By SEGUN AYINDE, ABEOKUTA
The pastor in charge of the Apostolic Revival World Centre, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oladele Adejumo, has urged the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria to take disciplinary action against the embattled pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Biodun Fatoyinbo, if found culpable of the rape allegation levelled against him by a former member of his church, Busola Dakolo.
Recall that Dakolo, who is the wife of sensational musician, Timi Dakolo, had accused Pastor Fatoyinbo of the COZA church of allegedly raping her when she was 16 years old at her parents’ house.
But speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abeokuta, Pastor Adejumo of the Apostolic Revival World Centre, charged the two Christian bodies to take disciplinary measures against Fatoyinbo should the court of law pronounce him guilty of the crime.
The cleric said that Fatoyinbo had done the right thing by stepping aside from the leadership of the church over the rape allegation, urging CAN and PFN to take disciplinary measures against any pastor found guilty of such a crime.
He added that such pastors should not be allowed to mount the pulpit until they had genuinely repented and changed for the better.
The man of God, however, urged Nigerians to desist from pointing accusing fingers at the COZA pastor until the court finds him guilty of the crime, noting that clerics were also human beings prone to making mistakes like all mortals.
He, therefore, advised the leadership of churches to set up prayer groups to intercede for pastors and other church workers so as not to fall into temptations by Satan.
The cleric said, “CAN or PFN should ask any pastor found guilty of the crime to step down and not preach for some time, until he is allowed to pass through the disciplinary measures and change for better before he can be called back to the altar of God to preach the gospel again.”
“If you are a true man of God, you should be a good example for others to follow. Pastor Fatoyinbo can’t be accused of the crime until the court finds him guilty. If it is genuine, the population of the church would reduce and some foreign pastors will not be able to come to his church to minister.
“I think each churches should have intercessory groups that will be praying for the pastors and workers in the church so that they won’t fall into the temptation of Satan. The pastors, too, should endeavour to preach righteousness and not only prosperity.”
