by S’ola Filani

 

 

Pastor Ralph Okebu, 47, and wife, Caroline are presently at loggerheads over the ownership of a church, Victory Pentecostal Ministries International Incorporated, based in Enugu.

The church is presently divided into two factions. Members who belong to the pastor Okebu’s camp turn up in the morning while those who hold allegiance to his wife attend afternoon service.

Before the worship arrangement was arrived at, congregants on both sides had fought physically over the use of the church auditorium located at Km 1 Enugu – Onitsha Expressway.

According to a source, it took the intervention of the police to restore some form of order in the church, adding that policemen were stationed in the premises for two Sundays to avoid physical combat.

Narrating how the crisis began, a lawyer who serves as the church administrator, Chuks Okonkwo, told SUN: “A problem arose in the church about last year… it followed a prophecy that was released by the prophetess in the ministry, Prophetess Caroline Okebu.

Part of these prophecies touched on the general wellbeing of the Church while a part of it touched on certain members of the Church, including the head pastor, Pastor Ralph Okebu. But the personal message that touched on Pastor Ralph Okebu could be seen to be what led to the factionalisation of the Church because in his own thinking, such a message shouldn’t have been revealed on the pulpit and the message had to deal with his amorous relationship with some female members of the church. And it was a warning.

After that revelation by the prophetess of the ministry, the whole church attended worship service on a Sunday there under the leadership of Pastor Ralph Okebu. But after the first Sunday, he reneged. The rest of us went to church the next Sunday thinking that after the normal Sunday school, we would retire to the mountain to have the service proper but that was not to be. So, we were surprised and his reason was that it was not going to be possible, especially considering that the rains would come, for people to go and worship in the open air or in the bush, according to him. But by the third Sunday, a lot of people had said that the ministry has a foundation and whatever the Lord says is what the people are going to do. So, on the third Sunday about 80 percent of the members relocated to the mountain for Sunday services.

It wasn’t quite two months after this happened that Pastor Ralph started feeling the impact of the factionalisation because there was going to be a drop in income because you will not expect that the offerings and other finances accruing from the mountain will be brought to him.

At this time, the police came in and the Enugu State Commissioner of Police personally took over the matter and was mediating. So, as this lasted, the police at some point, about three months ago, decided with the leadership of both factions that the Ralph Okebu led group should be having morning service to dismiss at 12noon while the Prophetess Caroline led group should have their own service thereafter.