Two videos got me wondering; one was a drama that took place in a Redeemed Christian church where a pastor, while on the altar preaching, was called out as a fraud by the woman he got pregnant and ran off from.
The other is the lavish 60th birthday party of Mummy GO of City of David V/I Siju Iluyomade, the wife of the City of David Parish Pastor Idowu Iluyomade. They are senior pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God where the late Herbert Wigwe and his wife worshipped before they lost their lives weeks back.
What is instructive is that Herbert Wigwe and his wife were reported as benefactors of the church. Pastor Idowu Iluyomade himself was quoted to have said of Herbert Wigwe, “He adopted a lot of children, took care of them. For years, he has been quietly paying for the stipend/salary of the City of David classical choir. It has been amazing, for years. Every month, he was paying them. At The Christmas concert, he funded them. He did a great work in this place. As he was doing here, he was doing it all over.
“…Wigwe was the chairman of the finance committee with Pastor Siju and I remember when we wanted to start the fundraising…. When we needed to take finance from the bank, when the contractors left the site, he gave us the money. Herbert was supporting us. His wife was also supporting him. He’ll call his wife, bring N20m, bring N10m and she’ll support. He’ll call his friends, too.”
You do not need to personally know Herbert Wigwe, nor his wife and son to be affected by their deaths. That’s what makes us human. We pause to take in tragedies like this and say, “there but for the grace of God, go I”.
The message this sends out is clear, Herbert may be dead, another benefactor is waiting in the church corridor to take his place. That’s the gospel from the pulpit of the City of David parish, you better believe it.
But pray tell me, what would it have cost Daddy GO of City of David Pastor Idowu Iluyomade and his wife, Mummy GO, Siju to shift the date? They could have announced to the guests that this was to honour a beloved brother who passed away so tragically along with his wife and son. And sensible people would applaud this.
They could, if for whatever reason they couldn’t stop or postpone the party, have toned down the lavish display of money and affluence. Why? This is the period in our country where people are protesting against hardship. This is a particularly precarious moment in the country…but the Pastor and his wife aren’t gifted in reading the room or reading the pulse of the nation or of Christ for that matter.
Granted that the poor will always be with us but when was the last time people came out en-masse, protesting hardship in Nigeria?
We say, “to whom much is given…” that’s why we are all talking and saying, “Haba, you are held to a higher standard, do better!”
Speaking of standards, who the hell is the girl who called out the RCCG pastor in that Instablog video that began trending last week?
The girl is seen blasting the pastor for getting her pregnant and refusing to pick her calls. After waiting for him to come and explain what she should do with the pregnancy, she went to church to wait for the pastor. He was probably about to start a message or rounding up but obviously was in his holiest mode when she got up and announced to his congregation that he got her pregnant, wouldn’t pick her calls and her mother was waiting to see the pastor… he knows where she lives.
Did you see the face of that man in the congregation? That’s the face of “I get gist for you…”
Tah! Stuff of gossip!
However, for me, a few thoughts crossed my mind. The girl may or may not know the pastor has other commitments, wife, partner….
Pastor is a liar, forget what he preaches, he lied, has been lying, will not stop lying. Other non-lying pastors are free to take his position on the altar.
The pastor was a regular, one whom the girl’s family is familiar with and comfortable with and perhaps there must have been talks of marriage or some sort of mutual agreement as to what the future of their relationship will be.
The pastor did not use condoms, (obviously) stupid, especially knowing he was doing unpastorly things; fornicating or adultery, you choose, and has no wish to have a child from the girl? He’s stupid!
Could be he figured, she would take care of it, if it got to her getting pregnant or told himself she daren’t come to him with any pregnancy story. I still can’t figure out what he was thinking, sleeping with a girl he has no wish to continue a relationship with and no condoms?
The relationship was consensual, there was no report of rape, which, while it is good still smells of deceit on the pastor’s side. A child will be born and the parents will never be at peace.
There no longer is respect for so-called men of God when they rape, pillage, covert and cavort like the rest of their congregation.
Again, to whom much is given…please do better.