Thai church accused of exploiting faith for profit through ‘holy spirit fire power’ rituals
Former members demand probe into brainwashing teachings and missing donations
Former members accused a church in Thailand’s central province of distorting Christian principles through the concept of “holy spirit fire power” and swindling money from its followers.
One former member, who wished to remain anonymous, shared the story with the Hone Krasae news programme on Channel 3 to attract the attention of relevant authorities and call for an investigation into the church and its financial transactions.
According to former congregants, a group of senior church members claimed to possess the “holy spirit fire power”, which they said could drive away evil spirits. The church reportedly held regular rituals to expel negative forces from its members by placing their hands on members’ heads and chanting, “Fire!”
Some participants allegedly screamed in pain during the ritual, believing that the evil spirits were cast out by a superstitious power. Members were encouraged to obey and follow all instructions, often out of fear.
In addition, the church allegedly persuaded members to make donations, claiming that the more they contributed, the more blessings they would receive from God.
Children of members were also encouraged to study at a school operated by the church. The curriculum was advertised as an international programme from the United States and was initially claimed to be free.
However, the church later began collecting tuition fees of 15,000 baht per student, with pupils ultimately receiving only a non-formal education diploma.
Some parents withdrew their children from international schools to enrol them in the church’s programme. The children were reportedly conditioned to obey the church’s leaders.
When some parents began noticing the negative effects on their children and attempted to withdraw them, the children refused and began distancing themselves from their families. The church allegedly told them that their parents were possessed by evil spirits.
A former church committee member told the media that he donated 20 million baht towards church construction and renovation projects, but said no progress had been made even after two years. The church reportedly never disclosed details of total donations received or its expenditures to its members.
Former members are now urging the relevant government agencies to investigate both the church’s teachings and the school it operates.
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