Former aide to Nigeria’s former president has slammed pentecostal churches in Nigeria over what he described as a horrible internal governance structure.
According to Reno Omokri, this poor governance structure breeds tyranny, dictatorship, hero worshipping and personality cult.
While highlighting a common trend ofuneven disciplinary measure in favour of the founder, overseer, or general overseer he observed that for the pew the situation is the reverse.
Omokri made this disclosure last week via his social media handles. His words, ‘Nigerian Pentecostal churches have a horrible internal governance structure that is a breeding ground for tyranny and dictatorship, or even worse, hero worshiping and personality cults.
‘There are very little mechanisms in their structures to call the founder, or overseer, or GO to order when he goes against church doctrine, his or her own previous pronouncements, or even Scripture.
‘But let an ordinary member try to imitate him or his family in such, and the hammer comes thundering down.
‘Let me give an example. I do not celebrate or even acknowledge Christmas. Nothing will make me associate myself with such an unscriptural and occult festival. However, I do not begrudge those who choose to participate in it. Doing so leads to arguments, because many people are emotionally tied to Christmas from childhood.
‘I grew up being a great admirer of pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, because, like me, he considers Christmas “idolatry and unscriptural”. His exact words.
‘So, imagine my shock on December 14, 2021, when Pastor Kumuyi attended the Aso Rock Christmas Praise Concert, hosted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, commemorating the Christmas season.
‘That is a clear violation of his own pronouncements and instruction to his congregation not to have anything to do with Christmas.
‘If there was a functional governance structure at the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor Kumuyi ought to have faced a panel, and should have stepped down from his position as General Superintendent for flouting the church’s rules.
‘But nothing happened to him, because he is the governance structure.’
Continuing the avid critic of the president Muhammadu Buhari administration noted that ‘In Nigeria, our President and the 36 state Governors can be impeached. But a Pentecostal church founder and overseer cannot be impeached. He cannot even be rebuked or reprimanded. Therefore, his “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
‘Sadly, many of such contraptions respect persons, when even Scripture tells us that “God is no respecter of persons:”-Acts 10:34.
‘I chased Buhari from a London hospital back to Nigeria, and Nigerians clapped for me. But if I chase Kumuyi from a Christmas concert, Nigerian Christians will stone me!’
