Members of the Jesus the Light of This World Ministries at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima, are inviting former prime minister Patrick Manning to visit their church. Manning's spiritual adviser Rev Juliana Pena, referred to as the prophetess, is linked to the contentious construction of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ church located near to the Jesus of the Light of This World Ministries.
They also maintain Manning was ordained by God to lead T&T. They also feel there is a chance that Pena may have misguided Manning into calling a premature election. A source said: "Now is a great time for him to visit the church...To be encouraged." They feel he is suffering from shock after losing the government to T&T's first female Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bisssessar. On the night of the May 24 general election, flanked by former Energy Minister Conrad Enill and former Health Minister Jerry Narace, Manning appeared ashen-faced when he said he accepted full responsibility for the party's defeat. The source added: "I looked at his face. He is suffering from shock. He needs to know there are still people praying for him. "He is still the best person to lead T&T. I wish to God he comes right back. The Lord is angry because people put their ink against him."
Juliana PenaBefore and after the election, rumours circulated that Pena had prompted Manning to call an election. Some members of the congregation felt there was some truth to the rumours. "Perchance, Juliana may have led him astray...Now is a good time to come and visit us, just in case she led him astray," the source said. "Maybe he got the information from the prophetess." The source said Pena often visits Africa. "Pena had a time when she came back from Africa and she said she wasn't sure she was hearing God's voice...She might have said things to him and led him astray," the source said. On the flip side, she said Manning's faith in the prophetess was not unfounded. "There was a time when he went to get an operation. He was getting high fever. He called her while she was in the service. She went into a room and she prayed for him. The fever broke. She came back and told us about it," the source added.
But the source said the "ultimate shocker" would be if Manning thought she was speaking on behalf of the Lord and it wasn't so.
"That is a big shock. He might think she was speaking on behalf of the Lord and if she was not speaking from God, then he made the wrong decision," the source said. Before the May 24 election, insiders said Manning was advised by some political observers not to call the election, but he dismissed them as harbingers of bad news.
In 2007, members said, there was a rift with the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Ministries and Pena took some members of the congregation and left. The state-of-the-art church was originally being built for the congregation of the Jesus the Light of This World Ministries.
The source said: "The last time Pena was spotted was around Christmas 2009. She came to see how things were progressing. She does not like all the talk about her. Right now, we don't know where she is. She likes to go to Africa." Initially, the source said, they claimed the building for the Lord's work. "We marched around it seven times." But since the election, "No work is taking place on the church." Before, Chinese labourers were pushing ahead its construction, which was initially due for around August. The church had a word of advice for Manning: "God is in your side. He will never leave you or forsake you. God's people are by your side, praying for you. God knows best and he can turn things around. Go among people who will encourage you. "Manning has to go easy. He can't take too much pressure. He could come and visit the church," added the source. Another source said Pena is believed to be in Africa.