The crisis in the Assemblies of God Nigeria, has taken a new dimension, as the South-South zone of the church has pulled out from the body.

The South South zone cited instances of marginalisation, gross injustice in ministers’ remuneration, unhealthy rivalry among ministers, inefficiency and escalating administrative and financial malfeasance- as justification for its departure from the church.

Zonal chairman, Central Working Committee, South-South General Council, Assemblies of God, Evang. Nsikak Akpan, made the disclosure on Saturday at a press conference, attended by other executive members of the church including executive members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom.

Akpan stated that his zone arrived at the decision to break away from the general council administration in order to achieve some level of self-governance.

He said the general council had grown too big and had become too expensive to run.

Akpan said this has utimately resulted in a supremacy battle between the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof Paul Emeka and the executive committee members under Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor.

“The South-South zone of the Assemblies of God has called for the decentralisation of the general council administration to end marginalisation and gross injustice in ministers’ remuneration; unhealthy rivalry among ministers; inefficiency and escalating administrative and financial malfeasance.

“The only panacea to the growing crisis enveloping the Assemblies of God in Nigeria, leading to the birth of two general councils, which often result in fresh crises in the church across the nation, is to decentralise and reorganise the General Council into six or 12 autonomous general councils with little economic and administrative power at the centre.”

Ada Igboanugo