Despite Pastor Chris’ lawsuit threats, more details have emerged from Christ Embassy Church over the ongoing divorce scandal rocking his marriage. As we are all aware that Rev Anita Oyakhilome has filed a divorce to end her 23-years-old marriage to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome over what she called adultery and unreasonable behavour.
The bitter feud has already claimed its first casualty. The first victim of Oyakhilome’s marriage crash is a top female pastor who worked with Rev Anita Oyakhilome at their London branch.
The woman identified as Reverend Grace was sacked by Pastor Chris few weeks ago when she allegedly raised a prayer team to pray for the restoration of the Oyakhilome’s family when Rev. Anita suddenly stopped coming to church. One of the ministers, who spoke in confidence, said:
“We suspected this issue is going to go public some day since the day Pastor Chris sacked Rev Grace for meddling in his family affairs by openly calling for prayers among some members in London when Rev Anita stopped coming to the church she was shepherding while all efforts to get her failed. Some us believe our colleague in London did the right thing by seeking spiritual help for the family but I think Pastor Chris misread her intention and had to travel to London when he heard of the move to sack her and contain the spread of rumour among members in London.”
Rev Anita’s lawyers confirmed that a divorce suit with file number FD14D01650 was filed on the 9th of April 2014. A confirmation message was passed around with her approval last week that her decision to divorce Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is final and irreconcilable.
Since then, she has kept quiet while Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has threatened to sue media outlets broadcasting the divorce news online and offline.
Here is another report culled from Saturday Sun on the latest controversy inside Christ Embassy Church
Apart from the sack of the London pastor, another issue connected to the divorce, which has also been generating tension in the church, is the cry of female ministers who are accusing Pastor Chris of introducing
“controversial rules that are now threatening the foundation of many marriages in the church.”
A female church member of one of the Christ Embassy branches in Abuja told Saturday Sun that
“the revolt of Rev Anita will be a child’s play to the one that people will soon see when we open up on how a secret policy introduced some time early this year has been tearing many families and homes apart in our parishes across the country. This is a strange directive that husbands and their wives must not worship or attend the same parish. Now, if a couple is a member of a parish, one of them has to be posted to another parish and this is fuelling adultery in the church in no small measure. Some of us who are female ministers that have been separated from our husbands, we are already talking. Some have started revolting against the order in their parishes while some have refused to obey such transfer orders.”
Another top female official of the church in one of the parishes located in Ikeja corroborated the story when she told Saturday Sun:
“The policy is real but it is creating tension in the church already.” The female minister, whose husband has been transferred out of the parish they have been attending together for years to give effect to the policy further, stated: “It’s a heartbreaking development because now we know that that directive was introduced to justify why Pastor Chris has to be in Lagos and his wife in London but beyond that, it is encouraging immorality while the church believes that we have an unusual grace that covers our human failings including adultery.”
Coming down to her personal experience, the female minister disclosed that soon after her husband was transferred to a parish far away from their initial one, “one of the male ministers where I am to stay back started winking at me. The first Sunday I felt he did that unknowingly or without any ulterior motive but the following Sunday he came to shake hands with me after service and what he did was to use one of his fingers to scratch my palm during the handshake. I was miffed but I couldn’t do anything because he will deny and I will look stupid but since then he got my message because I stopped greeting him.”
One of Pastor Oyakhilome’s aides, who hails from Edo State and manages some of the church’s business concerns in Ikeja area of Lagos, had denied there was any divorce lawsuit between the couple when called Friday last week.
According to him,
“they got married in Nigeria, how would they file a divorce suit in London? It is not true and it’s not possible. If anything is filed, it is either in Nigeria here or nowhere else because both are Nigerians. Even though, the wife may have dual citizenship, her father is a Nigerian and they both carry Nigerian passports.”
Confirmations from Anita’s lawyers in London, however, put a lie to his denial.
On the alleged order that couples who are pastors or members of the church are forbidden to serve in the same parish, the official said such should not be an issue. “If a church is expanding, more hands will be needed to handle the parishes. Ninety-nine per cent of our pastors are working class and only come to church when there are services.
“Those complaining still have access to their husbands after church. They should as well try and work in the same environment with their husbands or wives. It’s really laughable and not an issue of discourse in a church like Christ Embassy.”
Some members, who spoke with Saturday Sun, argued that it is only when Pastor Chris personally issues a statement admitting the divorce before they believe media reports on it. Others believe that the family, which is under a spiritual attack by the devil, needs their prayers to overcome.
Below are some of the reactions as culled and edited from the facebook page, Where is Rev Anita Oyakilome?
Peace Amara Chukwu
Dear Rev Anita, I want to remind you about what you wrote in your book, Don’t pack your bag yet. That was what restored my home. Forgive Rev Chris for the hurt that will be done to the body of Christ through this misunderstanding. For the sake of souls that will vow never to be born again because of this. This is the devil from the pit of hell. What do you want the Muslims to say? Just call this off, for the sake of the souls for whom Christ died. Please, ma. This divorce quantified by money cannot pay for a soul, please.
Danmore Zembe
God forbid! Until Pastor Chris Himself confirms any of this nonsense. I will never believe it. Instead of creating a page to spread the gospel of Jesus, you are busy targeting the man of God. What a shame!
Tina Ify Okafor Ogu
Well said. Pastor Chris should have a rethink and go back to his first love. Chris and Anita have come a long way through thick and thin. For Pastor Chris to describe his wife, Anita as domineering and one who is easily swayed by bad advice from friends (if true) is so unfair. I don’t attend Christ Embassy but I know Rev Anita is one of the most humble non-materialistic persons I’ve come across. Anita won’t harm a fly how much more her first love. She is a perfect example of the virtuous woman in the Bible. Any man’s dream wife.
My advice to Rev Chris is not to forget the days of humble beginning and make peace with his wife who started Christ Embassy with him right from the their days in the university when the small group and if I have not been taken in by my memory, was so small in number they couldn’t fill up a classroom. May God intercede and touch the heart of Pastor Chris to make him remember his days of little beginnings with Rev Anita and not be carried away by fame and power.
Godfrey Otty Jnr
I am hearing this for the first time. I am a new member of CE and I love Pastor Chris and Anita’s ministry. I can’t be ignorant of these things having read of how the great ministry of Eva Allen began to fall. It’s time we stood with this family. It’s funny those who don’t even understand the ministry of Christ are the first to unmask the man of God. It might be true that the pastor did not handle his ministry as you expected but the question is “Did you call him into ministry?’’ So, let him answer to He who called him.
Chinyere Okechukwu- George
You can say anything you feel or think, all I can say is that God is doing His final reshuffling in these last days. People’s spiritual eyes are being opened to the truth about true worship of God. My family and I left Christ Embassy for our own good after worshiping there for three years plus and seeing all the evils going on under the disguise of church. And I can comfortably say that for over a year now we have had so much peace in our Christian lives. I don’t care how you view my comment but truth must be told. Due to my Christian background, I found a lot of their practices as ungodly and dubious. Most of them are not biblical and are so business and witchcraft oriented.
Ibe Nnoke
I appeal to all Christ Embassy members to sincerely seek God’s face at this time.
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