THE TESTIMONY OF PASTOR HAGINS' TRANSITION
FROM CHRISTIANITY TO AFRIKAN CONSCIOUSNESS
By Brother Ray Hagins

Hotep (Peace) Brothers & Sisters,

My (birth) name is Ray Hagins. My spiritual name is Sa Ra Ankh Hotep
Maakheru Setep En Ra (which means "a son of God, who has been chosen by God
to be a teacher of truth bringing (or giving) life and peace)." I presently
serve as the Chief Elder and Pastor of The Afrikan Village (formerly New
Ephesus Missionary Baptist) Church in St. Louis, Missouri.

Many people have asked me about how I made the transition from a
Pentecostal minister (who was "sold out" for the so-called gospel of Jesus
Christ) to Afrikan conscious minister and warrior for the liberation of
Black Afrikan people. After sharing my testimony with another minister, he
suggested that I post the testimony of my transition into Afrikan
consciousness on the Internet in hopes of inspiring other brothers and
sisters who may be at the point of coming into an Afrikan awareness from the
quantum deception of European philosophical and religious thought. I pray
that my testimony will help to strengthen and inspire others who are at the
crossroad of right knowledge.

In 1987 I was invited to a meeting of about 25 Black men (educators,
businessmen, community leaders, and 3 ministers) in my hometown of Paterson,
New Jersey. Although the meeting had not started, we were informally
talking about what needed to be done to enhance our community. Suddenly, I
overheard one of the brothers say, "We need to get this European Jesus out
of the minds of our people, and realize that the original Christ was named
Horus."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard! Immediately, everything in
me shut down and I went into "battle station" mode. I mean, I IMMEDIATELY
went to "Def-Con 1" ("Def-Con" is a military phrase, which means "Defense
Condition." Def-Con 5 is peacetime, Def-Con 4 is combat preparedness,
Def-Con 3 is combat readiness, Def-Con 2 is at combat station, and Def-Con 1
means, "engage the enemy").

I stepped over to this brother and said, "What do you mean Jesus' name
was Horace?" (I thought he was saying H-O-R-A-C-E.) He responded, "It WAS
Horus. The first virgin-born, Christ-child was Horus of Egypt and the first
record of his birth dates back to over 6,000 years B.C."

Well, I, (with my sincere, but ignorant self), stood in the middle of
the floor and said, "Brothers, I am sorry to have to leave, but ANYBODY who
refuses to accept who Jesus is a deceiver and is of the devil. I rebuke you
in the name of Jesus and I plead the blood of Jesus in this place." (NOTE:
I said this because I honestly felt that I was in the midst of satanic
agents.) Now, understand, these were Black men who were aware of the truth
of our Afrikan history, and I saw my own (Black) brothers as agents of
satan!!! Now, did Euro-Gentile Cultural Imperialism and Supremacy (via my
"Christian" training) do a job on me or what?

I left that meeting and actually declared war on these men. I misused
my radio show (and later my TV show) to blast these men. I felt that it was
my "sacred duty" to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ and warn as many
people as I could about these Black men (who I genuinely mis-perceived as)
agents of the devil. I did this for well over a year.

The 3rd Sunday in March of 1991, as I stood up to preach at my church
in Paterson, NJ, just as I was about to read the text for the message, which
was Romans 8:28, it seemed as though someone whispered in my right ear, "Did
people know God BEFORE Moses went up on the mountain?"

I actually turned around to see who was there because it was just that
audible and clear. I told the congregation, "Y'all.wait a minute! This
question just popped into my head (then I told them what it was). It wasn't
that significant for them, but it was VERY significant for me because ALL of
my theology was based in Moses coming down off the mountain with the "Ten
Commandments" (or "The Law"). I will never forget that day because it was
the day that I began to THINK! I actually exercised my critical thinking
faculties and scrutinized what I had been taught all my life.

I asked myself, "Did Moses have a God-consciousness BEFORE talking
with God on the mountain?"

A few days later, during my devotions, I stumbled across Acts 7:20-22,
which states: "In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and
nourished up in his father's house three months: And when he was cast out,
Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And
Moses was learned in ALL THE WISDOM OF THE EGYPTIANS, and was mighty in
words and in deeds."

I looked up the word "wisdom" (as it was used in that particular
verse); it comes from the Greek word "sophia," which means, "skill and
discretion in imparting the truth of God; the knowledge and practice of the
requisites for godly and upright living; supreme intelligence, such as
belongs to God; the wisdom of God as evidenced in forming and executing
counsels in the formation and government of the world and the scriptures."
I said, WAIT A MINUTE!!! Moses got THIS from the Egyptians!!!

(NOTE: Throughout my theological training I was taught that the
Egyptians were barbaric, ignorant, enemies of and cursed by God).

Several days later, as I was coming from a meeting in downtown
Paterson, my car was parked in front of an old book store that sold used
books called Bazaar Books. I had passed this store hundreds of times over
the years and NEVER had the slightest inclination to go inside; but this
particular day I was "moved" to go inside and browse around. Of course, the
only area that really interested me was Religion & Philosophy.

I picked up a book entitled, "Osiris & The Egyptian Resurrection"
(Part 1) by E.A. Wallis Budge. The idea of an Egyptian "RESURRECTION"
caught my attention. I opened the front cover to the preface and came
across the following words:

"The central figure of the ancient Egyptian Religion was Osiris, and
the chief fundamentals of his cult were the BELIEF IN HIS DIVINITY, DEATH,
RESURRECTION, and absolute control of the destinies of the bodies and souls
of men. The central point of each Osirian's Religion was his HOPE OF
RESURRECTION IN A TRANSFORMED BODY AND OF IMMORTALITY, WHICH COULD ONLY BE
REALIZED BY HIM THROUGH THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF OSIRIS.

I literally shouted out, "WHAT IS THIS?" I immediately suffered what
we psychologists call "cognitive dissonance." I knew that this was EXACTLY
what I had believed since I was a child and preached for almost 20 years,
but the central figure of MY belief and message was a man called "Jesus
Christ." What really bothered me was, according to what I had been taught,
Jesus Christ was the ONLY person about whom such a message applied. Then
when I read that this belief system had been with the Nile Valley Afrikans
for at least the last 15 to 20 thousand years.I really lost it!!! You see,
any scholar of Christianity will tell you that Genesis 1:1 only dates back
to 4,004 B.C.

Then, to top it off, I read about the Ancient Afrikan TRINITY; which
consisted of Ausar, Aset, and Heru (which the Europeans renamed: Osiris,
Isis and HORUS)!!! I came to find out that Horus was the "virgin born,
immaculately conceived" son of Osiris. This led me on a sincere and intense
search for actual undeniable evidence for the truth.

The more I researched, the more I realized that the entire program
that I had been indoctrinated into was a LIE. In 1993, I decided to leave
the ministry that I was so popular in and knew so well. I simply could not,
any longer, stand in front of my people and teach that which I had found to
be a stolen, copied, plagiarized and European fabricated version of the
ancient concepts of Afrikan spirituality.

This was the most painful period of my life. At one point I had
become so depressed about my believing in LIES that I even had thoughts of
suicide. How could I have been so wrong??? I couldn't understand how I
actually experienced "the power of God" moving upon me in mighty and awesome
ways in the past IF this was all a lie??? I felt betrayed, humiliated,
deceived, confused, unworthy, and like a complete failure.

Now, I wasn't feeling all this because of the truths that I had come
to find out about. No! For these truths were UNDENIABLE EVIDENCES that
DEMANDED AN UNDENIABLE and INEVITABLE VERDICT! That verdict was that I had
been lied to! I was angry with all those who taught me these lies (my
parents, my teachers, my professors, etc.). The ONLY thing that helped me
in this area was coming to the realization that the same dog that bit me,
bit my parents too! They were only teaching me what they had been taught.

This, however, that doesn't apply to my seminary professors. I met
with my the president of the seminary I graduated from, and asked him, "Why
isn't this information a part of the curriculum and course requirements for
a degree in Sacred Literature?" He said to me, "You don't need to know
about that. Besides, it is not substantial data within the context of the
mission statement of this institution." He had just told me, in a
politically correct way, that I had been trained in one of the biggest LIES
of all time and that I was supposed to perpetuate this LIE and train others
in it.

After several years of securing the proper education of right
knowledge, I efficaciously returned to the pulpit in February of 1998, when
I became the pastor of Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis (which
is another discourse all by itself). Through an old wise man, God convicted
me in September of 1997 by asking me; "Son, if you young folk, whose eyes
have been opened to the truth, abandon our people (who don't know no
better), then what hope is there for us?" Then he said, "God DID call you
to preach, but to preach the TRUTH!"

Hence, here I am.

My reason for sharing this testimony is NOT to "convert" anyone to
African consciousness.but simply to let you know that since the European
invasion and theft of our people from our Motherland, we Afrikans have been
born and raised in the LIE of European Religious and Cultural Imperialism
and we think we are walking in the truth (because it is all that we know)!
The religion that we have been made to love (Christianity), was forced upon
us by European slave traders and the European "slave masters" who enslaved
us. That alone should make EVERY Black man, woman and child be suspect
about the slave master's religion.

There is a phrase that says you reap what you sow. Well, that
certainly is true, because I have gone (and am going) through the same kind
of attack that I viciously put on those brothers who compassionately
respected my ignorance in 1987. I wish that I could go back and tell them
that I am so sorry for attacking their awareness with my ignorance.but most
of them have passed on. So when I give the oath to the Ancestors, I
remember them. They were the ones that God used to plant the seed of this
truth in me. Now, when I am attacked (by others who are sincerely
ignorant), I see my "old" self and where I came from. That helps me to be
compassionate on my attackers. I realize that they are sincerely defending
what they think is the truth (just like I did).

Coming into a consciousness of your Afrikan self can (and probably
will be) very painful for you. I must admit that it's very painful being
called "an antichrist" or "a messenger of satan" or "false prophet," etc.,
by your own people. It hurts being MISUNDERSTOOD by your family, friends
and loved ones, especially when they haven't done (nor are they willing to
do) the research and/or learn what you have learned; but, yet you are the
one who is "deceived" and don't know what you are talking about. Believe
me, THAT HURTS!

Then there are those (Christians) who feel that I "need to be stopped
for the sake of the gospel!" But I know that God has called me and given me
this assignment. AND I CAN'T STOP! Even if it means loved ones walking away
from me and calling me "crazy" (which has happened), or even losing my
physical life. And, it's just THAT serious. The worse pain of all is when
your family, friends, loved ones, and others who would misjudge you, REFUSE
to do their own research to see for themselves the basis of your information
or if what you are saying is true or not.

I have actually pulled books from the libraries of other ministers,
turned to the proof or source of the information in question and said,
"Here, man. See for yourself." They would look away and say, "I don't want
to see that." I have stood across the desks of several friends (who are
pastors) and asked them, "Brother, why are you attacking me when what I have
said is right here in the very commentary that you study by and use to
prepare your messages?" I understand that the reason they didn't want to
"see" was because then they, too, would be compelled to change, and that is
definitely NOT an option for most ministers who can be voted out and/or
removed from their pulpits if they do not preach and uphold the "doctrines"
of that particular church or denomination.

Another problem that I was faced with was the problem with my music
ministry. Over 90% of the songs that I wrote and used to sing, I couldn't
sing them anymore. I began to realize that it's not really about
worshipping GOD! It's about worshipping "Jesus!" Even the biblical text
states that Jesus said that NO ONE IS TO BE WORSHIPPED BUT GOD ALONE!!!
("Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve") (See
Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8).

Did you know that (according to the biblical text) Jesus NEVER told
his disciples to go preach (or teach) about him! He told his disciples, "As
you go, preach, saying, The Kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 10:7).
We have been programmed to give more attention to the so-called "gift"
(Jesus) than the giver (God) of the gift. Not only could I not "preach" this
Euro-Gentile "program" anymore...I couldn't sing about it either. Being
that I was a gospel recording artist and the State Minister of Music for the
State of New Jersey Churches of God in Christ, this was REALLY a major
adjustment for me.

I painfully learned that my friends were my friends as long as we were
in agreement "when it comes to Jesus." I have been told many times, "The
bible says, how can two walk together except they agree." I couldn't
understand why other ministers (who I thought were my friends) discontinued
our relationship as friends just because I learned something that they
didn't know or agreed with??? What did that have to do with me as a
person???

In closing, please understand, what God reveals to you, is for YOU! I
made the mistake of trying to take others along with me to the next level in
MY development. It doesn't work that way! Realize that if you choose to
learn more, you may very well lose some of your closest friends. You will
want to take them to the next level with you, but realize that God is taking
YOU there...not y'all there.

I pray that this testimony is helpful to some brother or sister who is
making their transition to Afrikan consciousness. Stay strong, Brothers and
Sisters, and always know that the Creator and the Ancestors are with you!

Hotep,
Brother Ray
(a.k.a. "Sa Ra")