President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid to ‘worship’ at Deeper Christian Life Ministry during the presidential election campaign hit the rocks as pastorate of the church outrightly turned down his request.
It was gathered that President Jonathan, who worshiped in most churches across the country before the March 28 presidential election, was denied entry into Deeper Life, when he wrote authorities of the ministry to inform them of his visit last January.
Jonathan had during one of his visits to Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, explained why he was embarking on ‘presidential church tour’.
According to him, “Traditionally, we have the State House Chapel where I worship every Sunday. If we do not have the chapel, probably I would have been here one or two times before this time.
“It is only during the Christmas period, maybe two Sundays before Christmas and the Sunday before and after New Year that we sometimes close the chapel, and allow people to participate in their church services and that time, I do go round.
“This year, we have decided that from now onward, until I leave the State House, every last Sunday of the month, I will go to different churches.
“Yes, that is the State House Chapel presided over by a chaplain and from time to time other men and women of God come to preach to us.
“But I feel that it is good for me to go round and continue to appreciate what our brothers and sisters have been doing”.
However, it was learnt that the Special Adviser to Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abata had on January 22, written the authorities of the church through the office of its spokesman, Pastor Segun Babatope to inform them about his visit but the leadership of the church refused to acknowledge the letter.
According to an insider, when Babatope informed leaders of the church about the development, many of them kicked against it, saying that the ministry is not a platform where politicians come to campaign.
Jonathan was originally billed to visit Deeper Life on February 8 after leaving Redemption Camp, but he had to proceed to the Lord’s Chosen when he discovered the church was not ready to welcome him.
The highly-placed source said the church’s decision to honourably turn down the request was because of how some sections of media misquoted Bishop David Oyedpoe of Winners Chapel during Jonathan’s visit to the church.
Credit: dailypost
APC has warned the Deeper Life Bible Church and its founder, Pastor William Kumuyi to stop misleading Nigerians. The party was reacting to comments credited to the church advising Christian clerics to stay away from politics.
Pastor Kumuyi, who was represented by the Delta State overseer of the church, Senior Pastor Obinna Nkemjika, had during a media briefing in Asaba, argued that a cleric, who involves himself in political activities, had engaged in mundane things and lacks the vision for his pastoral calling.
The party has, however, disagreed with the church, noting that the people would not be liberated from the shackles of oppression if anointed men of God do not take up the mantle of leadership.
Isaac Adaka Adakpo, State Publicity Secretary of the party in Delta State, noted that the era has come for politics to be christianized.
He stated that Christians have no reason to complain if the ungodly ones find their ways into the helms of affairs because they were afforded the same opportunity.
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