By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Materialism, quest for affluence, fame and power amongst Christian clerics have been the greatest albatross killing Christianity and destroying christian folks.
Reverend Boris Olugu Umeh of the Assemblies of God, Nigeria Abuja Diocese said enmity and unhealthy rivalry over positions and the spoils of office by men of God have led to the dismemberment and fragmentation of churches and division amongst Christians.
The clergy decried the sad development which he noted has caused the church in Nigeria to suffer persecution from within, and decline in spreading the word of salvation to the heathens.
Speaking during the Sunday Easter Retreat programme of the Niger District of the Assemblies of God Church at Tunga Diocese of the church, Rev. Boris lamented that the real enemy of the church is within than from without.
His message which centred on resurrection power of Jesus Christ, said the church needs to be resurrected from it’s clutches of internal wrangglings, animosity between Christians, greed and crave for power.
Rev. Boris said the crises in the Assemblies of God Nigeria which is the handiwork of enemies within would come to an end soon.
He said the heat being generated by the forces fighting the church was man’s growing inapptitude in managing his taste as a result of burning satanic zeal for power, fame and fortune.
Boris who was one of the three guest speakers during the three day Easter Retreat programme at the Assemblies of God, Niger District’ retreat ground held at the Tunga, Minna church warned the Christiandom in Nigeria against playing into the hands of the enemy to act God.
He said though God is slow to wrath and anger, His punishment is unredeemable, unstoppable and unending.
The Assemblies of God Nigeria, the oldest Pentecostal church in Nigeria with about ninety years of existence in Nigeria has since 2014 been caught up in ugly fratricidal leadership wrangglings between two principal architects, Professor Paul Emeka and Dr. Chidi Okoroafor, both of them of Igbo extractions.
The camp of Dr. Okoroafor has been spoilt to wrestle power from the General Supritendent of the church in Nigeria, Prof. Paul Emeka and the two along with their supporters have been having clashes to assert their superiority over the other.
The crises has bifocated the church membership along the two factions with legal tussles that have barthed at the country’s highest court yet without an end even as the wrangglings continue.
Rev. Boris cautioned that the end of a man who refuses and rejectes all entreaties for peace overtures is destruction. He called on members of the church to remain fervent in prayers for an end to the imbroglio that has eaten deep into the membership of the church in Nigeria and dragged the church into the mud in the last three years.
The Easter Retreat programme is summed up on Easter Sunday which is the climax of the three day event. Prayers for peace, well-being and security of members of the church, Christiandom and Nigeria were rendered to bring the 2017 programme to a close.
