“[We] must break the shackles and strongholds of traditionalreligion, which keeps people materialistically and metaphysicallypoor.”

This is the mission statement DeliveranceEvangelical Church of Prosperous Living whose pastor and founder isRev. Dr. Daniel Rivers. A press release that came out last monthalso announced that Rivers, who is better known as Dr. Green, isthe president of Money Phi Money Fraternity.

Money Phi Money Fraternity was founded in 1992by Rivers in order for small business owners to successfullycompete with big businesses online. “The Fraternity serves asa resource center and networking haven for people who wish toprosper.”

As an extension of the fraternity, Greenfounded the metaphysical church in 2000, in order to show peoplethat there is a middle passage between money and faith. He simplydefines metaphysical as mind science, or the way you think.

Green said, “because the church teachespeople that money is bad, that people should live as humble asJesus did, and interpret verses like ‘Do not lay up for yourselvestreasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thievesbreak in and steal,’ to literally mean that, investing or saving,for example, is also bad and useless, churchgoers, particularlyBlacks, are not economically prosperous.”

He pointed out that Black communities are fullof churches, but many, if not all, of the businesses in the samecommunities are owned by people who are not Black. He went on tosay, “That’s why my church is into business training, not jobtraining.”

Rivers’ metaphysical teachings come from theBible. Through books, tapes, and videos, he directs people how tobe loving, wealthy and healthy, and how to produce positive resultsin life. He said that God wants his people to prosper and if peoplewant to prosper as well they have to put absolute faith in God, andreally believe that such a change can occur in their lives.

“I know the scripture tells us that ‘Goddesires us to prosper and be in good health even as our soulprospers, but this context is holistic prosperity,” saidTraci Brown, a second year Divinity Student at Howard University.She added that holistic prosperity is not solely based on theamount of tangible items or riches one has. In God’s eyes someonecan be rich and not prosperous or poor and prosperous orvisa-versa.

Yet, Rivers’ techniques appear to be making adifference in the lives of many. One of his followers, D.C. ofWashington, DC said, “I listened to his tapes and read hisbooks. He really opened up the principles of the bible for me. Inow know that Jesus came so that we may have life. And have itprosperously and abundantly.”

However, VaNatta Ford a graduating senior alsofrom the School of Divinity at Howard University, said, “Weas a people tend to look at blessings only in terms financialsecurity, but to live and be in a right state of mind are alsoblessings. I also believe that we can be better stewards of whatGod has made available to us but would his theology be practical inthird world countries.”

During an interview, Green responded, “Atroubled country like Haiti, for example, is full of faithfulpeople who practice many religions like voodoo and Catholicism butbecause they didn’t listen to their prophets and disobeyed God theyare suffering.” He also stated that the people of Haiti aregoing through a period that will end.

Green has studied in Central America andHaiti. He has a Masters of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Seminaryand a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University. He was thefirst African-American to simultaneously receive two doctoratedegrees- Ph. D. and Msc. D- from the University of Metaphysics,which is located in Studio City, California.