A Controversial Meeting At COG (Last Trumpeters) On Sunday, 2nd of August, 2014

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  Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm praying for the health of Zion in this clime of ours, and also for good fruit in the upcoming camping. 

  
  

  The above subject matter refers, sir. I'm forced to renege on the oath of silence the elders made us to acquiesce before they revealed the matter which I'm about to relate. Deep in my heart, I feel disorientated by the event that it may affect my faith if I don't share it with you for a fatherly advice.

  
  

  After close of service, the pastor announced the meeting with the elders, some mothers, some children from Bro Francis Egwu's household and the Sunday school teachers. Being a teacher, I sent my wife and children home and stayed back for the meeting. Bro Linus Okorie from Lagos was a part of the meeting. Bro Chukwuma Onyetube, who was not in any of the categories invited for the meeting, elected to be a part. (The pastor had announced in the morning service that Bro Linus from Lagos had told him he would come to Benin with a message from God. In the message read from Rev 3:11 "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown", he highlighted the need for unity among the members of Eguadase congregation.  

  • He also referred us to  Php 1:27 "...that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel". However, the emphasis was on “one spirit and one mind”. Strangely, the basis for oneness was not made clear, though he seemed to hinge it on the leadership of the pastor. To buttress his point, he reasoned that some of us could become leaders in the future, and asked whether we would want opposition from our followers.

    
    

    In the meeting after the service, Bro Christian Elui addressed us for about an hour. He mentioned two issues to be discussed. One was about a text message by one of Bro Francis’ son. The other, which he said was a related matter, was about the Ebonyi debacle. He spent much time on this issue, recounting the history of the problem, which we all are very familiar with. He struggled to keep some the audience from sleep. As for me, I kept awake trying to make sense out of the speech. I wondered why he was reserved about the first issue and spent much time on the second without bringing any new thing to the table. The issue about the text message was unknown to me, yet it was only just hinted at. At the end of the speech, he requested for the way forward out of the problem of Ebonyi State congregations, which he said has affected the Benin church. 

    
    

    Before commencement of the deliberations, Bro Christian, Bro Isaiah and Bro Linus, urged that the issues discussed should not be leaked outside this meeting. I wondered what was so secretive about the matter, because to me, they had not said anything new that everyone was not aware about. I wondered why Bro Christian had spent an hour or more talking without letting us know the real reason for the meeting. It was when he had been assured that there was no spy among us that he proceeded into the issue of the text message. He called for the phone where the text message was written. It belonged to Bro Nnamdi Egwu, Bro Francis’s son. It was agreed that I read out the text message to the hearing of the gathering. 

    
    

    The message was written to Bro Ogbo Okike, by Bro Nnamdi. He started by hoping that Bro Ogbo’s cup would run full someday. He promised to “show” him, intimating him that he (Nnamdi) was not like those whose life Bro Ogbo had frustrated through training. Among other boasting, he concluded by praying that God would open his parents’ eyes, as well as the eyes of the Benin elders, to see Bro Ogbo’s true color. 

    
    

    After the text was read, Nnamdi was asked whether it was any of the Benin elders that encouraged him to send the text message. He said no. He was then asked why he wrote the message. He started by absolving himself of any selfish malice against his brother in law. He said he does not take offence when a matter personally affects him. It’s only when it has to do with his siblings or family that he reacts. In this matter, he said he was not comfortable when his sister, Amaka Egwu, was staying in their house in Nsukka, without parental protection, working for Bro Ogbo Okike, who does not give proper attention to the overall wellbeing of workers, as it concerns boy-girl association. At this point, Bro Christian Elui stopped from further comments, stating the ones already given were enough for the discussion. This action of his visibly displeased everyone, especially Bro Francis Egwu, who expressed bitterness that they were not treating him well. He

    wondered why they were trying to mum his son. “If he saw Bro Ogbo with his daughter, let him tell us. I am not one to hide evil. Say everything plainly,” he pleaded. After few speakers added their voice to the pervading discontent, Nnamdi was told to continue his testimony. 

    
    

    He submitted that he had not seen Bro Ogbo commit any such act, neither had he seen his sister in any appearance of evil. He said that the problem with his brother in law was that he was more interested in the output of the bakery business than the morality of his workers, citing an incidence where an employee was caught smoking weeds and the matter what reported to Bro Ogbo, who did nothing about it, but esteemed the worker for his diligence. He also mentioned the event reported where the said employee had been seen in the room of the female workers, and expressed his pain for the risk his sister faced. 

    
    

    I’ve come to understand that these people have a way of beating around the bush before they let out the cat from the bag. It is time consuming and intriguing. So, after cross-questioning, it became clear that the initial reason Nnamdi had postulated was not the real issue at hand. The real issue, as his statement further revealed, was the suggestion by Bro Ogbo Okike that sis Amaka Egwu should not go the polytechnic where she had been admitted, but rather that she should wait for another opportunity to get admission into a Federal Government University, which he opined, is better and cheaper. Bro Francis had bought the idea and insisted that his daughter should forfeit the monies already expended on the polytechnic and wait for the next JAMB, where she should work hard to do better and pass the cut-off point for admission. This seems not to go down well with sister Amaka and her siblings who felt Bro Ogbo’s influence on their parents was becoming

    unbearable. 

    
    

    Bro Francis explained that Bro Ogbo only made a suggestion, and that the final decision was his to make. But this point seemed to fall on deaf ears. Sister Ngozi Egwu, who is their mother, clarified that the fear of Amaka being without parental care in Nsukka was out of place, since she is now in the said polytechnic without the much touted parental care. She said Amaka was under the care of her grandmother and relatives in Nsukka; therefore, the sentiment about her exposure was misplaced.

    
    

    My surprise was aroused when Bro Christian, as well as the elders and other members, eulogized Nnamdi’s courage and fighting spirit, which he described as an excellent spirit. If I wasn’t present in that meeting I would have denied that such a thing could happen in a church of God meeting. My heart couldn’t bear what my ears perceived. I could hear the increased pulsations of my heartbeat, fearing I would soon have a stroke. I prayed silently for help from above. When I gained grace, I heckled at Bro Christian, “the text message, excellence spirit?” 

    
    

    I could hear Bro Francis express approval for my question. Bro Christian humbly tried to explain to me that he meant the spirit with which the boy had written the text message, not the text message itself, which he promised to speak on later. He explained that the intention for doing a thing can excuse the method used, however faulty. I watched them with horror, as I saw all the moral lessons I had learnt through my childhood years being flushed down the sewage drain. I was sure I had to throw away my knowledge of good and evil to accept this new religion or philosophy. The benumbing notion I got from the pastor and all was that this was a spiritual matter. They kept speaking about the leading of the “spirit”. The youths took their turn to praise this “spirit” which the boy had, and admonished his father not quench it, and that every family needed such for safety and protection. Bro Chukwuma Onyetube was the first youth to extol the “spirit”.

    I doubted I could survive that meeting and, in order to get some respite, I whispered to Bro Christian and others close to where I was sitting that the issue of the text message had to be addressed. The dominant voices were that there was no real need to address the text message. I witnessed a loud demonstration of the unity which Bro Linus had so much canvassed for in his morning message. I shuddered at the thought that I should be the only dissenting voice to attack the unity, and quietly gave tongue to my frustration that I had to go home and leave the meeting. I could hear Chukwuma tell me to go if I felt like going. The tone was cold. Bro Christian urged me to express myself. When I was given the chance to speak, I mentioned how I had learnt from Bro Isaiah’s past teaching that it was wrong to bring a father with his son in judgment and condemn the father in the presence of the child. I also touched the issue of respect for elders. The pastor

    used to teach that every man should man his own family. I humbly drew their attention to importance of not harming the authority the father had in his house as the head of the family. The father had stated that the decision for Amaka not to go to the polytechnic was his, and not Bro Ogbo’s. He ought to be given the benefit of the doubt. But it seemed the children were united in rebellion against their father, and the church was supporting them. I reasoned that the wording and the tone of the text message were threatening and unchristian; thus the boy should be corrected. I could hear Chukwuma say that the Bible is full of threats. To that, Bro Linus brought Ac 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. He also mentioned how Jacob’s sons had shed blood to revenge

    the rape of their sister; and a similar thing done by David’s sons for their sister. Thus, he showed that we can sometimes do some untoward things when the situation requires it so.

    
    

    Bro Isaiah Onyetube reiterated the point that the message was direct from the Holy Spirit, and that the child didn’t need to apologize for it. At that Bro Francis Egwu loudly expressed his discontent. He rejected it for his family and said the boy should not write such a text to another person lest he’d face the wrath of the law. The elders tried to calm him down, but he didn’t relent until he made the point that he and his family and his estate that came to the church with him would hearken to the voice of God if it became impossible for them worship Him in peace at Eguadase. The pastor retorted that he had also made up his mind that if it meant for only he and his family to remain in the church so be it, calling off the threat. Chukwuma was still full of vigor in his point that the sons of the house had a rightful place, he derided the view that they should submit to their father under such circumstances. They were right to protest. Bro Ogbo has

    no place in the internal affair of the family. He’s only an in-law. 

    
    

    Bro Ifeanyi bemoaned the way the church had esteemed certain individuals even over the elders. According to him, it was this esteem that had given Bro Ogbo (who is also his biological relation) an underserved place in the congregation, over and above even the local elders. He said that such respect was also being given to certain unnamed persons in our midst, even now. This statement of his received the approval of many. He went further to allege that Bro Francis loved Bro Ogbo more than his wife; and that his wife also respected Bro Ogbo more than her husband. He lamented that we don’t place value on what we have, showing that Bro Egwu had five graduates in his immediate family, yet he didn’t find it appropriate to confer with them before consulting his in-law in matters affecting one of them.

    
    

    Bro Christian avowed that there was nothing wrong with the text message and challenged any “grammarian” to analyze what was wrong in it. With that I looked straight in his eyes and asked him, “really? Is the text message not truly wrong?” He affirmed his position. I then asked him about the tone of the message. He laughed and said I was rating the tone above the intent, and that there was no insult in the message. At that I disagreed with him and stated that the message itself was full of insults. I asked if it was christianly to say, “I will ‘show’ you!” Chukwuma accused me of using logic and politics, and insisted that the message was void of insults (though he did so by way of side talk). I asked him if he would say the same thing if the subject of the text message wasn’t Bro Ogbo, or if it was his uncle, or another relation. Bro Monday Igboji came close to me to try to convince. I couldn’t bear the atmosphere that was consuming my

    sanity. I challenged him to speak to me from his conscience. (He had said earlier in his submission that the sister, Amaka who had been described in the meeting with Bro Igbanibo as “young” was as old as the bank employees we respect outside).

    
    

    Sister Rachel rose up to speak. She, in her characteristic manner, touched several issues and cautioned the church to check the doctrines they were parading and see if it was really the right one. Musing on her desire to please God and make it to heaven at last, she alleged that the church had changed their initial doctrines. She also reasoned that their present position on this matter was right by worldly standards, though not before God. Bro Christian Elui, while indirectly describing her speech as pointless, challenged her to speak clearly and point to specify points. As she rose up to the challenge, the pastor stopped her and insisted that anybody had not done any wrong thing in the meeting, that we’ve only expressed our minds, which would show us hypocrites if we had not done so. He repeated that sister Rachel had not spoken wrongly. However, he regretted calling for such meeting and swore that there would never be such meetings in future.

    
    

    To cut the long story short, we were redirected to the second issue, which the commentators said was more important than this one of a text message. Bro Isaac Aneto, who had remained quiet in the meeting, reasoned that the issue of the text message was a family matter which Bro Francis was capable of solving in his house. He opined that it was a temptation for Eguadase church; and that they ought not to have deliberated on it because it could be used to find out what they had to say on the matter. On the Ebonyi issue, he reasoned that every congregation is autonomous, thus, Ebonyi issue should be left for them. We only owed them prayers. He therefore appealed that naught be mentioned about them on the pulpit ever again. This was received by all and sundry. Apart from Bro Isaac, I observed the silence of others, such as Bro Emeka Okoye, Bro Timothy and Bro Onyeka (both sons of Bro Isaac). I could not verify their position on the matter, however.

    
    

    Bro Linus added that those who were close to Bro Ogbo should advise them to come and beg the elders of Benin for forgiveness. Bro Francis then responded with a proverb that if the mountain does not go to Mohammed, he would go to the mountain. Bro Isaiah in the course of one of speeches had asked me to advise Bro Igbanibo not to give attention to the Okikes (Bro Joshua’s family) whom Sister Rachel had described as unrelenting in battles. He said their issues have no end. He also thanked Bro Linus for coming for the meeting all the way from Lagos, although it was not clear at the beginning that that was the purpose for his coming.

    
    

    The meeting ended peacefully with prayers by Bro Chukwuma, Bro Christian and Sister Rachel. 

    
    

    After the meeting, Bro Linus Okorie meant me outside to explain to me that the issue of honoring parents does not arise in this case because of the disposition of Bro Ogbo to the elders of Benin church.

    
    

    I write the report hoping to be advised whether I was wrong in my stand during the meeting. I do not feel comfortable any more with those brethren who I feel are calling evil good. I hope I’m not having hatred in my heart. I need prayers and counseling.

  
  

  
  Eric Winter