The
Assemblies of God Church has announced the excommunication of its past General
Superintendent, Rev. Paul Emeka, from the church.But Rev Emeka
described the action was a “coup.”
While
announcing the removal of its spiritual leader’s dismissal from the ministry
with his pastoral certificate withdrawn, the church also announced the
emergence of Rev. Chidi Okoroafor as the new General Superintendent of the
church.
He was
elected alongside three other principal officials and fifteen zonal
representatives to form the new Executive Council of the church for the next
four years.
The
decisions were part of the resolutions reached by over 7,000 delegates of the
church at the General Council meeting at its Evangel Camp, Okpoko in Ebonyi
State.
At the
council meeting, held every four years, the delegates reportedly decided on the
excommunication after concluding that the ex-spiritual leader “had dragged the
name of the church in the mud by instituting legal suits and using law
enforcement agencies to witch-hunt some of their leaders.”
According
to the Legal Adviser of the church, Barrister Abuka, the dismissal of Emeka was
necessary and had paved the way to institute litigation against the former
general superintendent, who was alleged to be “making moves with some members
to take over the church.”
The church
also claimed he was working with other alleged collaborators believed to be
working at cross-purposes with the church’s leadership.
Commenting
on the crisis rocking the church, Okoroafor said the measures were necessary to
remove those whom he described as “dissidents bent on frustrating progress” in
the church.
He
confirmed that legal actions would be taken against Emeka and others seeking to
take over the church through lawsuits.
Justifying
the reasons for this, the new general superintendent said, “We cannot
spiritualise legal issues. You can’t just be praying when somebody is taking
you to courts. We would no long keep quiet and allow our property taken over or
our accounts fraudulently run by them.”
He pointed
out that the church had identified constitutional loopholes that Emeka and
other capitalised on, stating that such sections would be properly addressed
when an emergency council meeting holds next year.
However,
the excommunicated general superintendent said that he
stood for reconciliation. According to him, the church has been embroiled in
some crises in which a former Governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu and the Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria intervened in the matter.
Emeka
said, “By announcing my excommunication from the church, they are trying to
instill fear into people so that they can distance themselves from me. I stand
for reconciliation. I have committed no offence.
“But, some
people in the church organised an illegal election to remove me by force from
office. They would not allow me to complete my four-year tenure in office which
started in 2010. They are even threatening my life. I have petitioned the
Inspector-General of Police on that.”
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