Wants prayer contractors to vomit Dasukigate money. Archbishop of the Enugu Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, yesterday, queried the integrity of the leadership and members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), saying the two influential Christian bodies had soiled their hands in the murky water of politics and must be ready to face the consequences soon.He said he had it on good authority that prominent members of the two associations got involved in the sharing of the controversial $2.1billion Dasukigate fund and would soon be named and shamed.
He lamented that when a man of God and member of powerful Christian associations begins to visit offices of anti-graft agencies for probe over sharing of slush funds, both the integrity of such man of God and the association he belonged would be soiled.
The Anglican Prelate who spoke weekend with The AUTHORITY on Saturday at Bishop’s Court, Enugu, said Nigerians would be shocked when the anti-graft agencies begin to entertain them with names of prominent members of the associations and the amount they collected under the guise of rendering spiritual consultancy to the then government of the day.
Although he did not mention any name, yesterday, he however insisted that CAN under Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, and members of his executive as well as all the branches across the country, needs a serious purging, saying that the Christian body, particularly, has almost lost its integrity.
He averred that CAN has been politicized, polarized and lost its effectiveness in evangelism and therefore in need of total spiritual surgery. Suggesting a way forward, Archbishop Chukwuma suggested that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should legislate on the existence of churches in Nigeria and shut down all the churches that are not members of the body, to bring back sanity into the system.
His words: ‘’I think that this is the time when CAN has to legislate and find out the true churches in Nigeria as well as true pastors.
“Any church not under the group of churches recognized by CAN should be closed down. I did it in Bauchi when I was the CAN Chairman. “I closed down churches that we could not establish their authenticity and originality. “So, the time has come when CAN has to censor churches in Nigeria to know those ones that are genuine because they are bringing unnecessary dent to Christendom’’.
Archbishop Chukwuma who is overseeing 12 dioceses in Enugu province and would be celebrating his 27th anniversary as a Bishop in Anglican communion at 62 years of age, said that he has seen it all in the Christendom and could pass judgment on the Christian body of which he said he was once a high ranking member.
The Anglican Prelate who was also the chairman of Christian Council of Nigeria CCN, and one time South-East CAN Chairman emeritus, admitted that despite the increase in churches, there is still high rate of moral decadence in the society. He averred that prosperity preaching brought about the decadence in the society morally and otherwise by turning churches into commercial ventures. His words: ‘’Evil in the society is committed by everybody, both Christians and non- Christians and I ask: who is a Christian?
“ A Christian is somebody who is a follower of Christ, who is honest in his religion and somebody who exhibits Christian-like life. ‘’Most Christians today are not preaching the gospel of salvation but rather prosperity messages and that is why evil is on the increase because most churches are not genuine.
“Unemployment has made so many people to become pastors. Many of them are pastors by commercialization and not by calling.
“Churches have become commercial ventures and they cash in on the society because of hunger.
‘’Some are even prayer contractors. Very soon you will see what will happen in this Dasukigate. Many of them collected money for spiritual prayer. “I know that I am not involved. But many of them are involved and soon, they will be named. “ I know that millions were distributed to some pastors and I must say here that pentecostal churches must watch themselves.
“They are the worst in the denting of Christendom.
Source: The Authority
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