THE SEAL OF CONFESSION HAS BEEN BROKEN IN CHRIST PENTECOSTAL MISSION BENIN CITY

It has come to our notice that one of the church members who is also the financial secretary of Christ Pentecostal Mission located at a lane beside Edo Line off mission road Benin city has been arrested by the pastor of the church for a confession made to the pastor by the member.

The member who was said to be having health challenges and went to the pastor to confessed that he used to take money from church offering without permission from the pastor. He made this confession for the forgiveness of sins and to

re-unite with the body of Christ and not to return to sin again. But the pastor on his part instead of praying for him, went and called

the police for his arrest and demanded that the money be returned.

Our group, Freedom Initiative was informed by some members of the church. Inasmuch as we the members of Freedom Initiative

condemned the action of the member, we also want to condemn in entirety the action

of the pastor of the church who had broken the 'Seal of Confession' as a priest church.

According to Canon 21 of the Fourth Council of the Lateran which states that, "Let the

priest absolutely beware that he does not by word or sign or by any manner whatever in any way betray the sinner" based on this rule, there are pertinent questions we need to ask the pastor which are as follow;

1. Does the money belong to the pastor or God?

2. Is the pastor after the soul to be forgiving and be save or after the money?

3. Was the member caught by the pastor or by God?

4. Is the pastor free from this sin?

Having carefully observed this issue, We wish to call on the pastor to desist from this act

against this member and of any other members of the church because his action is against priesthood. He opt to have pray for him not to further destroy him.

Furthermore, Freedom Initiative also wish to state that the action of the pastor could lead a to a spiritual blockage a situation where church worshipers will refuse to make confession in churches in order not to be

arrested by his/her confession, this will therefore increase sins in the land since the mode of confessing sin is being truncated by this pastor.

We therefore call on the christian community, Pentecostal Christian

Body. Christian Association of Nigeria CAN and other Christian Regulatory body to call this pastor to order and to stop such

occurrence in the future to save the body of Christ from the mood.

Justice Oyamienlen Godfrey 

Coordinator, Freedom Initiative.

SACRILIGE COMMITTED IN THE CHURCH BY APOSTLE SOLOMON ITAMAH

It is again another sacrilege committed in the house of God last week Sunday 29^th of May 2016 by Apostle Solomon Itamah the pastor in the in charge of Christ Chosen Church of God (CCCG) Uselu Headquarters, Medical Stores Road, Benin City. The pastor who was said to have denied a new baby from being dedicated to God because the father did not present ram and a bag of rice to him for the dedication. The father of the baby Mr Kingsley Airihenbuwa a parishioner who has been a member of the church since 1996 lamented the way the pastor treated his new baby. It was gather that the pastor refused to anoint the child stating that until the ram and bag of a rice is submitted to him by the member the dedication will not be accepted by God. The pastor who was quoted saying that ram and the rice are for his god.  That the children snacks and milks brought for the dedication by the member is not for God therefore what his God want for the dedication is a ram and a bag of rice which is a MUST to suite his God.

The statement angered parishioners, friends and well-wishers of Mr Airihenbuwa that came to graced the dedication stating that such has never happen before in history of the church where a pastor will come openly to demand of what should be given to his God for dedication. It was said that the parishioners troop out of the church angrily. One of the elders of the church who spoke to us stated that what happened in the dedication today in the church is unexpected and it is a disgrace to Christ Chosen church family that they wonder if the pastor was truly trained the pastoral school before he was posted here due to his act as a pastor.

Speaking to news line, the Regional Coordinator, Freedom Initiative Ambassador Justice Oyamienlen Godfrey condemned the act in entirety and said a protest letter has been sent to the General Overseer Most Senior Apostle Joshua Osasuyi copied the President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Rev (Dr) Felix Omobude to sanction Apostle Solomon Itamah and also demand public apology from the said pastor to bring sanity in the church. He Ambassador stated that if urgent action is not taking other pastors who claimed to be men of God will hide under this to extort worshipers. He admonished worshipers to always speak the truth when their pastors are going wrong in the church to save the body  of Christ from the hand of pretending pastors.