Division In The House: Nigerian Pastors Who Are Enemies

You can call it subtle enmity, if you like. But the truth remains that some of our leading pastors are not the best of friends. As a matter of fact while some have been hiding theirs for years, there are those that even up till now cannot stand each other. Not only do they not talk, they readily abuse themselves whenever time permits forgetting that we should not allow the sun to set with us having something against our brethren in our mind. Let us unmask these preachers of the word as well as serve you the genesis of all their quarrel.

Pastor Dr. E H L Olusheye and Evangelist Dr. T O Obadare

The relationship between these two strong men of God was once very cordial; the two were once top officials of the first Nigerian pentecostal church, the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), a church formed in 1930 by world renowned evangelist, Prophet Joseph Ayodele Babalola, with the revival of that year popularly called the revival of 1930 among the Christian sphere.

Olusheye was at a time the CAC General Superintendent while Obadare was the CAC General Evangelist. Crisis however started in the late 1980s and early 1990s over issues that had to do with leadership of the church: after the death of the then president of the church worldwide, Pastor Orangun, another pastor of the church who held a very important position in the church executive, in the person of Pastor Adegoroye, felt some people in the church executive were planning against him becoming the church new president, a position he’s until that time been occupying. This forced him to quickly return from the church annual pastors confere

nce that year to his base in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, which is also the base of Obadare whose church, Agbala Itura and evangelism ministry, World Soul Winning Evangelistic Ministry (WOSEM), were alleged by Adegoroye to have been the reason they chose to drop him. The rest is well publicized.

This led to a gospel musician who is also a member of the church to sing of his disappointment on the issue. Though there have been many
efforts at reconciling the warring pastors, which now boils down to Olusheye and Obadare, as other actors in the fracas which forced the church into factions, i.e. CAC Worldwide and CAC WOSEM, have since retired or dead, leaving Olusheye who is now the Worldwide president and Obadare, who still holds sway in Agbala Itura church in Akure and also still holds his monthly Koseunti programme under the umbrella of his WOSEM, which is an affiliation of the CAC church.

Bishop Mike Okonkwo & Bishop Lanre Obembe

The relationship between these two was once very cordial and this could be confirmed by the fact that when |Mike Okonkwo was the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Obembe was the Lagos State chairman of the same association. Okonkwo is the founder and Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelistic Mission (TREM) while Obembe is the founder and Bishop of El-Shaddai Bible Church, it is therefore surprising how the two allowed issues that had to do with monetary gain to put asunder the once very cordial
relationship between them.

It all began in 2004 when Lanre Obembe had a business idea that would bring in some money into his pocket in form of a world-class revival featuring the Jewish-American revivalist, Benny Hinn, down to Nigeria for a supposed interdenominational revival. At the initial stage, when he informed Okonkwo who was then the National President of the PFN, Okonkwo was said to have given him the go-ahead, knowing it would be difficult to bring Benny Hinn who Okonkwo had at a time formed acquaintance with to Nigeria. But like a dogged marketer who would do anything to sell a service or business to a prospective buyer, Obembe was able to convince Benny Hinn on the need to visit Nigeria to the surprise of Okonkwo.

As it is the habit of the Jewish-American preacher, he donated the sum of $4 million to the cause of the three-day revival tagged Lagos Healing Crusade. It was when the money issue was mentioned that Bishop Okonkwo was said to have swung into action, claiming that the issue had become an issue of the PFN and other Christian bodies in the country and was therefore not a programme Lanre Obembe alone could handle. The ensuing argument was said to be responsible for the flop of the $4 million project. It was in the process of this that Obembe’s suspension and that of his church from PFN was announced by the Okonkwo-led National PFN. That really brought out the fire in Obembe, who accused Okonkwo and the PFN leadership of taking such step because he did not allow them take over his project.

Pastor Tunde Bakare & Bishop Oyedepo

Their relationship cannot really be said to be too cordial. While the founder of Latter Rain Christian Assembly can be said to be a very vocal person, the Presiding Bishop of Faith Tabernacle, or Winners Chapel as it is popularly called, can be said to be not too vocal about the ’s way of life. Tunde Bakare however brought out the fire in Oyedepo when he likened his worship to the occult; he was even at a time compared to the most questioned Nigerian pastor, T B Joshua. At a service in his Acme, Ogba Lagos church, Bakare condemned one of Oyedepo’s books; he even tore it on television. This elicited response from the followers of Oyedepo and it has further widened the gap between them. In the real sense of it, the relationship between the two has suffered greatly and no matter what they said after the incident, it is a known thing that cordiality of the relationship between the two may be over.

Pastor Tunde Bakare and Pastor Kumuyi

Pastor Tunde Bakare is known for his many scathing remarks against many known men of God in the country. He had at a time accused Pastor W F Kumuyi of Deeper Christian Life Ministry of depriving his congregation of what they need while living a life of luxury. He practically called the very gentle man of God a hypocrite. Though Pastor Kumuyi chose not to say anything, those in the know said the attitude may have blocked all means to ever having any relationship with the lawyer-turned-pastor even in future.

Pastor Chris Okotie and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

This is the story of two Chris(es) who were once very close, also neighbours in Oregun area of Lagos where they practically own half the area. Oyakhilome whose growth was very fast is known to be fond of moving equipment needed to break ground for his church expansion through the land owned by Okotie. The once very close friends are now more like sworn enemies over Oyakhilome’s professed relationship with Pastor T B Joshua. Okotie who criticized T B Joshua who he said is using occult power to perform his miracles, felt bad when Oyakhilome who is also known for his ministry of miracles chose to be associated with Joshua, a situation that made Bakare label the two devilish. The ensuing animosity is yet to end.

Pastor Chris Okotie and Rev. Anslem Madubuiko

Pastor Chris Okotie of Household of God Church and Rev. Anslem Madubuko of Revival Assembly Church were once like five and six. Apart from the fact that the two attended the same University of Nigeria, Nsukka where the fire of their friendship was ignited, it is also on record that they were each other’s wedding best man. Their friendship we learnt even goes to the period Chris was a musician and Anslem then was a DJ and when Chris decided to start his Church, Anslem was at hand to give him a hand and in the process rose to become the Minister in charge of the healing ministry. The cause of their separation is still not known up till today but many felt it may because of the attention Anslem was attracting and the respect he started commanding among the congregation that forced Okotie to order him out of the church and asked him not to come back.

Pastor Chris Okotie and Pastor T B Joshua

It was his relationship with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome that led to the enmity between him and Pastor Okotie, so it is expected that the two will not be in any relationship. Pastor T B Joshua it was that was accused of using occult power to heal people in his Synagogue Church and Okotie was the whistle blower who addressed the press on his suspicion of Joshua. Though the issue has since then died down, those in the know confirm to us that there is a very cold wall between these two and they may not be too friendly towards one another should they meet in public.

Pastor T B Joshua and Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo

It will be right to address him as the most criticized pastor in Nigeria. Pastor T B Joshua, the founder and General Overseer of Synagogue Church of All Nations, has won himself many enemies in the Christian religious circle, one of which is the funky London-based Nigerian Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo. During Joshua’s issue with Okotie, Ashimolowo, who is the President of the Kingsway International Christian Church (KICC), was one of those who were of the opinion that Joshua is a messenger of devil. It was he who claimed that the white men who troop to his church were like those who had been walking for long in the desert only to see water. He concluded that they won’t bother if the water is clean or dirty and that in the case of Joshua, the water looks dirty. He concluded by saying he questions the power Joshua is using. Though it has been years since the incident happened, the two we learnt will not entertain a situation where they will be alone together.

Pastor Lazarus Muoka and Pastor A C Ohanebo

He commands huge followership among the people of Igbo extraction and his programmes draw crowd to Lagos from the eastern part of the country. Pastor Lazarus Muoka, the founder and General Overseer of Lord Chosen Charismatic Renewal Ministry, is a man who has to his credit series of quarrels. Little did many know that the man his followers see as the representative of God here on earth is not on talking terms with the man who anointed him a pastor. Before Muoka became a pastor, he was a church member of Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement under the leadership of Pastor Aloysius Chukwuemeka Ohanebo. It was in this church he was made a pastor and transferred to Mushin branch of the church and when the church in Mushin started increasing in size, Muoka decided to start his own church after he was accused of embezzling church fund. We gathered that even up till today Muoka is nursing a grudge against his former boss for questioning his accountability.

Pastor Lazarus Muoka and Pastor Nnamdi Ofoegbu

Pastor Lazarus Muoka, the General Overseer of Lord Chosen Charismatic Renewal Ministry and the founder, Christ Chosen Generation Revival Ministry, Pastor Nnamdi Ofoegbu, were once the very best of associates. It was said that the two started the Lord Chosen Charismatic Renewal Ministry together and that the two ran the church as boss and deputy until one of them became greedy on how to share the proceeds from the church. Ofoegbu accused Muoka of trying to sideline him because he was becoming more popular among the congregation and this led to Muoka plotting against him. For the love of money, which the bible calls the root of all evil, these two men of God don’t see eye to eye.

 

Pastor Patrick Anwuzia and Pastor Joseph Agboli

Anwuzia and Agboli are brothers. They both come from Delta state and used to have a very chummy relationship until a wedge of asunder was put in between them. Like Adeyemi and Adegboyega, Agboli used to work for Anwuzia. But upon deciding to run with his destiny, palaver started – and till today, it still hasn’t been properly sorted out. Anwuzia started Zoe Ministries while Agboli is behind Victorious Army Ministries

Pastor Sam Adeyemi and Pastor George Adegboyega

Adeyemi pastors Daystar Christian centre while Adegboyega is in charge of Rhema Chapel International. Before now, however, the former used to work for the latter. In fact, he was in charge of the latter’s Lagos branch and until he exited the ministry, both of them had a fantastic relationship. The rythm of the music only changed when Adeyemi said he wanted to be on his own. And till date, the relationship hasn’t been restored to its former state – owing majorly to how some issues were handled at the thick of the crisis.

Contributions from multiple sources