N5m donation causes Celestial church’s 40-day closure as founder’s son disrupts service

The Celestial Church of Christ, Acts of Apostle Parish, Ketu, Alapere, Lagos, has been thrown into crisis following the donation of N5m by the CCC higher authority.

Saturday PUNCH reports that the crisis erupted during a Sunday service last week when an acclaimed son of the church founder, Muyiwa Oluponna, stormed the church and disrupted service in an attempt to install himself as the shepherd of the church.

Oluponna allegedly seized the microphone from the acting shepherd of the church, Adetayo Adetola, during the sermon and claimed to have the right to deliver sermons every second Sunday of the month.

A viral video that circulated on social media captured the disruption and showed Oluponna and some members of the church engaging in a heated argument.

Our correspondent gathered that the development forced the church authority, through a task force, led by Akinbode Adjovi, to shut down the church for 40 days.

Narrating the incident to Saturday PUNCH, Adetola alleged that Oluponna demanded that the N5m donated by the church authority to the parish for renovation and construction of a clergy house be given to the family.

“That Sunday, our shepherd was not around and I was in charge of the service. I was also assigned to give the sermon. We started the service and everything was going well until he (Oluponna) snatched the microphone from me, demanding to speak.

“I respected him and gave him the microphone because I knew him as a family member of the church founder. Immediately he collected the microphone, he said the N5m given to the church by the headquarters for renovation does not belong to the church but to the family of Oluponna who founded the church.

“He also demanded that money be given to the family, insisting that the church belongs to the family and not the community or the CCC authorities.

“He also demanded that he be made the church shepherd and be allowed to give sermons every second Sunday of the month. We all kept quiet until he finished.

“After that, I took over to deliver the sermon, but to everybody’s surprise, he came back and snatched another microphone from one of the choristers and came to the pulpit to give the sermon. That was when we all resisted him”, Adetola said.

Also speaking, the Shepherd of the church, Emmanuel Iperepolu, alleged that Oluponna had been causing trouble in the church, threatening him and other church members whom he perceived were against him.

Iperepolu said the incident had been reported to the church authorities and the police.

“I think the donation prompted him to do what he did, but before the issue of the money came, he had been coming to the church to threaten and abuse me and others. However, immediately after he heard about the donation, he came and demanded that the money be handed over to the family.

“He said the church belongs to the family of Oluponna, hence the money belongs to the family and not the church. The church authority has taken over the issue, and they have invited me and representatives of the family for questioning,” Iperepolu said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Media and Publicity of CCC, Kayode Ajala, said the church was shut down to prevent further breakdown of law and order.

“The church is a house of God but when things are going wrong and people’s lives are being threatened we have to do something.

“The church authorities cannot fold their arms and allow people to get killed; we have to intervene and this is why we shut down the church temporarily, while investigation is going on.

“All those involved in the conflict are being talked to and resolution is going on and once all that is done, the church will be reopened,” Ajala said.

When Saturday PUNCH asked about whether the church crisis was caused by the N5m donation, Oluponna declined to comment, saying the issue was between the family and the church.

. SATURDAY PUNCH