Nigerian Churches and the Nemesis of Power and Money.

Power and money have always been the nemesis of elongated leadership either in the realm of politics or religion. It has been a recurring “decimal” in various Nigerian Pentecostal churches and especially those incorporated by individuals. The same problem is gradually rearing its ugly head in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) which is the largest and the wealthiest church in Africa. One can only hope therefore that the RCCG will not share the same fate with some other churches in the past.  

One could remember the "Celestial Church of Christ" and how it "revolutionized" church-going. Back then, it was a fashionable thing for young Nigerians and, especially the women to attend the church which was fondly referred to as “Cele”. There were also those people who felt it was the only church where they could have an encounter with God...through "instant coffee miracles" and getting their numerous spiritual problems solved. In those days, there were "Cele" parishes in every nook and cranny of Nigeria and abroad. Every Tom, Dick and Harry was becoming a "Cele" pastor. 

And then, towards the end of the 1980s, things began to fall apart. Suddenly, some pastors were of the view that too much power, money and influence were attached to the central office and person of the leadership. Initially, the bitter infighting was muffled until it finally spilled to the public. Some pastors were in a hurry to see the leader die so that they too could aspire to the powerful position. But the man refused to die. Some of them left the church to go set up theirs and pulled members along. Finally, the law of nature was eventually fulfilled. The leader died...and then the battle for succession began. It started with bitter verbal altercations and soon escalated into voodoo attacks and assassinations. The rest is now history.