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“If you don’t repent, a Matías and a Jessica will die. For rising up against God’s work. And among you there is a man with a spirit of sexual immorality. Someone who is a homosexual is among you,” threatened Pastor José Duarte in the video that went viral this week in Paraguay. He is seen walking from the platform, where the flag of the State of Israel hangs, toward the outside of the church, pointing his finger at the neighbors who were protesting noise pollution .

“I will speak to you on behalf of God. There is someone there named Matías, he has a homosexual spirit. It is time for you to repent, or you will be dead in the next few days if you continue attacking the Lord's work. I have spoken,” he warned, microphone in hand. The faithful rose and applauded the self-proclaimed “prophet of Lambaré.” This occurred at the “Army of Revival of the Kingdom of God” evangelical church in the Puerto Pabla neighborhood of Lambaré (11 km from Asunción).

On Tuesday, August 31, residents protested in front of the church against the noise pollution during the alleged "deliverance sessions." They objected to the loudspeakers and the use of public spaces for parking by those attending the services. The main person responsible for the services, which are held almost daily, is a pastor who calls himself a "prophet": José Duarte .

Following complaints on social media, videos surfaced showing Duarte officiating alleged exorcisms of “evil spirits” and using children to lend credibility to his practices. “For months we’ve been hearing the shouts of a ‘prophet’ releasing ‘demons’ through loudspeakers. We can’t even get any rest,” said Nicolás Almada, a resident of Puerto Pabla, on his Twitter account.

Almada also mentioned that they filed several complaints with the National Police, the Prosecutor's Office, and even the Lambaré Municipality regarding the noise pollution generated by this Protestant church. Another neighbor told 1080 AM that the church has the support of the former mayor, officials from the Prosecutor's Office, and high-ranking Lambaré authorities because they attend the services. Among them is former mayor Guido González, who resigned from his post to run for reelection with the National Republican Association (Colorado Party).

In this video, the self-proclaimed prophet is seen performing one of his rituals, "laying hands" and speaking in another language to people who collapse to the ground and convulse. He says things like "come out, spirit of the devil," and at one point, he is seen inducing a woman to vomit. In another video shared by Almada on Twitter, children recount their experiences of "encounters with God," falling to the ground and entering a kind of trance.

"The Christ of the Gospels is an inclusive Christ"

Juan Manuel Talavera, of Inclusive Christians , a community of Christians from various denominations who have an inclusive view of sexual diversity, referred to Pastor Duarte's statements as "reprehensible" and considers that his practice of faith is completely opposed to the message of Christ in the gospels.

“At Inclusive Christians, our motto is 'God loves unconditionally,' because the Christ of the Gospels is an inclusive Christ, a Christ who is always on the side of the marginalized, who was never in favor of the establishment or the oppressors. It is also essential to denounce, from a Christian perspective, that what this pastor is demonstrating is anything but Christian,” Juan Manuel stated.

Regarding how the Christian evangelical movement operates, Stephan, from the German Evangelical Congregation of Asunción, explained that it is a complex phenomenon and a problem that evangelicals face. “We do not agree with the preaching of hate speech that generates discrimination and stigma, undermines the dignity of life, and despises others in their life circumstances. Unfortunately, there is no law in Paraguay that condemns such acts, but it is regrettable,” he emphasized.

The Association of Evangelical Churches: "We find it despicable"

Presentes contacted Pastor Osvaldo Centurión, president of the Association of Evangelical Churches of Paraguay (ASIEP), an organization that unites evangelical churches in the country, regarding José Duarte's remarks about homosexuality. “We find that statement despicable, out of place, and misguided. Doctrinally or biblically, no one is called to curse anyone; on the contrary. The New Testament tells us that we must bless those who curse us, love our enemies, feed them if they are hungry, and give them food if they are thirsty ,” he explained.

However, a few days ago, from the Facebook profile “Don’t Mess With My Children,” Centurión called for a demonstration on August 12 against what they call the Ministry of Children and Adolescents’ “gender agenda.” The anti-rights group opposes Comprehensive Sexuality Education, among other arguments, because it “aims to teach children to masturbate in early childhood and train adults to teach them.” This is how they describe it on their website.

The church of the "prophet" is closed

Yesterday, the Municipality of Lambaré closed the headquarters of the church "Ministry of Revival Army of the Kingdom of God," which went viral on social media due to José Duarte's death threat against protesters. The municipality indicated that there were several violations related to the construction of the church, where incidents had already occurred on Wednesday morning.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Fernando Griffith, stated that Duarte is not registered as a “Pastor” and that the “Army of Revival of the Kingdom of God” church in Lambaré is not listed in the Registry of Religious Organizations and was not authorized to operate. But this is not an isolated case. An investigation last year by El Surtidor revealed that religious figures and pseudo-professionals in mental health continue to offer “sexual conversion therapies” in Paraguay.