2015 to avoid arrest warrants [51] in Zimbabwe over summons issued regarding these allegations. [52] [53] [54] [55] In February 2016, the arrest warrant was cancelled by the Harare provincial magistrate, Vakayi Chikwekwe. [56] [53]

Al-Jazeera investigation on gold smuggling

Uebert Angel was cleared by Zimbabwe's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of all accusations made by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit in March 2023. [57] The investigation by Al Jazeera had alleged that Angel was abusing his diplomatic privileges to facilitate a global money laundering operation. According to the report, this operation involved channeling illicit funds into Zimbabwe, exchanging them for gold sourced from Zimbabwean mines, and selling the gold abroad for clean money. Al Jazeera's undercover reporters, posing as potential clients, recorded Angel allegedly saying, "You want gold, gold we can do it right now, we can make the call right now, and it’s done." [58] However, subsequent investigations by the FIU found no evidence to substantiate these claims, clearing Angel of wrongdoing. [57]

Preacher Jerome Fernando who claims to be a prophet who Uebert appointed to head the Glorius Church in Sri Lanka denied allegations and threatened legal action against accusers. [59] Uebert and Jerome also had met with members of the Rajapaksa family during preaching sessions with Jerome and were given military protection under the Rajapaksa administration. [60] [61]

Humanitarian activities

Angel and his wife Beverly Angel have both been involved in charity work since the launch of his church in 2007. He helps poor families in Africa and Asia by providing monthly groceries and paying the tuition fees of children through his "Adopt a Family" scheme. [62] In November 2015, he founded Uebert Angel Foundation with his wife which helps poor students by providing scholarships, and tuition fees for education. [63] [64] He is also founder of Free Earth Humanitarian Organisation which works to ensure that underprivileged people have their basic needs for living met. [35] In January 2020 the Angels paid school fees for an entire school of 797 students at Kadyamadare Primary School in the Chikwaka Communal Lands in Zimbabwe. This was done again through Uebert Angel's charity arm the Uebert Angel Foundation (UAF). The foundation followed this up in February when they did the same for 1026 students at Bota Primary School in Masvingo, paying their school fees including levies – for the whole year. [65]

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Uebert Angel Foundation (UAF) executed a number of charitable projects which started with $15,000 in mealie meals to feed vulnerable families in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. [66] That was followed one month later when UAF donated bags of mealie meal and cooking oil to vulnerable members of his 5000 strong branch of Spirit Embassy: GoodNews Church in Harare, Zimbabwe. [67]

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References

  1. ↑ Muguwu, Sharon (21 August 2015). "Hollywood stars laud birthday boy Uebert Angel – Nehanda Radio". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Chitando, Ezra; Gunda, Masiiwa Ragies; Kügler, Joachim, eds. (2013). Prophets, Profits and the Bible in Zimbabwe: Festschrift for Aynos Masotcha Moyo. University of Bamberg Press. p. 161. ISBN   9783863091989.
  3. ↑ "Uebert Angel shares loving moment with wife Beverly in their 13 acre garden". 20 August 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Mudzingwa, Kamurai (11 March 2014). "Uebert Angel is an anointed man". NewsDay.
  5. ↑ Muronzi, Chris. "Zimbabweans outraged by Al Jazeera exposé on gold smuggling elite". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "President appoints Angel ambassador". The Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "PICS: Prophet Uebert Angel Appointed Special Presidential Envoy & Ambassador at Large For Zimbabwe". iHarare News. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Kangwa, Jonathan (31 March 2016). "The role of the theology of retribution in the growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches in Africa". Verbum et Ecclesia. 37 (1): 9 pages. doi: 10.4102/ve.v37i1.1542 .
  9. ↑ "Prophert Uebert Angel surprises congregant with R-class Mercedes as a gift". Report Focus News. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "Uganda President Museveni receives Prophet Uebert Angel". www.maravipost.com. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Uebert Angel meets Ugandan President expresses interest to invest in Uganda". Report Focus News. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel launches new TV station on Sky platform in the UK". Nehanda Radio. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  13. ↑ Togarasei, Lovemore (2016). "Historicising Penteoostal Christianity in Zimbabwe". Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae. 42 (1). doi:10.17159/2412-4265/2016.
  14. 1 2 Bizure, Adoration (13 October 2015). "Uebert Angel rebrands his church". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "Letter from Africa: Farai Sevenzo on prophets' predictions". BBC News. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Angel Organisation – Uebert Angel". The Angel Organisation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Standard, The. "Uebert Angel's double IDs mystery". The Standard. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel to visit Malawi: Brings package for street kids and charity activities". Nyasa Times . 10 June 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  19. 1 2 Herald, The. "President appoints Angel ambassador". The Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Contrary To Media Reports Spirit Embassy (The Good News Church) is Flourishing in Zimbabwe". 4 January 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "GoodNews TV – Uebert Angel" . Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  22. ↑ "Prophet Makandiwa, Prophet Angel to launch bible school". 27 August 2012.
  23. ↑ "Preaching the gospel of bling". 4 April 2012.
  24. ↑ "The gospel according to Uebert Angel".
  25. ↑ "Financial prosperity is your God-ordained right - Uebert Angel". 11 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "How the 'prosperity' gospel destroys Africa". 9 February 2014.
  27. ↑ "Uebert Angel: Prophet's Source of Wealth Explained".
  28. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel in a miracle money scam". 13 February 2020.
  29. ↑ "Madzibaba Uebert Angel caught in 'miracle money' scam". 13 February 2020.
  30. ↑ "Confusion over Uebert Angel's "Double Identity"". 14 March 2022.
  31. ↑ "Controversial Uebert Angel re-launches in Zimbabwe". July 2019.
  32. 1 2 "Forbes probes Prophet Angel's wealth". 16 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  33. ↑ "#Zimbabwe Top 10 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs". Zimbabwe Today. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  34. ↑ "Uebert Angel returning to Africa". 2 November 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  35. 1 2 "Uebert Angel Lands in Lusaka for GoodNews Zambia Conference". 28 April 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  36. ↑ Makin, George (29 April 2020). "Church plan for club linked to Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew gangs". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  37. ↑ "Millionaire preacher's new offices in Lincolnshire get approved". The Lincolnite. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  38. ↑ "Uebert Snr ANGEL personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  39. ↑ "BRITS MONEY LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  40. ↑ Radio, Nehanda (22 October 2018). "Brits Money: PICTURES from Beverly Angel bank launch in the UK". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  41. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel announced the debut of a Global News Channel called Apex World News – Official Website for Uebert Angel" . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  42. 1 2 "APEX WORLD NEWS LTD filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  43. ↑ Murwira, Zvamaida (18 March 2021). "Zimbabwe: President Appoints Angel Ambassador". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  44. ↑ "Construction of largest conference centre in Zimbabwe on track". Construction Review Online. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  45. ↑ "Uebert Angel lands top post". The Herald (Zimbabwe) .
  46. ↑ "Angel up for $300k fraud".
  47. ↑ "Prophet Angel sued over Bentley".
  48. ↑ "Cops hunt Prophet Uebert Angel".
  49. ↑ "The Bentley is mine: Prophet Uebert Angel".
  50. ↑ "Uebert Angel accomplice found guilty".
  51. ↑ court summons and
  52. ↑ "Warrant of arrest out for Uebert Angel".
  53. 1 2 "Prophet Angel off the hook".
  54. ↑ "Spirit Embassy Prophet Uebert Angel in $300 000 Bentley Fraud - Zimbabwe Today".
  55. ↑ "Uebert Angel's brother explains how they 'bought' Bentley at the centre of fraud case". 3 March 2015.
  56. ↑ "Uebert Angel's warrant of arrest cancelled".
  57. 1 2 "FIU unfreezes accounts of 'Gold Mafia' suspects". The Herald. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  58. ↑ Unit, Al Jazeera Investigative. "Top Zimbabwe ambassador involved in gold smuggling scheme". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  59. ↑ "Prophet Jerome's Glorious Church threatens legal action to those tarnishing the church name". Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  60. ↑ "Uebert Angel brought in by Jerome Fernando involved in gold smuggling!" . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  61. ↑ "Pastor Uebert Angel meets Sri Lanka Prime Minister". The Zimbabwe Mail. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  62. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel feeds entire village orphans and the widowed in Botswana". Zimbabwe News. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  63. ↑ Amos, Lazarus (3 November 2015). "Prophet Angel Commemorates 15 years of Marriage with Charity Launch".
  64. ↑ "Uebert Angel foundation feeds squatters in India". 16 November 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  65. ↑ "Uebert Angel pledges $1 million in fight against coronavirus in Zimbabwe". Nehanda Radio. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  66. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel delivers first tranche of coronavirus aid to Chitungwiza". Nehanda Radio. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  67. ↑ "Prophet Uebert Angel donates mealie meal and cooking oil to church members". Nehanda Radio. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  68. ↑ "Hello Holy Spirit by Uebert Snr Angel | Waterstones". www.waterstones.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  69. ↑ The Prayer that God cannot ignore: How to force God to answer your prayer everytime: Amazon.co.uk: Angel, Uebert Snr.: 9780995749900: Books. ASIN   0995749906.
  70. ↑ "PROVOKING THE ANGELS OF MONEY". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.

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