Vince Bantu, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, a man tasked with preparing the next generation of Christian leaders, has decided that the gospel isn’t enough. No, Bantu—a man caught up in the winds of racial politics and identity-driven ideologies—has decided that the Scriptures isn’t complete until it’s wrapped in the garb of African nationalism.
In his theological Frankenstein’s monster, salvation is not merely from sin, but from the evils of European influence. He’s traded in the cross of Christ for the banner of identity politics, and to no one’s surprise, this ship has sunk.
As if his gospel-mangling weren’t bad enough, Bantu’s moral compass seems to have taken a dive right alongside his theology. Accusations of sexual impropriety—affairs, deceit, the works—have surfaced, prompting Fuller to launch an investigation.
This is the kind of man who is shaping the next generation of pastors? Someone who can’t seem to keep his own life in order is now responsible for instructing others on how to shepherd God’s flock?
But let’s not even get bogged down in the details of his moral failures—tragic as they are. Bantu should never have been allowed to step foot into Fuller’s lecture halls to begin with. Why? Because his theology is a fraud—a hodgepodge of race-baiting rhetoric wrapped in pseudo-historical nonsense.
Bantu has proven himself incapable of basic doctrinal fidelity. In a recently surfaced video clip, Bantu rants about Kimpa Vita—a woman who claimed to be the reincarnation of Saint Anthony. In this clip, Bantu, with a straight face, refers to this woman as a “powerful prophetess.” His exact words? “Beatriz Kimpa Vita is a powerful prophetess in Congo whose name we need to know started a powerful movement where she was trying to kick out… Portuguese and Belgian colonization in the Congo.”
Watch:
To any sane Christian, Kimpa Vita was no prophetess—she was a false teacher who concocted a bizarre mix of Christianity and African mysticism. She claimed to be the reincarnation of a Roman Catholic saint and led a movement that had nothing to do with the gospel and everything to do with dragging people into spiritual confusion.
Forget the so-called “freedom” movement she led—Vita’s legacy is one of leading souls straight into the jaws of eternal damnation. And yet, here we have Bantu, a professor at a Christian seminary, praising her as if she’s some kind of hero.
Is this what passes for theological rigor these days? Professors endorsing heretics, all in the name of cultural relevance? Kimpa Vita was a deceiver, plain and simple, and for Bantu to promote her as a spiritual leader makes him no different. Let’s not sugarcoat it, Bantu is a false teacher and Fuller is complicit in leading souls down a path to destruction by platforming him.