Within every denominational organization worldwide, internal crises are not uncommon and Celestial Church of Christ is no exception. Since the passing of our founding father in 1985, our Church has found itself entangled in legal disputes with the judicial arm of the Nigerian government. One of the most pressing challenges faced by the Church is the ongoing leadership crisis, which has significantly hindered our growth and progress.
The Board of Trustees, serving as the governing body responsible for making final decisions on matters affecting the Church, has been embroiled in a leadership dispute with the Pastor over various administrative issues. When the Pastor unilaterally announced the dissolution of the Board of Trustees on 3rd May 2021, citing Section 144 of the Church Constitution as justification for his actions, unadvisable the Pastor had the view that Celestial Constitution supersede the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Then, the oldest surviving member of the first ever BOT of the Church and also a member of the dissolved board, Most Superior Evangelist Banjo who has been a member of the Board since the 1970s, vehemently opposed the Pastor’s decision. M/S/E Banjo argued that the Pastor lacked the authority to dissolve a registered Board of Trustees under the Corporate Affairs Commission Act of Nigeria and the CAMA Act.
The Pastor and the dissolved Board of Trustees (BOT) of the church are at odds with each other. The Pastor believes that the dissolved BOT does not respect his authority, while the BOT argues that the Pastor makes decisions without consulting them. The dissolved BOT claims they tried to bring certain issues to the Pastor’s attention. The BOT believes that the Pastor should focus on modern infrastructure, spiritual growth, human resource management, financial strength, parish expansion, and compliance with laws. However, they feel that these priorities are being overlooked.
On 7th July 2021, the oldest member of the BOT, who has been involved in various legal battles concerning Celestial Church of Christ, including cases such as
Owodunni vs BOT; Celestial Church of Christ
Shonekan vs Mobiyina Oshoffa and Others
Omotosho vs BOT; Celestial Church of Christ
suddenly became a plaintiff. He challenged the Pastor’s decision to dissolve the BOT in court.
To be continued……………..
