Posted by By Astro Jewoola on
These days, the activities of many of the so-called men of God throw up moral, ethical and even religious questions.
These days, the activities of many of the so-called men of God throw up moral, ethical and even religious questions.
The millions of people that throng these new generation churches to worship need to take a critical look at their spiritual leaders. Many of these hapless worshippers hold their pastors in very high esteem as those that will help them with their spiritual redemption. Many believe that by obeying these pastors, they will automatically land before the throne of God in heaven.
For this reason, worshipers, especially the womenfolk, are ready to part with anything and everything, even their bodies; the pastor only needs to ask.
Apart from their acquisitive tendencies, lust for money, flashy cars, aeroplanes and helicopters, cruise ships and luxury yachts, most of these ‘men of God' have added sexual immorality and even bestiality to their ways of life and the preaching of the Bible.
It is not as if there are no real men of God. While one may not be able to tell the honest ones apart, the lifestyle of some pastors set them apart. These days, some of hese evil pastors secretly drink and smoke, steal, gamble, covet the congregation's wives, visit herbalists and spiritualists. Many of these evil people have set up churches for no other reason than to make money from hapless individuals in search of salvation, or is it for quicker ways of solving that financial problem?
It would seem as if Nigerians, and sometimes foreigners, have not quite understood that these pastors are not their friends, or that these so-called churches are just business places.
Agreed, things are a bit difficult in the country but the whole problem is not just spiritual. Why then do Nigerians think every problem can be solved by attending one mushroom church or another? Why should anybody think that his or her salvation lies in attending a particular church?
Every week newspapers and magazines are filled with stories involving one pastor or man of God involved in one misdemeanour or another. These fiends who pose as pastors have been known to traffic in drugs. Others have been reported to have duped the unwary through the use of charms and other devilish things.
On Monday 28, April, P.M.News reported that a 47-year old self-acclaimed pastor, John Ugoli, of Love and Faith Bible Ministry, Marwa Waterside, Ijegun Egbe, Lagos, was held by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba for allegedly taking the sperm of six of his church members.
According to the report, Ugoli was first arrested on Saturday 19 April by policemen from Satellite Town, transferred to Agboju Police Station on Monday 21, April, before he was finally held for detailed interrogation at the SCID.
Ugoli allegedly took the teenagers' sperm on several occasions, and warned the victims not to tell their parents.
Similarly, on Sunday 29, November, the Nigerian Tribune reported that a 17-year-old lady was allegedly raped by her pastor. The sexual relationship, according to the report, made her mad for 12 years. The lady, the report added, was a chorister in the church along Felele road, Ibadan.
According to the lady: 'One day, after the choir practice in September 1996, the Pastor beckoned and told me to meet him at his Anfani street home in Ibadan. On getting to the pastor's house, the Pastor gave me a soft drink, which made me fall asleep.'
When she woke up, she discovered that the ‘man of God' had raped, and deflowered her in the process. The list of atrocities of these pastors is endless.
On 6 May, P.M.News readers, both in print and on-line, were shocked to read about a Nigerian-born, America-based Nigerian Roman Catholic priest that was sentenced to four years imprisonment for having sex with inmates while he was a chaplain at a women's prison. The randy priest was identified as 48-year old Vincent Inametti, and until he was jailed, had worked at Federal Medical Centre, Carswell, Forthworth for seven years.
Similarly, a randy priest at the Catholic Institute of Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had on 13 May, 2005, allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl. The accused priest was identified as Reverend father Ogunbara Camilius.
Early this year, crisis rocked the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement over the sum of N370 million. The crisis deepened on Tuesday, 22 January when a former pastor in the Church, Nnamdi Ofoegbu, accused the General Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, of obtaining the money from him to build the church, but refused to pay back.
The head of the Sapele, Delta State branch of Christ Embassy, Joseph Ehijiator was on 7 August arrested by the police for allegedly killing his pregnant wife, Efe, so that he can marry his girlfriend, Miss Oweil, who was already eight months pregnant.
Sometime in July, the world was shocked when it read about how homosexuality is thriving in the house of the Lord.
The pastor of a so-called church, House of Rainbow, had shocked Nigerians when he preached that homosexuality is not against the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Pastor Jide Rowland Macauley has since gone underground.
What men can do, they say, women can do even better. Female pastors, evangelists and prophetesses have equally joined their male counterparts to pull down the body of Christ.
Early this year, the General Overseer of Faith Visionary Mission, Igando, Lagos, Prophetess Ngozi Okafor, was arrested by the police for allegedly stealing a 9-day old baby.
Rape and sexual abuse cases are also finding their way into the house of God. Last September, Pastor Henry O. Evbotokhai of The Miracle Deliverance Church International, Era-Abule, of Iyana Era, Lagos Badagry Expressway fled after allegedly raping an 11-year old girl to death in his room, a few metres to the church.
The victim, Miss Covenant Udoh, was a nursery school pupil at an unidentified private school in Agboju Amuwo area of Lagos. She had been brought to the pastor for deliverance.
In a related case, the General Overseer of World of Liberty Evangelical Ministry, Pastor James Monayen, was on 2 September arrested by policemen for raping a 13-year-old girl. The incident reportedly happened within the church premises in Dopemu, Lagos, when the girl went to the church for a fasting and prayer crusade.
Speaking with P.M.News on the spate of crimes by these wolves in sheeps' clothing, Bishop Chioma Grace Dauji, General Overseer, Amazing Grace Pentecostal Church, said many were not called but greed and love for worldly things pushed them into establishing churches. 'In the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of the devils. Speaking lies and hypocrisy; leaving their conscience seared with a hot iron,' Dauji quoted from the bible.
The question remains: are they part of the body of Christ?
- Olugbo Soretire/Busuyi Ajakaye