The Senior Pastor of Cherubim and Seraphim Bible Ministries, Pastor Gideon Oyedepo, has cautioned Pastor David Ibiyeomie against playing God, saying no “godly pastor” is permitted to exhibit such character.
Pastor Ibiyeomie, in a viral video, said he hated the white garment church, while he also alleged that its members were fetish.
The controversial remarks had since drawn a flurry of reactions from members and non-members of the church.
Oyedepo, who is a sibling to Ibiyeomie’s spiritual mentor, Bishop David Oyedepo, however, clarified that members of the white garment churches would rather pray to die than combine another idol with Jesus Christ.
The clergyman added that while some Christian leaders have raised concerns about the excesses of Nigerian pentecostalism and their negative impact on Christianity and Christians, the white garment church did not at anytime condemn the Pentecostal churches or describe Pastor Ibiyeomie’s church as a house of satan.
This is as he said there are in Pentecostal churches as many bad eggs as there are in the white garment churches.
While describing the attempt to demarket rival denominations as a disservice to Christ Jesus and his teachings, he urged church leaders to focus on unity, promoting shared beliefs, respect, and personal accountability to honour Christ’s message effectively.
PRESS RELEASE ON DAVID IBIYEOMIE’S VIRAL HATE SPEECH AGAINST WHITE GARMENT CHURCHES BY PASTOR GIDEON OYEDEPO, C&S BIBLE MINISTRIES, LAGOS, NIGERIA.
1. The White Garment Churches (CHERUBIM &SERAPHIM)trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life, and that through his death and resurrection, believers can be forgiven of their sins and have a personal relationship with God. The church also emphasizes the importance of the Bible as the Word of God and encourages its members to live a life of holiness and obedience to God’s teachings. In addition, the CHERUBIM and SERAPHIM Church & others value community and fellowship, encouraging its members to support and uplift one another in their spiritual journeys.
There are hundreds of us whose God is Jesus Christ, the Lord as there are in other denominations. Therefore it’s erroneous for Pst. David IBIYEOMIE to make such a sweeping statement, and to generalise from his own limited experience.
2. It is partially true and correct to educate our friend, DavidIBIYEOMIE that, Contemporary Pentecostalism does have some roots in African Independent Churches (AICs) in Nigeria(the white Garment Churches), but it is not solely an offshoot of them. Pentecostalism emerged as a distinct movement in the early 20th century, with many of its early leaders being based in the United States. However, Pentecostalism did spread rapidly throughout the world, including in Africa, where it intersected with AICs, which were already well-established. In this context, Pentecostalism began to take on some distinct African characteristics, such as emphasis on healing and deliverance, spiritual warfare, and the use of African cultural forms like music and dance. Nigerian Pentecostalism, in particular, has been shaped by the influence of AICs(The White Garment Churches) and indigenous cultures, giving it a unique character within the global Pentecostal movement. So, only ignorance or sense of deceit can make anyone utter such blanket condemnation from the pulpit.
3. There have been concerns raised by some Christian leaders and scholars about the excesses of Nigerian Pentecostalism and their negative impact on Christianity and Christians. These concerns have included issues such as the prosperity gospel, which emphasizes material wealth and success rather than spiritual growth and the gospel message, as well as the commercialization of the church, with pastors and other leaders making large sums of money from their followers. Other concerns have included the use of spiritual manipulation and emotionalism, with all tactics/forms of Charismatic witchcrafts, leading to some Christians being misled or abused. However, it is important to note that not all Nigerian Pentecostal churches or leaders are guilty of these excesses, and many are working to address these issues within their communities. Because of the understanding that we have, we never condemned the Pentecostalism or Pst. IBIYEOMIE’S church as house of Satan.
4. It is a disservice to Christ Jesus by Church leaders to attempt demarketing of rival denominations.
This claim implies that Church leaders should not engage in any form of demarketing or negatively promoting rival denominations, as it goes against the teachings and ideals of Christ Jesus.
There are several points to consider when evaluating this claim:
a. Unity among believers: Christ Jesus preached about unity and love among his followers. Engaging in demarketing tactics can create disunity and animosity between different denominations, which goes against the spirit of Christ’s message.
b. Focus on common beliefs: All Christian denominations share the core beliefs of faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings. Instead of demarketing rivals, Church leaders should focus on promoting these shared beliefs and values, fostering a sense of unity among Christians.
c. Respect and understanding: Rather than trying to demarket rival denominations, Church leaders should encourage respectful dialogue and understanding between different groups. This enables believers to learn from each other’s traditions and perspectives, promoting mutual respect and growth.
d. Service and outreach: Christ Jesus emphasized the importance of serving others and spreading his message of love and salvation. Church leaders should prioritize serving their communities and reaching out to those in need, rather than expending energy on demarketing rival denominations.
e. Personal accountability: Each individual is responsible for their own spiritual journey and relationship with Christ Jesus. It is not the role of Church leaders to dictate which denomination a person should follow. Instead, leaders should provide guidance and support for individuals to deepen their faith.
Let it be stated here, no godly Pastor is permitted to play God. There are in Pentecostal churches as many bad eggs as there are in the White Garment Churches.
Many of us in White Garment Churches would rather pray to die than to combine (leaning on) another idol with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, attempting to demarket rival denominations is indeed a disservice to Christ Jesus and his teachings. Church leaders should focus on unity, promoting shared beliefs, respect, understanding, service, and personal accountability to honor Christ’s message effectively.
Christian Association of Nigeria should call the likes of Pastor David IBIYEOMIE to order.
All true children of God know this; that in Nigeria today, the cities with the highest number of Churches/Mega Churches are severely groaning under the yokes of thick darkness.
One would have thought that David IBIYEOMIE was spiritually matured to see all that around him and collaborate for Revival of end time.
PRAYER FOR DAVID IBIYEOMIE.
We pray that God will not count the unprovoked attack of the Church against him. He’s struggling to build, and may he not lose out to attractive/distracting distractions in the name of Jesus Christ.
May the Christian body see this challenge as a call to greater Revival.
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