One of the parishes that has been experiencing internal crisis under the leadership of Pastor Rev. EMF Oshoffa is CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese Parish in Washington DC, USA. This 50-year-old parish has been worshipping in an atmosphere of fear, with members physically confronting each other and initiating court cases against one another.
Currently, the parish is without a substantive shepherd to monitor and guide its activities. This internal crisis has allowed various opinions to overshadow the collective mission of the parish, as some members seek to control it for personal gain.
The USA Metropolitan Police have visited the parish on multiple occasions, addressing issues such as court litigation among members. The pastor has tactically withdrawn from the administration of the parish, as the members have divided into the Adebowale Group and the Ebenezer Group, each vying for control.
Allegations have been leveled between the groups and individuals who once worshipped in the parish have attempted to mediate a resolution without success. The situation remains at a standstill, with the parish in need of a shepherd to bring unity and guidance to its members.
The crisis within the Parish has caused a rift among members who worship together under the same roof. This division has even extended to their children, who should be experiencing the love and harmony that the Church represents, but instead find themselves defending their parents.
Following the tenure of M/S/E Olarinde as the parish shepherd for 6 months, the Pastor appointed V/S/E Wale Ogun to serve as an administrator for another 6 months. However, the Parish rejected him due to allegation of his strong affiliation with the Adebowale Group. As a result, the Pastor’s Office decided to distance themselves from the Parish claiming to wait until V/S/E Wale Ogun’s term expired, while the same tenure has expired on the 30th April 2024.
For over 5 months, CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese Parish in Washington DC, USA has been without a leader. The Parish has been operating without any spiritual guidance, contrary to the Church Constitution as stated in section 112 to 120.
The Pastor’s Office has promised to address and find a lasting solution to the internal crisis within the CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese Parish after V/S/E Wale Ogun’s term ends in April 2024. However, there has been no communication from the Pastor’s Office regarding the next steps as we are in the month of May 2024. The congregation of the Parish believes that the only solution is for the Pastor to appoint a permanent shepherd who is not affiliated with either the Adebowale Group or the Ebenezer Group, nor ever work in USA.
It is imperative that the Pastor’s Office takes swift action to resolve the crisis within the Parish and appoint a suitable shepherd to lead the congregation towards unity and harmony.
One perspective posits that an ideal shepherd with extensive experience in shepherding with 30 years in the field should be consider for CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese Parish Washington DC USA. This individual will have firsthand experience in managing a Parish of CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese standard. It also recommended that the shepherd should be an external shepherd from USA in order to avoid developing close relationships with any members of the Parish.
