The protracted crisis rocking the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) has been resolved as some high-powered stakeholders in its Supreme Council held a unification meeting at the CAC Church Auditorium in Irefin, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday.
President of the Supreme Council, CAC, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Henry Ojo, speaking with newsmen at the end of the meeting, stressed the need for the church to strive towards resolving conflicts, based on truth.
Pastor Ojo, was excited hat peace meeting was convened to resolve the protracted crisis, said: “This is a great and wonderful day. It is beyond the expectation of everyone of us. It is the doing of the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes. I am happy to see this day.
“This is a church with large congregation. You should expect that there could be crisis from time to time. But the good thing is that God helped us to prevail. You can see today that God helped us to unite.
“We are looking forward for both GEC and Supreme Council to become one. That is our vision and heart-beat. We see what happened today as a stepping stone to what we are looking for in the near future.
“Looking at the history of the church from the beginning, the devil is striving, but the church of the Lord will always prevail. Crisis and the church are twin brothers.
“Even Jesus Christ in Chapter 17 of the Book of John (in the Holy Bible), prayed for unity of the church. Jesus must have seen into the future of the church. He pray that the church should be united as the Trinity are united.
“The gate of hell may stand against the Church but it will not prevail. You can see this in the experience of the church today; not in CAC alone. Mega churches, world over, are not divorced from crises.”
Earlier, while addressing the congregation during the unification meeting, Pastor Ojo said; “This is the time when God will move in our midst. Whether the devil likes it or not, the Lord will prevail. We shall sing the song of victory.
“I want to remind us of the stormy wind that blew across the Supreme Council. About 32 years ago, there was crisis in the year 1990. The storm came with a strong earthquake.
“Barely six or seven years ago, God gave me and the General Superintendent the grace. It might be because of what we are witnessing today. When the storm was being prepared, the steps that were supposed to be taken were not taken.
“The storm swelled up. There was the wind championed by the Initiative Forum. Malice prevailed and things went wrong. We waged war against one another.
“The storm forced some of our elders into compulsory retirement. Our father, Babajide was one of the victims. Orangun was also one.
“After that time, our fathers, Adegoroye, Baba Obadare and Udofia did not compromise their stand. They resisted the coup that was initiated by the Initiative Forum, and the coup failed. Thereby, the Lord lifted the head of the Supreme Council once again. Since then, storm raged.
“I am sure that the devil would not be happy about what happened today. Some are in the dark firing arrows in order to make this meeting impossible.
“But, glory be to God in the highest, Satan and his cohorts are put to shame; the Supreme Council became one. We are following the footsteps of our fathers in the Lord. They suffered agony because of this. Some of them died suddenly.
“You know how fierce the battle was especially in Ibadan. They worked hard to see the end of the Supreme Council, but the foundation of the Lord stands sure.
“The resolution of the crisis must be based on the truth. We must go back to the basics which is the foundation. If there was no storm, CAC could have witnessed tremendous development. But we thank God.
“Recently, it was reported that I prophesied that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Nyesom Wike were the best presidential candidates for Nigeria. But, you all know me as a pastor and teacher, not as a prophet. I never prophesied to you, not to talk of giving prophecy on politics.
“Some of those who were hypocritical to us read about it in the newspaper. They should have called me to crosscheck, but they never did. Instead, they were spreading unprintable words. That is uncharitable. Whatever is of the Kingdom of God should not be taken with levity.
“I was not the one who prophesied about Osinbajo and Wike’s presidential ambitions. I am a pastor and not a prophet and I am satisfied with being a pastor.
“I am a teacher and I am satisfied to be a teacher. As for those who give prophecy, if it is of the Lord, it shall be seen clearly at the end of the day. Remain blessed.”
In his address, Pastor S.O Ogundare, the outgoing President, CAC, Supreme Council, expressed gratitude to God on the actualisation of the unification ceremony of the Council.
He said: “Though satan attempted to destroy the good work of our forefathers of this church, Almighty God disallowed the main objectives of the enemies to overrun the co-existence of the Supreme Council of Christ Apostolic Church.
“I pray that soonest, we shall all, once again, rejoice to witness the end of the major crisis that befell this first Pentecostal Church in Africa (CAC) since about 32 years (1990-2022), if the Lord tarries.
“Secondly, my appreciation goes to the peace brokers of the good people of the Supreme Council of CAC when the leadership of all the warring parties shun all odds to achieve and restore peace within the members of the Supreme Council of CAC to become one indivisible entity. I pray that their names shall be written in gold in the book of salvation.
“I want to advise the leaders of this great mission to forgive one another and work as a team and also as workers in the vine yard who will give account of his or her stewardship to chief master on the judgment day.
“It is on record that during the tenure of the founding fathers of this church, Pastors I. B. Akinyele, D. O. Odubanjo, Apostle J. A. Babalola, all of blessed memory, there were no rancour, no bitterness, no rivalry, no animosity etc. within the hierarchy and members.”
Among the principal officers of the church present at the meeting were Pastors James Onagwa, Ogunrinde, Ejide Aladesaiye, Emmanuel Olubunmi Owolabi, Director of Finance, CAC, Supreme Council and Prophet Samuel Kolawole of CAC Arogungbogunmi.
Pastor Ogundare also acknowledged the General Superintendent, CAC, Irefin; General Superintendent, CAC, Agbowo; General Evangelist, CAC, Irefin; General Evangelist, CAC, Agbowo; General Secretary, CAC, Irefin; General Secretary, CAC, Agbowo; and all officers and members of the Supreme Council (CAC), including elders, deaconesses and members of the CAC.
