‘My father is a pastor’: Videos of Jemimah Rodrigues at evangelical events surface after revocation of her club membership

Several old videos of Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues have surfaced on social media, where she is seen actively ‘participating’ in evangelical events. The development comes a day after Mumbai’s top cricket club, Khar Gymkhana, cancelled her club membership noting that her father had hosted religious conversion events within the premises of the club.

In one of the videos which is claimed to be from 2015, the young Indian batter can be heard “thanking and glorifying” God for her cricketing performance in front of a large audience attending an evangelical event. Later in the video, the host approaches her saying, “See the power of God, touch, Thank you Jesus” as Jemimah collapses on the ground, similar to the possession videos that have surfaced over the years from such evangelical events. In these viral videos, hosts can also be heard preaching Christian sermons, however, the veracity of these claims is yet to be ascertained.

Sharing videos of her attending evangelical events, netizens have claimed that both Jemimah and her father were involved with Bro Manuel Ministries which according to the description available on its social media platform, it is an evangelical organisation.

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In one of her old interviews, the clips of which are also doing rounds on social media, Jemimah Rodrigues admitted that her father is a pastor saying, “My dad is also a pastor.”

In another viral video, a young Jemimah Rodrigues could be seen delivering an address in what appears to be similar to the ones heard in evangelical events which are accused of undertaking mass conversion events.

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It is pertinent to note that a major row involving Jemimah Rodrigues started yesterday when Mumbai’s top club, Khar Gymkhana revoked her club membership citing her father’s religious activities on the club premises.

Last year, Khar Gymkhana invited her to be a club member and use its facilities.

According to the Gymkhana officials, her club membership was cancelled after some members raised objections saying that her father, Ivan Rodrigues, was using the club premises for “religious activities”. The complaints added that her father used to organise events to “convert” the “vulnerable”.

As per the officials, her father is also a cricket coach. He used the presidential hall for almost a year and a half and held around 35 events as part of an organisation called Brother Manuel Ministries.

Subsequently, on Sunday (20th October), the officials held an Annual general body meeting where they decided to cancel her membership.

Khar Gymkhana managing committee member Shiv Malhotra highlighted the reason for cancelling her club membership. He said, “We came to know that Jemimah Rodrigues’s father was attached to an organisation called Brother Manuel Ministries. They booked the presidential hall for almost a year and a half and held 35 events. We all know what was happening there.”

Malhotra added, “We hear about conversions all over the country, but it’s happening right under our nose. There was dancing, expensive music equipment, big screens. As per Khar Gymkhana’s bye-laws Rule 4A of the constitution, Khar Gymkhana does not permit any religious activity.”