SBJ Oshoffa |
The new leadership crisis rocking the
Celestial Church of Christ took a new turn last Wednesday July 1 as Madam Elizabeth Oschoffa, mother of Senior Evangelist Tosho Oschoffa who
declared himself as the Pastor of the church on June 10, 2015 passed away in the early hours of the day at her
Ketu, Lagos-South West Nigeria home.
Celestial Church of Christ took a new turn last Wednesday July 1 as Madam Elizabeth Oschoffa, mother of Senior Evangelist Tosho Oschoffa who
declared himself as the Pastor of the church on June 10, 2015 passed away in the early hours of the day at her
Ketu, Lagos-South West Nigeria home.
Madam Elizabeth Oschoffa who is alleged to be the late Pastor
Founder SBJ Oschoffa’s second wife
was age 80 and survived by seven children namely: Jacob, Yinka, Olatosho, Yemi, Deborah, Rachael and Comfort with many grand children.
Founder SBJ Oschoffa’s second wife
was age 80 and survived by seven children namely: Jacob, Yinka, Olatosho, Yemi, Deborah, Rachael and Comfort with many grand children.
In the last
couple of weeks, there have been both internal and external crisis rocking the
seat of the church’s leadership with the Pastor and first son of the founder, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oschoffa having to contend with a court
injunction stopping him from acting as Pastor of the church on one hand and the
ambition of his maternal younger brother, Senior
Evangelist Tosho Oschoffa to take over the church leadership from him on
the other.
couple of weeks, there have been both internal and external crisis rocking the
seat of the church’s leadership with the Pastor and first son of the founder, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oschoffa having to contend with a court
injunction stopping him from acting as Pastor of the church on one hand and the
ambition of his maternal younger brother, Senior
Evangelist Tosho Oschoffa to take over the church leadership from him on
the other.
Tosho who served his brother as Personal
Assistant for 12 years was said to have taken a document to his brother who has
a sight problem in the wake of the court injunction which stopped his leadership
and made his brother to sign the document which unknown to him (Mobiyina) was a
document that suggests he had ceded power and position to Tosho. Tosho who is very
powerful and influential in the running of the church’s affairs later got some
loyal shepherds and BOT members to declare him as the new CCC leader but all
his efforts to pronounce self and take over the reigns of the church leadership
met a brick wall from constituted authorities in the church.
Assistant for 12 years was said to have taken a document to his brother who has
a sight problem in the wake of the court injunction which stopped his leadership
and made his brother to sign the document which unknown to him (Mobiyina) was a
document that suggests he had ceded power and position to Tosho. Tosho who is very
powerful and influential in the running of the church’s affairs later got some
loyal shepherds and BOT members to declare him as the new CCC leader but all
his efforts to pronounce self and take over the reigns of the church leadership
met a brick wall from constituted authorities in the church.
“Any assertion, representation,
claims and pretention by ANY person or persons including the ill-advised and
baseless self-declaration of Senior Evangelist Tosho Oschoffa to the
Pastorship or leadership of the Church is fake, and a figment of imagination
and an exercise in futility which carries a grave risk of contempt of court”.
The entire
crisis began on March 26 when one Honorable
Justice A.O Asenuga of Ilaro, Ogun state Federal High Court
gave a ruling against one Evangelist
Godwin Bolanle Shonekan who is
equally laying claims to the seat of Pastor of the church and who had once
attempted to take over the leadership of the church during a Christmas eve
service at the church’s holy city of Imeko
in 2005. The judgment in taking critical look at the church’s constitution
stopped Shonekan from parading
himself as pastor and equally barred
Mobiyina from leading the church as the Pastor until the church’s
constitution is re-articulated
crisis began on March 26 when one Honorable
Justice A.O Asenuga of Ilaro, Ogun state Federal High Court
gave a ruling against one Evangelist
Godwin Bolanle Shonekan who is
equally laying claims to the seat of Pastor of the church and who had once
attempted to take over the leadership of the church during a Christmas eve
service at the church’s holy city of Imeko
in 2005. The judgment in taking critical look at the church’s constitution
stopped Shonekan from parading
himself as pastor and equally barred
Mobiyina from leading the church as the Pastor until the church’s
constitution is re-articulated
New Deal from BOT
Last Tuesday,
at the church’s international head quarters, Makoko, Lagos, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Celestial Church
of Christ W/W during a world press conference warned Tosho Oschoffa and any other person laying claim to the post of
Pastor to desist from doing so.
at the church’s international head quarters, Makoko, Lagos, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Celestial Church
of Christ W/W during a world press conference warned Tosho Oschoffa and any other person laying claim to the post of
Pastor to desist from doing so.
The Tuesday June 30 World Press Conference
is a follow up to an earlier circular released to all parishes of CCC,
Worldwide by the board of trustees on Tuesday
June 23rd and
titled “CLARIFICATION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CHURCH” directed to all
Diocesan Heads; All Arch Provincial Heads; All Circuit Heads; All District
Heads; All Parishes and the entire Celestial Church of Christ World wide,
urging members to dismiss Tosho’s
claim to leadership as the action is null and void and has no support from the
leadership of the church.
is a follow up to an earlier circular released to all parishes of CCC,
Worldwide by the board of trustees on Tuesday
June 23rd and
titled “CLARIFICATION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CHURCH” directed to all
Diocesan Heads; All Arch Provincial Heads; All Circuit Heads; All District
Heads; All Parishes and the entire Celestial Church of Christ World wide,
urging members to dismiss Tosho’s
claim to leadership as the action is null and void and has no support from the
leadership of the church.
During last
Tuesday’s Press Conference which was at the behest of Superior Evangelist Samson O.
Banjo, one of the reputable members of the church’s Board of Trustees and
high ranking member of the Pastor-in-council, it was restated there and then
that the church has no pastor until an appeal filed in respect of the March 26,
Ilaro Federal High Court judgment
banning Reverend Mobiyina Oschoffa
from parading himself as pastor is heard and a fresh judgment given and until
then, no one has the right to lay claim to the position of Pastor. However the
BOT and Members of Pastor-in-Council
jointly agreed that Reverend Mobiyina
Oschoffa will continue tentatively as the leader of the church till the
case is sorted out in court.
Tuesday’s Press Conference which was at the behest of Superior Evangelist Samson O.
Banjo, one of the reputable members of the church’s Board of Trustees and
high ranking member of the Pastor-in-council, it was restated there and then
that the church has no pastor until an appeal filed in respect of the March 26,
Ilaro Federal High Court judgment
banning Reverend Mobiyina Oschoffa
from parading himself as pastor is heard and a fresh judgment given and until
then, no one has the right to lay claim to the position of Pastor. However the
BOT and Members of Pastor-in-Council
jointly agreed that Reverend Mobiyina
Oschoffa will continue tentatively as the leader of the church till the
case is sorted out in court.
Mobiyina Oshoffa |
The Church without a Pastor
The Board of
Trustees referring to Tosho Oshoffa’s
June 23rd Press
Conference in Lagos where he declared himself as the “Unification Leader” of
the church said the event (Press Conference) was necessary to debunk and
equally correct “the various pubic statements and pronouncements made by some
misguided and self-seeking persons with the intention of deceiving and
misleading the church and the public to fasten their personal unlawful
interests”
Trustees referring to Tosho Oshoffa’s
June 23rd Press
Conference in Lagos where he declared himself as the “Unification Leader” of
the church said the event (Press Conference) was necessary to debunk and
equally correct “the various pubic statements and pronouncements made by some
misguided and self-seeking persons with the intention of deceiving and
misleading the church and the public to fasten their personal unlawful
interests”
The BOT
traced the entire crisis to the December 24th 2005 illegal attempt
by one Evangelist Godwin Bolanle Shonekan at the CCC Holy
City of Imeko in Ogun state when the
said Shonekan accompanied by a group
of armed thugs went straight into the church altar in his bid to announce
himself as the Pastor of CCC, Worldwide but was prevented by members of the
church who were taken unaware by his sheer audacity and quickly handed him to
the police.
traced the entire crisis to the December 24th 2005 illegal attempt
by one Evangelist Godwin Bolanle Shonekan at the CCC Holy
City of Imeko in Ogun state when the
said Shonekan accompanied by a group
of armed thugs went straight into the church altar in his bid to announce
himself as the Pastor of CCC, Worldwide but was prevented by members of the
church who were taken unaware by his sheer audacity and quickly handed him to
the police.
After that
crisis, the church took Shonekan to
court to restrain him from further similar atrocities. But on March 26th
2015 barely ten years after the case was instituted, the trial judge, Honorable Justice A.O. Asenuga, ruled that
the self-proclamation of Evangelist
Godwin Bolanle Shonekan as
Pastor of the church was illegal, unconstitutional; null and void. The court
further ruled that the appointment of a Pastor in the Church needs re-articulation
in a new constitution. Consequently, the trial judge set aside all claims to
the position of the Pastor. The Board of Trustees said it already appealed
against the ruling.
crisis, the church took Shonekan to
court to restrain him from further similar atrocities. But on March 26th
2015 barely ten years after the case was instituted, the trial judge, Honorable Justice A.O. Asenuga, ruled that
the self-proclamation of Evangelist
Godwin Bolanle Shonekan as
Pastor of the church was illegal, unconstitutional; null and void. The court
further ruled that the appointment of a Pastor in the Church needs re-articulation
in a new constitution. Consequently, the trial judge set aside all claims to
the position of the Pastor. The Board of Trustees said it already appealed
against the ruling.
Tosho Oschoffa (L) |
Tosho is not the Pastor
The Board
noted that subject to the outcome of the appeal filed against Justice Asenuga’s ruling, the church
does not have a lawful and duly accredited pastor for the time being. That the general public should take note that
“Any assertion, representation, claims and pretention by ANY person or persons
including the ill-advised and baseless self-declaration of Senior Evangelist Tosho
Oschoffa to the Pastorship or leadership of the Church is fake, and a
figment of imagination and an exercise in futility which carries a grave risk
of contempt of court”. The Church wants the general public to ignore such
representation in its entirety.
noted that subject to the outcome of the appeal filed against Justice Asenuga’s ruling, the church
does not have a lawful and duly accredited pastor for the time being. That the general public should take note that
“Any assertion, representation, claims and pretention by ANY person or persons
including the ill-advised and baseless self-declaration of Senior Evangelist Tosho
Oschoffa to the Pastorship or leadership of the Church is fake, and a
figment of imagination and an exercise in futility which carries a grave risk
of contempt of court”. The Church wants the general public to ignore such
representation in its entirety.
Why we need a new Constitution
The BOT
added to its revelations to the media “Another essence of the court decision is
the need for the Church to write its constitution” The BOT assured the public
that work has already began on the writing of a new constitution which started
three years ago in response to an earlier court decision for the church to go
and find a peaceful solution to its problems. “The interim draft produced by
the committee set up for this purpose is receiving necessary attention and the
Committee has resumed work to produce a final draft for the consideration of all
stakeholders of the church”
added to its revelations to the media “Another essence of the court decision is
the need for the Church to write its constitution” The BOT assured the public
that work has already began on the writing of a new constitution which started
three years ago in response to an earlier court decision for the church to go
and find a peaceful solution to its problems. “The interim draft produced by
the committee set up for this purpose is receiving necessary attention and the
Committee has resumed work to produce a final draft for the consideration of all
stakeholders of the church”
“It is hoped
that the exercise will be duly completed before the end of the year when a new
constitution will be duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and any necessary action for the
restructuring of the church can be legally undertaken. In the meantime, the Board of Trustees and Pastor-in-Council are making
appropriate arrangement for the smooth, proper and peaceful running of the
affairs of the Church at all its Parishes world-wide”
that the exercise will be duly completed before the end of the year when a new
constitution will be duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and any necessary action for the
restructuring of the church can be legally undertaken. In the meantime, the Board of Trustees and Pastor-in-Council are making
appropriate arrangement for the smooth, proper and peaceful running of the
affairs of the Church at all its Parishes world-wide”
The BOT
assured.
assured.
The new
position of the Church’s BOT and the death of Senior Evangelist Tosho
Oschoffa’s mum are seen as a new dimension to the new crisis of leadership
rocking the church founded by late Papa, Prophet/Pastor
Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oschoffa.
position of the Church’s BOT and the death of Senior Evangelist Tosho
Oschoffa’s mum are seen as a new dimension to the new crisis of leadership
rocking the church founded by late Papa, Prophet/Pastor
Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oschoffa.