Posted by By PAUL OMO OBADAN & SAMUEL OLATUNJI on
Should men of God divorce and remarry? That is a question many people are now asking, considering the spate of divorces rocking the temples of God in and outside Lagos, specifically about preachers in those temples.
Should men of God divorce and remarry? That is a question many people are now asking, considering the spate of divorces rocking the temples of God in and outside Lagos, specifically about preachers in those temples. Sunday Sun took the question to ministers in the Lord's vineyard. Their verdict, unsurprisingly, runs against the common practice nowadays by their colleagues in cassock…
Just last week, newspaper and tabloid editors devoted yards and yards of space to the marriage of preacher of the Household of God Church, Chris Okotie. It was his second. The first ended in an acrimonious divorce that tabloid reporters feasted on for weeks. Before his marital vows to a church member a week ago, speculation had been rife as to who the voluble preacher will eventually march with to the altar, and for good reason.
Of all the preachers in Lagos today, Okotie is one of the most charismatic, and he runs an equally charismatic church at Oregun. His sartorial preference is as distinct as his spoken English, something he hoped to woo the electorate with in 2003 during the presidential election but without success. Watched keenly like a Hollywood star from when he started out as a musician more than 30 years ago, Okotie has never for one moment been out of public glare.
Which was why when news of his forthcoming marriage broke weeks ago, the public naturally followed every step of the way. Away from public discourse however, the news brought to the fore whether preachers, or those in the service of God, could divorce and remarry.
Sometime back, flamboyant minister of God in Warri, Delta State, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, lost his wife. The man of God has since remarried. Committed Christians say it is in order, for there was no divorce before his spouse died. So, in effect, he could seek another woman's hand in matrimony.
But the same cannot be said of Pastor Okotie, a Delta State-born but Lagos-based preacher. Their reasoning is that Okotie did not lose his first wife as happened to Oritsejafor. His wife divorced him, contrary to Biblical injunction that 'what God has joined together, no man can put asunder.' Again, another portion in the Holy book cautions that 'whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commit adultery.'
For Fr. Anthony Obadina of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Festac Town, a preacher divorcing and remarrying is out of sync with Christian practices. 'The position of the church and the Bible has not changed. As you very well know, what God has joined together no man can put asunder.' Marriages, the Catholic clergy insists, need 'openess, sincerity, understanding, love and caring to work.'
Other clerics spoken to share Fr. Obadina's view. Bishop Charles Ighele of Holy Spirit Mission, Happy Family Chapel and facilitator of Institute for Marriage and Family Intimacy Studies, Lagos, said the same conditions that apply to every believer on divorce and marriage are the same conditions that apply to preachers.
Death, he said, is one of the factors. 'Once your spouse dies, you can remarry. The second is adultery. And in that very aduletry, there should be forgiveness. The third is if somebody becomes an unbeliever. If somebody in the marriage decides to behave like an unbeliever, and says that I don't want to marry again, the person that is being abandoned is not in any bondage to stay single forever. Such a person is permitted to remarry.
'This is the group that somebody like Pastor Chris Okotie belongs because the wife felt she did not want to marry again. Any other cases of divorce and remarrying by some other pastors do not fall into any of these categories. Therefore, their getting divorced and remarrying is totally unbiblical and inexcusable.'
In the words of one of them, 'the balanced bible teaching on marriage from Genesis to Revelation is that marriage is a lifetime affair. Divorce is permissible but not remarriage. A man is bound to his mate for better for worse, richer or poorer until death do them part. This is the Lord's teaching.'
Rev Peter Ashimi
What the bible says is that if the partner is still alive, the man of God should not remarry. if before he became a minister of God the wife left him and she is now married, the man can remarry in order not to burn with passion. But if it happens while he is a Christian he cannot remarry while the woman is still alive. That is why everybody should look very well before marriage. We must be able to take responsibility for our decision. If the woman leaves, she breaks the covenant of the first marriage.
In my opinion instead of the man burning with passion it is better he remarries. That is better than philandering all over the church. But let me tell you one truth, we are not God. The issue of marriage cannot make or mar our heaven. It won't be criteria for heaven. God will not ask you whether you marry or remarry before He allows you into heaven. Instead of going to hell it is better to remarry. If a woman leaves a man for another man and he gets about three children, do you expect the man to wait till she dies? It is only God that knows best in that area. It is my opinion. and what we are taught is that once a woman leaves a man, she has broken the covenant of the first marriage and that means the man is no longer bound.
Pastor Ibukun Ayanwale
Generally, when a woman is still alive the man of God should not remarry. in the book of Malachi God, says he hates divorce. According to the word of God, a man of God should not remarry. Even if he is burning with passion, minister should not remarry because we have men of God who are eunuchs.
Pastor Ayomide Abraham
The man of God should not remarry even if he is burning with passion. a lot of people hide under that burning with passion phrase to contravene the word of God. People are leaving their wives here and going to South Africa to remarry. Anybody can say whatever he wants, what the Bible says is what stands; and that is, men of God should not remarry.