"Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?" -Psalm 94:16
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.(Philippians 3: 18-19)
They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them( I John 4:5)
"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..." -Psalm 97:10
In March 2002, Lawrence Agada, an assistant pastor who was a cashier with the Lagos Sheraton Hotels and Towers, donated cash and gifts totaling N39 million to the church. Agada's donations were in installments. He bought a 2S0KVA generator valued at N4.4 million, and another 27KVA generator for NI.5 million, which he donated to a satellite branch of the church. Before then, he had given N6 million for the refurbishment of the branch, as well as N1 million for the purchase of plastic seats for the headquarters. Agada also contributed N1million to the success of a mega¬ crusade tagged Night of Bliss. His parish pastor, who had no money for a trip to Australia, was given N400, 000. In appreciation, Oyakhilome wrote Agada: "May God, who gives seed to the sower and bread for eating, multiply your seeds in Jesus name." Rather than receive God's blessings, Agada became a guest of the police when his employers discovered that he had stolen from them to give to the church. Agada's employers also insisted that Oyakhilome should refund the money. But the church issued a statement admitting that Agada made donations, but refused to make a refund.A year later, Gbenga Kehinde, another member, donated to the church in similar circumstances. Then an assistant manager with Eko International Bank, Kehinde stole about N40 million from his employers and donated N 10 million to the church. That also became a messy affair. (http://www.elifeonline.net/elife7-july-august/richest-pastors.htm) .
FIRST SEE
What's Wrong With the Word of Faith Prosperity Movement?
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/07/whats-wrong-with-word-of-faith.html
Tele-Evangelist Greedy Lifestyles: the Nigeria prosperity movement is as rotten as the American Prosperity Movement
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/tele-evangelist_lifestyles.html#TBN%20Salari
PASTOR OR CEO: AFRICA'S BENNY HINN PASTOR OYAKHILOME IN MEGA BUSINESS: STARTS AIRLINE, FAST FOOD AND NED TV STATIONS
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/07/pastor-or-ceo-oyakhilome-in-mega.html
ARTICLE
Pastor offered me R10 000 to sit in a wheelchair.... stand up and walk
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=740954
The Sowetan News
04 April 2008
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION by Getrude Makhafola and Tebogo Monama
Nigerian preacher and healer Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has been accused by a member of his own church of staging miracle healing sessions.
Some of his followers have said that he has been hiring people to pretend to be sick and disabled and then “be healed” during his television shows and public prayer meetings.
A man who did not want to be identified for security reasons said: “I was offered R10000 to rehearse and pretend to be in a wheelchair three weeks before the all-night prayer called Night of Bliss at the Johannesburg Stadium.”
Last weekend Pastor Oyakhilome hosted an all-night prayer at the stadium. The source told Sowetan that he started attending Christ Embassy church in Randburg last year.
He was recruited by one of the pastors and told he would be paid if he helped to draw crowds. “The pastor told me that they were looking for people to work for the church.
He said that I was going to sit in a wheelchair and be wheeled around while pretending to be physically ill. I would then stand up and walk as soon as Pastor Chris stopped praying for me.”
The source also said that the people who are “healed” every time on stage are actually trained weeks before.
“Even children who are healthy are whisked around in wheelchairs. Some use crutches. “Everyone is allocated a person who tells the congregation about your background, your specific illness and suffering. “The pastor then raises his hands and places them maybe on your legs if you cannot walk, and a few seconds later you get up and walk around the room,”the source said. He said he called the church the day after their offer and turned them down.
“I just told myself that using the word of God to lie to desperate people is immoral, so I refused to take up their offer,” said the source.
A woman who went to the all-night prayer service, said: “When he started healing people, I did not see him call anyone from the audience. The people that he ‘healed’ came from a certain section of the audience and it looked like he came with them especially for the event.
“I saw a lot of people in wheelchairs leaving the venue who had not been healed. It was very sad.
”Lerato Moeketsi told Sowetan she was a loyal follower of the church and was disappointed that she could not make it into the stadium. “I had to turn back because the stadium was full. “There was no way I could go through to receive his blessing,” she said.
Thousands of followers jostled for space at the stadium.
The seriously ill, mostly disabled and in wheelchairs, went to the service in the hope of being healed by Pastor Chris’s powerful prayer. Another woman, Tshinanne Nemutudi, said she went to the all-night prayer service because she believed in Pastor Chris.
“I trust him the way I trust Jesus and God. ”She said she had problems with her ankle but Pastor Chris had healed her. “While he was praying, he said we should all touch our body parts that needed to be healed. He said that if we believed then we would be healed.”
Oyakhilome ’s website describes him as a pastor, teacher, healing minister, television host and best-selling author whose career spans 25 years.
He runs the church with his wife, Pastor Anita, who is the director of Christ Embassy’s international office and also preaches at the Christ Embassy churches in the United Kingdom.
Pastor Chris also hosts a religious programme on TV called Atmosphere for Miracles. At the Randburg branch, brother Onyeka Liozo said what the source and the followers said “was rubbish”. “We have a healing school in Randburg. People ask and get healed.
People must stop lying about this holy crusade,” said Liozo. He said that people come from outside South Africa for help.
Pastor Chris is both controversial and mysterious. The press is barred from taking pictures at his healing services.
NEXT ARTICLE
South Africa: Christ Embassy’s Night of Bliss Scandal Victims Account
*Voice of the people is the voice of God!
*Chris Oyakhilome faith or fake healer? You decide
http://www.huhuonline.com/news170.html
Rev Chris Oyakhilome`s enforcer and maternal cousin of Tom Amekhiena made the airwaves recently, his news media of choice,onwed by Christ Embassy Plc described it as well attended press conference, however, no one including huhuonline.com has been able to locate his rebuttal in any other news media. Thus our wrap up was that it was nothing but a cheap public relations stunt, designed to cover the truth of the matter. But the victory of lie over truth is only temporary, and more truth on the night of bliss saga has continued to emerge from South Africa.
Mr. Tom Amekhiena who struggled to graduate for lowly rated University in Nigeria, in his poorly articulated advisory described the South African newspaper (SOWETAN), that broke the story of Christ embassy’s misdeed as inconsequential, however, the leader of all leaders, the master negotiator, the boss of all bosses and the chief of all African chiefs, President Nelson Mandela begs to differ as he described SOWETAN as a “major contributor to the South African struggle”.
A handicapped man from Soweto is curious, his question to Chris Oyakhilome was
“Why is it that the people who are healed at these seminars are unknown to ordinary community members?”Huhuonline.com does not know either, but sources say ask Christian Oyakhilome and his people, they know what is going on, they pose miracles to draw crowd and cash.
A victim of Chris Oyakhilome`s scam is Lerato Maise. Her hope that her daughter Mathapelo would be healed was dashed after visiting Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s healing school. Mathapelo was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2005 and attended two weeks of healing sessions at the Christ Embassy Church. She was 10 at the time.
Lerato Maise said that on the day of the supposed healing at one of the church’s seminars, her daughter was well enough to stand on her own but was put in a wheelchair.
“I was new at the church and did not understand the procedure,” she said.
“The other congregants were in another room and watched us on a video link-up.
“After the pastor prayed for my daughter they asked her to stand up as if she were healed.
“The congregants shouted with joy when they saw her walking.”
Maisela said she believed people have the power to heal.
“Pastor Chris took advantage of my desperate situation,” she said. “I believe that God gives people power but if they are greedy they will be punished.”
Maisela’s daughter died shortly after her visit to the pastor.
“My daughter was an amazing child and I was willing to do anything to make sure she became better.
“I am glad that he is exposed. He should stop taking advantage of people.”
Maisela has not gone back to the church since the incident. (Names were changed for fear of reprisal)
Itayi Nyakudya, another victim of Chris Oyakhilome`s scam had this to say. “Thanks for the best reporting ever. And thanks for bringing to our attention the religious fraud that Chris is into. Is it written that we should commercialize Jesus?
This is exactly what Pastor Chris is doing. Ever seen how the congregation glorifies Chris rather than Jesus? They carry Chris’s portrait around their necks, and they think his touch surpasses that of Jesus! It’s a religious fraud designed to bring in some quick bucks, and I feel God is being misrepresented there,” said Itayi Nyakudya.
Sibongile Mashaba, another victim, her account reads:
Sibongile, a wife who is desperate to see her husband healed spent the whole day at the Christ Embassy Church in Randburg, Johannesburg, just to see whether other people would be healed by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome. This was after her husband Paul Sambo had attended the church’s school of healing for about two weeks but was told he would not pass because he slept in class. The question then, is it Christ embassy church workers and Chris Oyakhilome that determines who get healed or God, this really do sound like predetermination in practice.
Sambo was diagnosed with spine cancer in February this year. A relative who did not wish to be named said Sambo felt helpless after he was diagnosed with cancer. “He had hoped that the ‘Night of Bliss’ would give him a new life. Now he just seems confused,” she said. Pastor Chris hosted Night of Bliss, an all-night prayer meeting at the Johannesburg Stadium 5 week’s ago. Though Sambo seemed keen to speak to Sowetan when we visited him at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, he seemed a little confused. His wife Julie told Sowetan that her husband had now lost hope of getting healed.” My husband had hopes of getting healed one day but not any more.” she said.
“The ‘Night of Bliss’ did not help my husband in any way.”
Sambo’s story comes after the article about a man who told Sowetan that he had been promised R10000 to pretend he was wheelchair-bound.
He would then receive Pastor Chris’ healing on the Night of Bliss.
According to the man he was to sit in a wheelchair and pretend he was paralyzed until Pastor Chris came up to pray for him.
Then he would jump up and walk.
The man said he refused because he had faith in God and God alone.
There were also allegations that all the people that were healed at the seminar were hired by the church. The man said the church did this to draw crowds
Religion gives comfort and hope to people. It is a moral barometer of grace and spiritual support in the daily struggles of life.
It affects the social, economic, emotional and moral fiber of society.
Freedom of religion means that everyone can choose how to worship the Almighty without hindrance from others in their community.
That said, we note that charismatic leader Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Nigeria has taken South Africa by storm, promising to heal the sick and enrich the poor in his Christ Embassy Church.
Citizens are particularly vulnerable at this time of transition, beset by poverty, social change and crime. To deal with these, they seek and find hope in every promise of change for the better.
It is against this background that happy-clappy churches have mushroomed all over the country as troubled people search for spiritual contentment.
The disparities in class and wealth have made many in South African society gullible. Our people have fallen prey to pyramid schemes and have been conned into paying for nonexistent jobs in a bid to chase the almighty buck.
Pastor Chris’ charismatic style of religion has garnered many believers who desperately need a message of hope to alleviate their suffering.
But there is a danger in blindly following self-styled religious leaders who claim to be faith healers and the conduit for the voice of God. In the past they have tended to spawn fanaticism, torture and war.
Flocking in great numbers to his church consistently are the poor and destitute. They give money they cannot afford to the church. This strips them of the little they have in a vain bid to garner elusive gifts.
Chris Oyakhilome has created controversy in that he gives blessings and comfort in exchange for cash. It is of concern that he lives a life of extraordinary luxury in comparison to his faithful flock.
It is doubtful that money generated in such churches ever finds its way into poverty alleviation initiatives in the communities.
What South African people need is development, jobs, education and housing, not a false paradise. They do not need to be side-tracked by promises of an elusive nirvana.
(Victims real names were not used in this piece for fear of reprisal). Huhuonline.com & Sowetan
NEXT ARTICLE
Pastor Chris Okotie's letter to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
http://www.nigerianantichrist.com/okotie-letter.htm
I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
I have been concerned about your recent involvement with one "Joshua". I am writing to you because I believe that you are a colleague in the ministry and above all, you are a brother in Christ Jesus.
I am fully persuaded that you are not aware of the true identity of this said "Joshua". He is neither a minister of Jesus Christ nor a brother in the Lord. He is an occultist, practising Shamanism with Christian terminology. The "Jesus" that he calls is not the Jesus that we know as Born Again Christians. The "holy spirit'; that he calls is not the Holy Spirit that we have been sealed with as children of God! The "gospel" that he preaches is not the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus as is revealed in the scriptures. He preaches what the Bible calls "another" i.e. another of a different kind. The Greek word is "Heteros". I have sent you two tapes containing messages that I have preached on this subject. You will notice that I have not mentioned your name in any of the tapes, but I have tried to address the subject as dispassionately as possible.
Now, this "Joshua" is operating under the spirit of Jannes and Jambress. He is a product of Docetic Gnosticism and Cerinthian heresy. You may not fully understand what I am talking about but the tapes I sent will enlighten you more. "Joshua" is the quintessential mystic man. He has three symbols of mysticism. The first is called "The Head of Jesus Christ" or "Christ". This is a reference to the source of his power. That power is invoked or acknowledged by the word, "Emmanuel". When "Emmanuel" is chanted, it energizes' the power. The scriptures say that the head of Christ is God. So when Joshua 'refers to that head, he is speaking of himself as God Incarnate.
The second is "the finger of God". This term was used by Jesus to describe the power of God that was in operation to cast out devils. It is a Hebraism. But in the occult, it is used in a different sense. It is used as a physical finger. That is why you may have seen "Joshua" with one pointed finger during his ministrations. It is an occultic practice.
The third symbol is his name Most of the practitioners of this mysticism take either the English name of the Saviour or his Jewish name. In the present case, "Joshua" has taken his Jewish name in its transliteration. That name refers to him as Saviour and the revealler of God to mankind.
I have taken time to write all this because I believe that you do not know who you are dealing with. He is a cohort of Satan, and they are sworn enemies of righteousness. I don't think that you know how serious this matter is. It is the worst thing that can happen to the church of Jesus Christ. His desire is to enter the church of God and paralyse God's people with mysticism. He has an outward form of Godliness but denies the power. of God operative in the gospel. These Gnostics preach Holiness accompanied with signs and wonders. The power of the signs and wonders is embedded in the mystery of iniquity. It is all calculated to deceive, entrap and entice you.
Do not accept anything from this "Joshua". He will offer you money, claiming to be sent by God to support your ministry. He has access to a lot of money. If you accept and receive this money, you will become a stooge in his hands. But, because we have a covenant with Christ that supersedes any other, you can return his money or any of his gifts and publicly denounce him and the power of his influence will be broken over you.
You must renounce this man immediately and publicly too because his plan is not only to destroy the Will of God in your life, but, to bring your entire congregation under his control. If you allow him to enter your congregation, you will have surrendered your ministry to him. And whatever happens to your congregation will be your own doing, for which you will answer before God.
Do not let that man destroy you and your congregation. He is evil. God will supply whatever you need. He will give you the power to heal the sick and perform miracles, if that is your calling. You do not need "Joshua" or anyone for that matter.
Be patient and wait for God's timing. I write these things in love. I care about what happens to you because you are my brother in Christ. I am not against you. "Joshua" is the enemy and I want you to know that.
However, if you decide to continue your fellowship with Joshua, I want you to know that I will have to speak publicly against you. The reason is simply because I have a responsibility from God to expose the works of the devil.
If you decide that Joshua" is of God and therefore, someone you want to fellowship with, then know that I will no longer have fellowship with you or your ministry until you denounce him publicly. As painful as this may be, it is the only choice that I will be left with. But I trust in the Lord Jesus that it will not come to that. For I know that Satan's plan is to cause division amongst the brethren.
May the Lord grant you wisdom and understanding as you serve Him in spirit and in truth.
Yours in His Service,
Rev. Chris Okotie
PASTOR,
The Household of God.
PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME CONNECTION WITH T.B JOSHUA: INTERVIEW
http://www.dossiers.tk/pastor-chris-oyakhilome20050117-interview.htm
17 januari 2005
Daily Champion Newspapers, Nigeria
Within the last three years, there has been a lot of controversies surrounding. Pastor Chris: from your association with Prophet T.B. Joshua which led to your split with the mainstream Pentecostal ministers in the country to issues of large donations to the ministry by members who purportedly defrauded their organizations and then the ban on miracle programmes by the National Broadcasting Commission. Your silence at every point gives the impression that you love controversies.
It is not true that I love controversies. Jesus was a controversial figure and his ministry was controversial, not because Jesus loved controversies or that he sparked off controversies but because the people thought and acted differently from God's ways of doing things and so Jesus could never agree with them; and that is where controversies begin - disagreements. So these so called controversies were not things that I sparked off, nor is it that I enjoy controversies. Then why was I silent? Because Jesus did not need to respond to his critics! So, I have found no reason to respond to them. One thing you need to know about your critics is this: no great man ever criticized a lesser man. respond because only lesser men criticize greater men.
You can only be criticized by those who are lesser than you. So the response to criticism should always be from that stand point. When you are criticized, you ask yourself, 'Is this a criticism'. If it is, then you do not need to.
And that immediately suggests that the one who criticizes you deserves no response. That is the reason why I have not thought of responding to them.
How did your relationship with Prophet T.B Joshua begin? Rev Chris Okotie said then that T.B. Joshua recruited or ordained you into his cult way back 1986.
I remember in 2001 a lot of ministers including Pastor Chris Okotie, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Pastor Tunde Bakare did say things along that line. The truth is that they were all wrong. They were getting information from the wrong sources, and it is unfortunate that they believed their wrong sources; incidentally none of them asked me intelligent questions. I hope to write a book on the episode someday. I have so much to say about all that transpired, maybe for the future. It was an interesting period, but the truth is that what they said was not true. I was surprised when the fact that I related with Prophet T.B Joshua, sparked off controversies. I was very surprised. You wonder why? Because I related with a lot of folks and nobody said anything, so I wondered why they got so mad about this one.
This was no ordinary person. This was Prophet T.B. Joshua; a man whom most ministers believe is involved in occultic practices.
I was surprised that they all said that. Remember that Jesus visited non-followers, non believers and he was criticized by the religious folks of his day. They said this man eateth and drinketh with sinners. They said Jesus could not be a prophet of God because he ate and drank with sinners. I thought if I related with anybody, it shouldn't be a problem, even if he was a sinner. There was no reason for that. After all everybody needs the gospel. So from that stand point I was surprised at their response. It was the wrong response anyway. I remember that I made a tape then, called 'Truth on Trial' and there I said, “Just because you hate somebody does not mean I have to hate with you”. When Jesus related with sinners, they did not change him. So, no matter what they thought T.B. Joshua was, my relating with him shouldn't have been expected to change me. So, it was very wrong for anyone to have interfered.
They said he was of the devil…
Well, that is between them and God.
How exactly did you meet T.B. Joshua?
It was in 2001 that I met him or spoke with him for the first time, contrary to the assertions of the PFN leaders. He called me on the phone. He had been watching our programme on television with some of his visitors, and there was this episode of a little girl who was born blind, who received her sight at our crusade. He said he was moved by the miracle and decided to call me. That was our first contact. After that, we spoke several other times on telephone. At that time, I had only seen maybe two or three of his programmes on TV. I did not know much about him at all, and so when he spoke with me on the phone, we exchanged pleasantries, and made references to what we were doing.
In the process of time, on a particular Wednesday, several weeks after we had been talking on the phone, he called me on the phone and requested that I joined him in ministering to a particular man that was coming from Holland,
during a special service that night. I said we'll be having a service and he said his service was going to be all night long. I was going to finish mine about 9 pm and his was going to be all night, so I said 'alright, how long is it going to take me to get to where you are?' He said it's about 30 minutes, half an hour. I said ok, 'if I get out of here around 9 o' clock, I'll be there by 9.30. I'll try to make it'. I went there with several people.
We met for the first time, face to face then, and went into the congregation and he introduced me to them and I greeted the people. Of course a lot of them had been seeing me on television and so they were excited to see me come to their church. Shortly after I greeted them, I went with him to the healing section. We got to the healing section; he started out ministering to them while I was waiting because I was only going to join him in ministering to the foreigners based on his earlier request. When we got to the section where the foreigners were, most of whom were from Holland, we both ministered to the man who was sick of multiple sclerosis. I believe his name was Jan Westerhof; that was about it.
Now you must realize that before I met with T.B. Joshua, I'd been holding crusades and healing services for years. This was 2001 and by then I had held many crusades with thousands of people and we already had our programme, Atmosphere For Miracles, where we showed testimonies of people who were getting healed in our meetings. So healings and miracles were not new to me. When I met with him, of course I was excited, glad to see someone who was interested in the kind of things that I was doing.
When these controversies came up, when these pastors, Pastor Chris Okotie, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Pastor Tunde Bakare got on television and began to say a lot of things, I actually had to maintain an association of sympathy with the man. There are so many things I have to say like I told you, but these are all leaders in the church and I wouldn't want to say things that would make them unhappy with themselves or even make members of their congregation unhappy with them. I do not think that is my responsibility. So I would not want to go into certain details.
Did you at any moment think that your detractors were right and you wrong? After all you were the only man on your side of the divide.
I knew they were wrong all the time. Maybe I should define something, because the issue was not T.B. Joshua. They tried to make him the issue. He was not the issue. And I can prove that. The reason I said they tried to make him the issue is this; the president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, became the Vice President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, of which the Synagogue Church headed by T.B. Joshua is a part, Cherubim and Seraphim is a part, Celestial Church of Christ is a part and many other groups. In fact, he became the de facto Vice President of the Synagogue! And nobody said anything about it. There could be no better endorsement of T.B. Joshua from the PFN than that. If you could fraternize with all these groups as their Vice President, doesn't that say something, if indeed any of them was really of the Devil? Imagine Paul the Apostle as the Vice President of an occultic group? The point is T.B. Joshua was not the problem. They used him as the reason for their actions which were based on their wrong spiritual perceptions.
Rev Okotie claimed that T.B. Joshua laid hands on you and ordained you into ministry. When a newsmagazine asked the Prophet a question along that line, his answer sounded ambiguous lending credence to Okotie's assertion. So did T.B. Joshua lay hands on you?
The answer is No! That did not happen, I was never a part of his ministry as alleged by Chris Okotie and others. I was never a part of Synagogue. I met him for the first time in 2001. I have never been involved in their ministry and he has never had to minister to me. We have related as friends. I have many minister friends, even though we don't all exactly believe the same things.
What about the issue of money? Pastor Tunde Bakare said he saw a vision in which you were collecting money or deposit slips from T.B. Joshua and concluded you must have compromised for the sake of filthy lucre.
The allegations that he gave me money and that he was sponsoring our television programme doesn't make sense, considering our financial status as a ministry. T.B. Joshua must have been flattered to hear that from Pastor Bakare. It was all false.
There is this video tape featuring you and T.B. Joshua, healing a man from Holland in a wheelchair. A voice over referred to you as the Junior Prophet. Have you seen the tape?
(Laughs) Firstly, I have not seen the commercial or consumer version of the tape. But, I have a copy of the original edit that includes my whole visit and activities there. You know that as in several church organizations where they call the helmsman, Senior Pastor or General Overseer, T.B. Joshua is referred to as the Senior Prophet at the Synagogue. It's unfortunate that the commentator was not corrected in his error or assumption that whoever was ministering with the Senior Prophet must therefore be the Junior Prophet. I know some of the foreigners, who were not in the main service when I addressed the congregation, could have thought so, because they were in the emergency section waiting for healing. I remember one of them in his testimony actually made that comment.
Even though I was not offended, they should have been corrected.
Your liaison with T.B. Joshua caused a deep friction within Pentecostal circles and sparked off a crisis that many believed was going to destroy your ministry. How did you weather the storm?
You see, what many do not understand is this: the so called crisis period did not lead to anything. They were the ones that had a crisis. I was not in crisis, and this was what they did not understand. We have a firm bible based ministry. If a ministry like this could have been destroyed by things like this, that would have happened a very long time ago. So, I was not in crisis and did not need to weather the storm. I just went on with my business.
Were you not concerned about the status of your detractors? You were pitched against the Who is Who in Nigerian Pentecostal circles; especially considering the fact that men of God like Bishop Mike Okonkwo, and Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Church and even Matthew Ashimolowo made certain remarks about you then.
I did not mind. I was never bitter about it. They were all misled by their sources or assumptions. I have never met Pastor Ashimolowo or Pastor Adeboye. They don't know me. Even though Pastor Adeboye granted us the use of the Redeemed Camp facilities twice, several years ago, for which we remain grateful, I've never met him. But, whatever their comments were, I leave it all to God. You see, I have been brought up strong in the word of God. I have walked with the Holy Spirit enough to know, like the Apostle Paul that none of these things move me.
And if you are successful, you expect people to come after you. If you amount to anything you should never be surprised when people criticize you. Never be surprised when people rise against you and condemn you. Jesus said we should not be amazed when they say all manner of evil against us and accuse us falsely. Jesus was accused falsely. If I have been accused falsely and criticized by people, it does not mean anything. I am in good company because Jesus and the apostles suffered the same things. But they were successful and so have I been and I'll continue to be because I am walking in the path of light. So I already knew the end from the beginning.
Did you feel a sense of betrayal by those who were supposedly members of your primary constituency?
A sense of betrayal? They were not my primary constituency. That is the problem! I have never focused on them.
But they were also ministers.
That is what I am saying. I did not think about them. You see, God speaking to the children of Israel, said, “When I called Abraham, I called him alone”. You see prophets stand alone. When God calls you, he calls you alone. I only had Jesus in focus and always wanted to make sure that I did that, which would please him. I did not want to condemn them and I still would not say anything against them but that does not mean that what they said was the truth. It is still not true. Some people thought I was defending T.B. Joshua. No! I was defending the truth. All I said was, no matter what you think about him, treat him right. Period! Treat him the way Jesus said to treat people.
Did you ever get disturbed about the prospect of coming to church and finding your congregation has left? Some of the ministers advised them to leave you for the sake of their spiritual sanity.
(Laughs) Well I never even considered what they said. As a matter of fact, anybody can say anything. The question is, who was he speaking for? The bible says in Lamentation 3: 37, “who is it that speaketh and it cometh to pass when the Lord commanded it not”? No matter what anybody says, if God's power is not in their words, the words are empty. So those were empty words, they did not come to pass; they did not work or produce results. I was sent by God and it was important for me to know who sent me, and it was also important for me to know what my mission was.
Your strategies for handling controversies and crisis are rather strange. While others are addressing press conferences and issuing press release, you maintain a stoic silence. Is it on purpose, like a special strategy?
Well, not really. It is not on purpose. It is not planned. I am just doing what I was called to do. I do not think it is my responsibility to respond to issues that are raised by different people. I have a mission, I have a message to preach, and I am on television everyday. I have been given a unique opportunity, a very rare privilege from God. I do not know what more I could ask for. I have the opportunity to talk to millions of people around the world. I have been tremendously blessed and favoured. I can not ask for more. So in terms of having the opportunity or the platform to express myself, I have it more than any newspaper or media organization in this country could grant me. So the truth is: I have enough platform to say what I want to say. I have been tremendously favoured to be able to get on the electronic media on all formats, all around the world, hold crusades and do all the things I want to do! Our books and tapes are everywhere and so I'm just focused, doing the things I am called to do.
The world is all about relationships. As a journalist, I get to relate with other journalists. We hear of corroboration between other ministers as they hold joint programmes and preach in each other's churches. But Pastor Chris doesn't preach anywhere else but Christ Embassy, and he doesn't have minister friends. People think you are proud.
(Laughs) Well, certain people think that until you relate with them particularly, you have not related with anybody. That is wrong. I have thousands of ministers in our ministry and that is more than enough to relate with. I relate with ministers regularly.
I do not know what else I should be doing. And remember, the more ministers you relate with, the less time you'll have to relate with God. So I think I have more than enough already, I am now trying to have ministers to relate to other ministers, so I can even relate less. That is it. The ministry is different from other businesses. You gave yourself as an example; as a journalist, you relate with other journalists, but the ministry is different. You need to relate more with the Holy Spirit than with anybody else.
Is that the reason you are not a member of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, or Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN?
PFN or CAN? You know sometimes people make some things seem more serious than they really are. The Christian Association of Nigeria is a great organization started by human beings. God did not say you must be in CAN to be able to function.
I think they are doing their job the best way they know how, but I do not know what their aims and objectives are, and I have a vision that is unique.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has its beliefs. I am not a Pentecostal and therefore don't have to be a part of it. It's like they are not Baptists, else, why did they not join the Baptist Fellowship of Nigeria? Why? We all believe in Jesus; why did they not join the Baptist? Because of their beliefs! So they feel they are different from the Baptists and there is nothing wrong with that. I think it depends on beliefs. I do not believe everything from the Pentecostal stand point, because there is nothing Pentecostal in Christianity.
ALSO SEE
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http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/07/pastor-chris-oyakhilome-bishop-david.html
The story of Nigeria's most enigmatic Prosperity pastors.
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/07/story-of-nigerias-most-enigmatic.html
BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS CANT SEE WHAT OTHERS CAN SEE: NIGERIAN PROSPERITY GOSPLE KINGPINS TRASHED
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A CURSED GENERATION OF PASTORS: AFRICA'S RAPID EMBRACE OF THE ROTTEN PROSPERITY PENTECOSTALISM PROVOKES CONCERN
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4619733.stm
Nigerian's Rotten Pentecostalism Thriving on Miracles, Prosperity Promises
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