After just 15 minutes I was offered church's ‘miracle cure’ 

Reporter Richard Wheatstone with the olive oil and blackcurrant squash he was sold It was the speed of it all which surprised me most – just 15 minutes earlier I had entered a church seeking guidance over a sick uncle and now I was being offered a miracle cure. I had first become aware of the church when their head office in London contacted me to find out more about Gorton – ahead of submitting a ‘change of use’ application to the council for their Manchester base. Curious about a potential new contact on my patch I decided to do a bit of research, and quickly became concerned by what I saw.

Church leaders had already got into hot water for making unsubstantiated claims about curing cancer, HIV and diabetes. These promises were also elaborated upon by the church’s website. The claims were certainly bold and having lost family members to cancer myself, I know only too well the internal bargaining and sense of desperation which kick in as you face up to the reality that a loved-one may be slipping away. With this in mind I entered the church, on Hyde Road, to see how such a delicate issue was being handled by respected community leaders.

I was greeted by Pastor Mbenga who listened attentively as I explained my uncle was dying of cancer and I was in need of guidance. He first explained that if I opened my heart to Jesus and allowed him into my life he could ease my inner turmoil. But after a few minutes the conversation quickly took a turn, despite me explaining that I had no strong religious views and certainly never mentioning I was looking for a miracle cure, I was told unequivocally that if I bought the blackcurrant squash on offer in the church shop it would cure my uncle’s cancer. I was led into the shop to be shown the products along with anecdotes of how cancer and diabetes sufferers had been able to throw away their medication after making a full recovery.

I was invited to return to the church for a service later that week after which I would purchase the goods and have them blessed by Pastor Mbenga before taking them home. He instructed me to mix the liquids, one part olive oil to three parts squash, once a day. The measurements required meant I’d have to return to buy new supplies of the £14 ingredients around twice a week. Once my uncle had drunk the mixture, I was told, "God will take over with divine intervention and the cancer will disappear". The mark-up of more than 200 per cent on these products – which could end up costing several hundreds of pounds over a period of just a few months – in the middle of one of Manchester’s most deprived communities, also felt questionable at best. I respect that people are free to pursue their own beliefs but felt that in a vulnerable position I was offered the guarantee of a miracle cure in a bid to get me into the church. Encouraging people to part with their cash promising a quick fix for a savage illness seems wrong, irrespective of belief. There are laws against it for a reason - to protect people when they feel at their most vulnerable.