TheNewsGuru

Tag: Church

  • Why I stopped attending church – Daddy Freeze

    Why I stopped attending church – Daddy Freeze

    Media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze has disclosed why he stopped attending church.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Daddy Freeze disclosed he stopped attending church after his pastor expelled him from sitting in the front row following his divorce.

    Speaking in the latest episode of the Teju Babyface Deep Dive podcast, Daddy Freeze said shortly after his divorce in 2014, the pastor of the church he was attending, asked him to start sitting at the back seat since he is a divorcee.

    The OAP explained that before his divorce, he was a church worker and was very active in the organisation of the church’s programme but he was expelled immediately after his divorce.

    He said he decided to stop going to church instead of “hiding” in the back seat.

    He said he started studying and researching the scriptures on Sundays, which led him to discover that most of the things Nigerian churches preached were “flawed.”

    Daddy Freeze said, “My marriage had always been troubled and in 2014 it came to an end.

    “And I remember I used to do events in my church. The church minister used to pay me then to do events which I celebrated.

    “At least, the pastor was not eating all the money, he was sharing with the people who were working.

    “I was booked for an event that I used to do for the church, and I got a call that I should cancel it because of my divorce or pending divorce drama.

    “And I was like, ‘Because I’m going through a divorce does that remove God from me?’ I questioned that too.

    “Then the pastor came to my house and we had a conversation.

    “He was like, ‘I’m not telling you not to come to the church but when you come to the church, sit at the back.’

    “And I was like what’s all this? So, that made me sit at home on Sundays. Instead of going to church and hiding, is it not better that I sit at home?

    “So, sitting at home on Sundays now started feeding the holes in my brain.”

  • Read Apostle Suleiman’s query on who invented ‘for better for worse’ church cliche

    Read Apostle Suleiman’s query on who invented ‘for better for worse’ church cliche

    The General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has raised concern over a popular phrase in Christian marriage vows.

    As seen in many marriage ceremonies in Nigeria.

    He queried: “Who invented the cliche ‘For better for worse’?

    “Almost all weddings are ‘plagued’ with that recitation, and we have all accepted it as a norm over the years. Longevity is not legality,” Apostle Suleman wrote on his X handle on Saturday.

    The cleric opined that the phrase should be changed. He said: “I feel the right word should be ‘in all conditions of life’..
    Not declaring ‘WORSE’ on a home at infancy. My opinion.”

    There are no specific marriage vows stated in the Bible that must be taken by Christians during their wedding ceremony. However, many couples desiring a Christian wedding ceremony often request the presiding Pastor/Bishop or wedding officiant to incorporate marriage vows for them.

    Although there are Bible verses pertaining to love, marriage, and weddings, the believers are not bound to any. In spite of that, most churches have ‘crafted’ written marriage vows given to couples to recite during their joining. The most popular of the marriage vows, which has the ‘for better for worse’ cliche, however, has been a topic of discussion for ages among modern Christians.

    The popular vow reads thus: “The vows: “I, [Name of Couple], take you, ___, for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

    Why Pastor Chris Can Never Be My Friend – Apostle Johnson Suleman
    Barely four months ago, Apostle Suleman revealed reasons the founder of Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, can never be his friend.

    Apostle Suleman made this known during the Church’s Holy Ghost Conference 2023, live-streamed via YouTube.

    Speaking during a sermon, Suleman shared his opinion about Pastor Chris, stressing he cannot equate himself with someone who has grown more than him spiritually.

    He further explained that even though he respects Chris, he cannot be friends with him because they do not operate on the same level.

    The controversial clergy gave some context for his opinion, with a recent conversation with Reverend John, who had just participated in a pastor’s classroom conference.

    According to Apostle Suleman, Reverend John said over 103 million people had registered for the program online, and by the end of the meeting, over 110 million pastors had registered.

    He expressed surprise at how Pastor Chris could hold such a large event, noting that he is way ahead of him.

    He further described Pastor Chris as a field marshal who is in a class of his own, hence, they can never be friends.

    He said, “Then I will now stand beside such a man and say, he is my friend? Never! Pastor Chris can’t be my friend. When you want to grow, stop equating yourself with those who have grown.“That’s a field marshal, a class of his own, I am not in his class. He is in a different world. Are you trying to say that God can’t use little things to correct him? God knows who He sends little things to for correction”

  • UPDATE: Oldest orthodox shrine in Gaza damaged by ‘Israeli Strike’

    UPDATE: Oldest orthodox shrine in Gaza damaged by ‘Israeli Strike’

    The St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox church in Gaza was damaged in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday evening, according to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

    Unconfirmed reports from the site said at least two people were killed and more were buried under the rubble of the adjacent meeting hall, RT reports.

    In a statement on Friday, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed the “strongest condemnation of the Israeli airstrike [on] its church compound in the city of Gaza,” and called the targeting of churches and the shelters they operate “a war crime that cannot be ignored.”

    The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed “occupation warplanes” for the explosion, saying Israeli aircraft bombed the church, which is located in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.

    A woman and a girl died and “dozens of people” were injured, the ministry said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

    An unknown number of people are still under the rubble of the meeting hall, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Jordan said on Facebook, citing one of the parishioners.

    “No sufficiently accurate information is clearly available yet, but expectations are there will be a large number of martyrs,” the Archdiocese added.

    “Archbishop Alexios appears to have been located and is alive, but we don’t know if he is injured,” the Orthodox Order of St. George said in a statement, adding that they have “no word on the condition of any other of the more than 500 people being housed at the church and monastery.”

    According to the Order, “bombs hit the two church halls where the refugees, including children and babies, were sleeping. Presently, survivors are searching the rubble for other casualties.”

    The Wall Street Journal reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were looking into the incident. The IDF has not commented on the matter, but has previously accused Hamas of using religious shrines as cover for its operatives.

    St. Porphyrios is the oldest active church in Gaza. Originally built in the 5th century to honor the eponymous saint, the present structure was erected in the mid-1100s, during the Crusades, and renovated in the 1800s. It is located in the southern portion of Gaza City.

    Conflicting reports from Gaza spoke of up to 800 Palestinians sheltering inside the church compound before the explosion. The premises are just 250 meters away from the Al-Ahli Hospital, where the Palestinians claimed hundreds had been killed and wounded in an explosion on Tuesday evening. Israel insisted that the hospital compound was hit by a rocket launched by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

    When Israel launched airstrikes against Gaza in response to the deadly October 7 incursion by Hamas, there was a report that St. Porphyrios had been bombed. The church quickly released a statement calling the story fake news and reassuring everyone who inquired that everything was fine.

  • [Photo] Pastor dies in Dunamis church building collapse

    [Photo] Pastor dies in Dunamis church building collapse

    A Dunamis church has collapsed on Tuesday morning in Benue, killing at least one pastor.

    The church is located at Mission Ward North Bank in Makurdi, the State capital.

    According to Channels, a source as saying that four individuals, including the pastor, were engaged in prayers within the church building prior to the occurrence of the incident.

    The three other persons were said to have escaped unhurt while the pastor was trapped and killed by the wreckage.

    Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Police Command, Anene Sewuese Catherine, confirmed the incident.

    “Only one person has been confirmed dead for now”, she said.

  • Church roof’s collapse during service leaves 9 dead, 50 injured

    Church roof’s collapse during service leaves 9 dead, 50 injured

    The roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico during Mass on Sunday, killing at least nine people and injuring around 50, authorities said as searchers probed in the wreckage late into the night looking for survivors and other victims.

    Approximately 30 parishioners were believed to have been trapped in the rubble when the roof caved in, officials said. Searchers crawled under the roof slabs and officials brought in dogs to help search for possible survivors.

    The Tamaulipas state police said about 100 people were in the church at the time of the collapse.

    The state security spokesman’s office said late Sunday that nine people had been confirmed dead from the collapse, which it described as likely being caused by “a structural failure.” Tamaulipas state police said units of the National Guard, the state police and state civil defence office and the Red Cross were involved in the operation.

    The Mexican Council of Bishops issued a statement saying that “we join in prayer at the tragic loss of life and those injured.” Bishop José Armando Alvarez of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the roof caved in while parishioners were receiving communion at the Santa Cruz church in the Gulf Coast city of Ciudad Madero, next to the port city of Tampico.

    The diocese later posted a list of about 50 people who had been hospitalized as a result of the accident. They included a 4-month-old baby, three children 5-year-olds and two 9-year-olds. There was no immediate information on their conditions. “From underneath the rubble, thanks to Divine Providence and the work of the rescue teams, people have been pulled out alive!” Alvarez’s diocese wrote in a statement posted on social media accounts. “Let’s keep praying!” He also called on anyone who had wood to donate to bring it to the church, apparently to shore up the roof while rescue teams crawled inside.

    Photos published by local media showed what appeared to be a concrete and brick structure, with parts of the roof fallen almost to the ground. Security camera footage from about a block away showed the unusual, gabled roof simply collapsed downward. Walls did not appear to have been blown outward, nor was there any indication of an explosion, or anything other than simple structural failure.

    The roof appeared to be made of relatively thin poured concrete, and photos distributed by state authorities showed the roof slab resting on the top of pews in some parts of the church. That left open the possibility there were air spaces for any survivors. “At this time, the necessary work is being performed to extract the people who are still under the rubble,” Alvarez said in a taped message. “Today we are living through a very difficult moment.”

    Video distributed by the state civil defense office showed the outer edges of the roof propped up by short wooden blocks. It also showed initial efforts to lift off parts of the collapsed roof closer to the ground, in the centre of the church, with a crane. But the office said the efforts to lift roof sections were abandoned because of the danger that a chunk of the now-crumbling slab might fall back and endanger any survivors.

    The video described how officials had reverted to manual rescue efforts, apparently sending rescuers under the slab with wood props or hydraulic jacks to reach those trapped underneath. Specially trained dogs also were sent into the rubble to detect survivors. The civil defence office said the dogs did not initially appear to detect signs of survivors, so an older method was implemented that had been used in past earthquakes: sending rescue teams into the rubble to shout and listen for signs of any response.

     

  • Tuface speaks on establishing own church

    Tuface speaks on establishing own church

    Legendary Nigerian musician, Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has expressed his desire to become a pastor.

    According to the 47-year-old artiste, his desires is to establish his own church very soon.

    He said the name of his church will be called Straight To Heaven International Church of God Nigeria Limited, STHICOGNL.

    2baba made this known via a  video message shared on his verified Instagram page which included a video of him proudly performing a hymn, which stunned fans and followers.

    He said, “To open church just dey hungry me. (STHICOGNL). Straight To Heaven International Church of God Nigeria Limited”.

  • Why I am passionate about telling underreported positive stories of C & S – Ogunyooye

    Why I am passionate about telling underreported positive stories of C & S – Ogunyooye

    When you think of Samuel Ogunyooye, words like vision, passion, and diligence come to mind.

    Ogunyooye is the founder of the Glory of God Cherubim and Seraphim Church. The American-based cleric is also the CEO of Cheser Media.

    As a result of his passion for the growth of the C&S church and a special desire for a positive public perception of the church, he conceived and birthed the idea of hosting a talk show titled, *”Anathema – The white garment experience”. The talk show debuted in 2018 and was held during the adoption anniversary week of GOGCS. The success of the talk show inspired Ogunyooye to convert it to a film documentary in the year 2022.

    Asked why he is passionate about sharing the gospel of the C&S church, he said: “As it stands, my dispositions are still within the sphere of initiating documentary projects that borders on the C&S church. Because it is a divine call and that is where my passion lies. On this note, the key messages include telling positive stories of the church that are underreported.

    “What I hope to achieve with it is to effect a positive change and to also leave a lasting legacy through our visionary projects that unborn generations would run with”.

    On how he was able to transition from journalism to banking and now ministry, he said: “I made my career debut at the Guardian Newspapers. Being in the editorial department, I started out as a reporter on the Features desk and from there, he moved to the political desk and thereafter to the Supplements and Special Projects unit of the Advertising dept. After about close to a decade, I left the journalism terrain and moved to the banking sector. My first port of call in the banking industry was the Corporate Affairs department and Brand Management departments of the Global Bank which later became Intercontinental Bank Plc. The ministry call however came in for me in May, 2012. It was through the divine plans and the call of God, that I found myself in the ministry and to fulfill the dreams that I could be on the wings while watching the events in the C & S Church.

    Like a reluctant and unwilling messenger of the gospel, I became a Paul who was more or less divinely pulled by God into ministry whereby I founded the Glory of God Cherubim and Seraphim Church”.

  • Bandits kill ECWA pastor, kidnap wife in Kaduna

    Bandits kill ECWA pastor, kidnap wife in Kaduna

    Bandits have killed a pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Rev. Musa Mairimi, and kidnapped his wife in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    The incident happened on Thursday night, March 23, 2023, at ECWA Church Buda (2) Kasuwa Magani DCC in Kajuru.

    Hausa Christians Foundation – HAFCO, confirmed the incident in a Facebook post on Friday, March 24.

    Bandits kill ECWA pastor, kidnap wife in Kaduna

    “The Church in Kajuru woke up to the sad news of Murder and Kidnapping this morning. The Fulani Militia have killed Rev. Musa Mairimi and abducted his wife this night 23/3/2023 at ECWA Church Buda (2) Kasuwa Magani DCC. Kajuru local government of Kaduna State.

    “Oh Lord we ask for the Grace and Courage to Boldly declare your Counsel for the Salvation of Mankind even amidst this raging persecution. May Your Church keep advancing in Jesus Name. Amen,” the post read.

    Meanwhile, kidnappers of two female teenagers, who were abducted in Ayede Ogbese, in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, have contacted the family of the victims, demanding N10m for their freedom.

    Community youths on Friday took to the streets of the town to protest against the kidnap of the victims by bandits on Friday.

    City Round gathered that the teenagers were kidnapped along the Akure-Owo Expressway and taken into a forest.

    A source stated that three persons were initially abducted but one escaped from the bandits.

    The incident was said to have angered community youths, who staged a protest along the expressway.

    The protesters blocked the busy road, causing gridlock for several hours.

    Efforts by the police to placate the protesters were not successful, as they insisted on barricading the highway.

    However, the protesters were later dispersed by the police.

    A community leader and the Odopetu of Ayede Ogbese land, High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun, said the abductors had contacted the families of the victims to demand a ransom.

    He said, “The bandits entered into the town and kidnapped two female victims, who are teenagers. They are demanding N10m.”

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said men of the command had swung into action to ensure the victims were rescued.

    She said, “Our men in the anti-kidnapping squad are on the trail of the bandits to ensure the victims are rescued.”

    On the protest, Odunlami said normalcy had returned to the area as the expressway had been cleared for free flow of vehicles.

  • Kemi Olunloyo drops shocking revelation about flamboyant pastor, Adegboyega

    Kemi Olunloyo drops shocking revelation about flamboyant pastor, Adegboyega

    Nigerian investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, has dropped a shocking revelation about flamboyant pastor, Tobi Adegboyega.

    Taking to her Instagram page, the controversial journalist highlighted the many reasons why the UK Pastor is well known in Nigeria, especially with his lavish lifestyle.

    Kemi noted how Pastor Tobi the clergyman has been embroiled in several controversies. From financial misappropriation, to fraud, domestic violence, sexual abuse and many more; the list is endless.

    However, Kemi pointed out the controversial pastor has never been charged to court despite the several allegations laid on him.

    “Tobi Adegboyega is a UK based Nigerian pastor. He is known for his flamboyant Rao concert style services. He has a flair for luxury items from cars to fashion. Tobi made a bulk of his money from CRYPTOCURRENCY.

    “He’s been accused of many controversies. Croydon MP Steve Redd once accused him of allegations of financial misappropriation.

    “In addition fraud, domestic violence, and sexual abuse have been levelled against his church, SPAC Nation, and church pastors YET no one has actually pressed charges,” she stated.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Adegboyega is the founder of the Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC Nation, eventually known as the NXTION Family), a now defunct pentecostal church, formerly based in London, England.

    Adegboyega belongs to the group that promotes well-doing and teaches that you can have what you say and that the good things of life are to be enjoyed.

    Given the more traditional ascetic view of the Christian religion, Adegboyega’s distinction has not gone unnoticed.

    Adegboyega is known to be a cheerful giver, which is one way he adheres to the traditions of the Christian faith.

    This is one of the many reasons he is a very popular pastor in the United Kingdom, and one of the most prominent black preachers in Europe.

  • Catholic Church: Pope Francis calls for peace as 10-year anniversary gift

    Catholic Church: Pope Francis calls for peace as 10-year anniversary gift

    Pope Francis asked for peace as a gift for his 10-year anniversary as head of the Catholic Church, on Monday, with a podcast, a private mass and a series of interviews, one of which triggered a diplomatic spat with Nicaragua.

    “It seems like yesterday,” the 86-year-old recalled of his election during a podcast for the official Vatican News outlet — after first having to be told what a podcast was.

    Asked what he would like as a gift for his 10-year anniversary, for which he had no public plans beyond a mass with cardinals, Francis added: “Peace. We need peace.”

    Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, after his predecessor Benedict XVI stunned the world by becoming the first pope to resign since the Middle Ages.

    He has said he never expected to be elected, only packing a small suitcase to travel from Argentina to Rome for the conclave on the assumption he would soon be back in Buenos Aires, where he was archbishop.

    But he had a vision, and over the next decade he would overhaul the governance of the Church, including cleaning up the Vatican books and taking action against clerical child abuse.

    He also shifted many people’s perception of the papacy by engaging less in theology and more with social issues from migration to the environment.

    And even while maintaining traditional doctrine on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, he has sought to forge an image of a more open, compassionate Church.

    He is sowing good for the future,- Nicaragua says
    “He is a Pope for this time,” said Italian priest Father Roberto, who travelled to Saint Peter’s Square to hear the pope deliver his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday.

    “He managed to grasp today’s needs and to propose them to the whole universal Church… And now he’s giving the Church a push forward for the years to come. He is sowing good for the future.”

    However, not everyone is enamoured of Francis’ approach, notably the conservative wing of the Catholic Church. One critic, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, recently criticised the pope’s “doctrinal confusion”.

    Francis has never shied away from controversy, regularly using his pulpit to rail against everything from the mafia to consumerism and the arms industry.

    In one of his anniversary interviews, with Argentine news outlet Infobae, he described the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as a “crude dictatorship”.

    Ortega’s government — which has long had tensions with the Catholic Church — responded on Sunday by saying it was considering suspending diplomatic ties with the Vatican.

    In another interview, with Swiss broadcaster RTS last week, the pope denounced the involvement of all the “great powers” in the Ukraine war.

    He prays regularly for the victims of the war, although he has been criticised for failing to squarely put the blame on Russia as the aggressor.

    – ‘It’s not easy’ –
    Pope Francis has sought to improve ties with Islam during his papacy, and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo’s prestigious Al-Azhar mosque, was one of those who sent their congratulations on his 10-year milestone.

    In a letter published by Vatican News, al-Tayeb hailed the pope’s efforts to “build bridges of love and fraternity among all human beings”.

    Messages of congratulations also came in from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and Anglican leader Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

    Welby joined Francis on a recent peace mission to conflict-ridden South Sudan, where huge crowds flocked to see the pontiff, as they do everywhere he goes.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the pope continues to travel widely, despite his age and health issues.

    Francis was hospitalised in 2021 for colon surgery and now uses a wheelchair due to knee trouble — something he admitted in one interview he was “a little ashamed” about.

    The pope has said he would follow Benedict in resigning if he ever became too infirm for the job but insists that is not on his agenda.

    Asked by Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano what his hopes for the future were, he replied: “That the Lord be merciful with me. Being the pope is not an easy job.”