The crisis rocking the Christ Embassy Church is about to get messier .
The Nigerian Times is claiming that Rev. Ken Oyakhilome, younger brother of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder of the Church has also been accused of fornication and adultery.
Last week, reports emerged in the media that Rev. Anita, wife of the charismatic and ‘pastorpreneuer,’ popularly known as Pastor Chris, had filed for divorce in the UK, citing ‘adultery’ and ‘unreasonable behaviour.’ As the news made the round, it was met with disbelief by members of the Christ Embassy Church who revere Pastor Chris and were in the dark on the marital crises facing the couple.
Now the scandal may even get worse. Pastor Chris’ younger brother, known in the Church circle as Rev. Ken, was alleged to have impregnated a South African lady, name withheld, a member of the Church in Randburg, Guateng, which is the headquarters of Christ Embassy, South Africa. Rev. Ken, used to be the regional pastor of Christ Embassy in charge of South Africa until a few years when he was transferred to the branch of the church in Texas, USA.
The Nigerian Times’s sources say the romance between Rev. Ken and the member was an open secret among members of the Church in South Africa and the alleged pregnancy of the lady was said to have ruffled feathers among the top echelons of church but was hushed in order to prevent a scandal. The lady, according to sources, aborted the child with the knowledge of leaders of the church.
Like his elder brother, Rev. Ken has lived apart from his wife Pastor Ose for over ten years now. Pastor Ose used to manage the Okota, Lagos branch of the Church while her husband, Ken was the regional pastor in South Africa. The couple still lives apart today as Pastor Ose now manages the Church in South Africa while her husband, Ken is in Texas, running the church there.
Although the alleged romance between Rev Ken and the said Sister, which resulted in pregnancy, was kept a secret, the crisis in the Church involving Pastor Chris and his wife Anita, had led to many of such secrets tumbling out. Some members of the Church unhappy with happenings there had set up Facebook page, Where is Rev Anita, through which they vent their frustrations about the secrecy with which the church is run and some of the allegedly ungodly things happening there.
Find below some comments about the Rev Ken saga:
From Sister Lebogang Radibela: “It’s true, here in Johannesburg a pastor impregnated a young lady and forced her to do abortion, later on the lady was promoted to being a pastor, till today she is still a pastor, working together with the wife to the pastor who impregnated her. Members act like this is normal; I mean where we draw a line.”
From Jacob Nnoli: @Sister Lebogang Radibela, “it’s not just a pastor. it’s our darling older brother Rev Ken himself that activated the pregnancy button but it’s shocking to know that our regional pastor, Pastor Ose Oyakhilome, a mother herself supported the abortion and by (following the principle of the ) 48 laws of power, she’s keeping her close. That sounds like what an ‘area mother’ would do and to top it up, the grandfather himself Rev Chris ordained the sister a pastor and probably help seared the damaged conscience with some rands/dollars. How many more in Nigeria region? Time will fail us to speak of Asaba, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Benin and many too numerous to mention. I had to listen to that Youtube message again this morning and I can now understand when Pastor Chris said Pastor Anita should have moved with those who will help her as the wife of global pastor. Is this what she should learn, to help Pastor Yemisi and other indicted ladies? Actually Pastor, you forgot to announce the firing of Pastor Pat, the CSO as a result of leaked White House (Pastor Chris’ residence in Lagos) information and the hiring of a brother-in-law Deacon Kingsley Osazuwa. Our darling Rev Ken, it looks like Durex, Trojan, and Gold circle condoms etc have all finished in the market because of ….May God have mercy but we need to obtain the mercy.”
Meanwhile, the London branch of the Christ Embassy Church is undergoing a major crisis which had led the Charity Commission, the body licensed to regulate charities in the UK, to take over its financial administration through the appointment of an Interim Manager. The body accused the Church Trustees of “serious concerns about the financial management of the Church, including in particular large connected payments. Since then a books and records inspection has been carried out and the regulator has obtained information from and met the trustees, however, the regulator’s concerns about the financial management of the charity have not been resolved.”
The Commission therefore used its powers under the UK Charities Act to appoint Mr. Rod Weston of Mazars as Interim Manager of the charity to the exclusion of the charity’s trustees as a temporary and protective measure. The implication is that Mr Weston is now in charge of the financial management of the Christ Embassy, UK and will deal with all matters relating to finances, to the exclusion of the pastors and staff of the Church.
A similar thing had occurred to another Nigerian-owned church, the Kingsway International Christian Centre, KICC pastored by Mathew Ashimolowo, which necessitated his relocation to Nigeria from the UK. Also the UK government barred Nigerian Pastor, David Oyedepo from entering the country, allegedly because of some unwholesome practices of its church.
Like brother like Brother