Anita Odegwa Oyakhilome and Chris Oyakhilome, flamboyant pastor and founder of Christ Embassy Church have now finally gone their separate ways, with a seal of a Family court in the United Kingdom.
The court in High Holborn, London, granted Anita’s divorce wishes based on the unreasonable behaviour and marital infidelity of her former husband, Chris. The divorce was granted 8 February.
Anita’s lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, announced the break up on their website thus:
“We have been requested by Anita Oyakhilome to confirm that on the 8th February 2016 a decree absolute was pronounced in the High Court of Justice Principal Registry of the Family Division dissolving her marriage to Christian Onehirokpeana Oyakhilome.
“Anita Oyakhilome would like to confirm that she is no longer involved in or part of Christ Embassy AKA Believers Loveworld inc.”Anita’s divorce statement.The divorce was filed by Anita on 9 April 2014 on the grounds of “adultery” and “unreasonable behaviours”. The case was marked No FD14D01650.After months of keeping the matter out of public domain, a Nigerian online medium, The Cable, brought it back to public consciousness on 29 August. The medium said, apart from “adultery” and “unreasonable behaviours,” Anita cited as grounds for seeking to end her marriage to Oyakhilome, other allegations in the divorce suit are too damning to be reported without inviting the services of lawyers.The embarrassed church reacted two days after by deleting Anita’s pictures and personal information from its official website,www.christembassy.org. Anita was supposed to be the Vice-president of the church.Signs that all was not well between Chris and Anita emerged in May 2014. In a post on a Facebook account opened by Anita’s supporters with title, ‘Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome?’, Oyakhilome was quoted as saying that his marriage was hitting the rocks and the end was imminent. The post purported to be the summary of Pastor Chris’ speech with United Kingdom-based pastors and deacons of Christ Embassy at the Bermondsey branch of the church on 16 May stated that, “I am here for your concerns about the ongoing domestic issue with my wife and I know it affects you directly, being the ones under her leadership.”He allegedly asked the pastors not disposed to the developments in the church to quit.
He was quoted as saying, “You don’t join a woman to fight her husband. Bitterness is prolonged and accumulated anger. My wife is always angry and bitter. Some pastors’ wives think when they marry a pastor, they are equal to the pastor. My wife thinks so. As a matter of fact, Rev. Tom was her pastor before I married her and Rev. Ray and Evang. Owase were her leaders long before I married her. How come she thinks she’s senior to them now? I already started Christ Embassy before I married her. I didn’t marry her and said we should start Christ Embassy. I was already ‘pastoring.’ I already set my sail and knew my direction before I married her. I only said ‘come and help me. Be careful of the friends you keep. My wife keeps friends who bring out the worst in her and help her see the worst in people, instead of keeping friends that will help her vision, especially as the wife of a global pastor like me.”
The couple’s marriage, two decades ago, produced two teenage daughters, Sharon and Charlyn.
The President of Loveworld Ministry, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has donated a whopping sum of N1 billion to the Benson Idahosa University, as part of his support to the institution, which he described as one of the legacies of his mentor and role-model, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa.
Pastor Oyakhilome and Anita, Pastor of Christ Embassy
Oyakhilome made the donation, even as the university yesterday conferred on him a honourary Doctor of Divinity, during which he made the donation to facilitate the Faculty of Engineering project in the campus in Benin city, Edo State.
Oyakhilome said his contribution to the varsity is borne of out his passion to contribute meaningfully to the development of lives, noting that the founder of the institution, late Archbishop Idahosa, positively influenced his life and ministry as a youth.
According to him, the television ministry of the late Archbishop Idahosa, popularly known as Idahosa World Outreach (IWO- Television), was the first of its kind in the country, noting that it helped to liberate lost souls and assisted Christians in the world to accept Christ.
“The Archbishop Benson Idahosa was one of the most remarkable and inspiring personality of the 20th Century. It is a fact of life that those who did not have the privilege to get to meet him are blessed to meet him through many of us. The impact of the Archbishop on me as an individual is unquantifiable.
“Many times, people would ask me why I talk about the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa more than anybody. It will surprise you to know that as a young man, I was working with the Archbishop in the mail room in the Church of God Mission in Benin City. I was blessed to have worked with the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. While working with him, I had the blessing and benefit of seeing the Archbishop passed by my table everyday to his office,” he said.
The Chancellor of the institution, Archbishop Margaret Idahosa, described Oyakhilome as a spiritual son of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, noting that the decision to honour Iyakhilome was in recognition of his contribution to building and saving lives through his ministry.
The founder of the Believers Loveworld Ministries, also known as Christ Embassy, Chris Oyakhilome, on Sunday, enjoined his congregation to refrain from speaking against a man of God. The church also suspended Michelle Okojie, a pastor in Lagos, for her “subversive activities.” The reason for Ms. Okojie’s suspension was not given.
Pastor Oyakhilome and Anita, Pastor of Christ Embassy
At the church’s Sunday service, Mr. Oyakhilome described a man of God – as different from a preacher – as one who had been given a revelation from heaven. “To speak against the man of God is to bring a curse on yourself and your children. When you hear people speaking against a man of God, move away from there.
“Men of God don’t just talk. When they speak, God is forced to move.” Sunday’s service was Mr. Oyakhilome’s first appearance to the Lagos branch since the news of his divorce broke last month, and he meticulously stayed away from discussing the saga.
“This is the first service of this nature and I don’t know what you are expecting, but you will be blessed.
“It’s gonna be a short service but will be loaded,” Mr. Oyakhilome said.
Though he was not physically present at the church’s headquarters in Lagos, he conducted the service via a telecast from the branch in Pretoria, South Africa.
At the beginning of the service, the first moment the two large screens at the altar panned from choir to Mr. Oyakhilome, loud cheers erupted inside the capacity filled church in Lagos. Ushers in dark suits and red ties motioned worshippers to their seats as the congregation sang along with a choir showing on the large screens.
Outside, armed police officers and church security officials ensured that everyone coming into the church’s premises was screened by a metal detector. A sign at the entrance warned worshippers that cameras are not allowed into the church. Two Automated Teller Machines belonging to Parallex Micro Finance bank stood at a corner.
The service began with the launching of the Loveworld News App, a software application platform where the church will be showing its activities from around the world. Mr. Oyakhilome, in a milk-coloured three-piece suit, sat in a panel comprising of three other pastors who took turns to share their experiences on the benefits of the App to church members.
“It makes you aware of the things that are going on in the ministry. It also inspires teenagers and gives them direction in life,” one of the pastors said. “CNN and Fox news are reporting about the war in Ukraine, and then (I got) a breaking news (from the App) that our brethren over there are distributing Rhapsody of Realities. So it is not all gloomy. It was awesome,” another pastor said.
At the end of the pastors’ presentation, Mr. Oyakhilome began his sermon.
Speaking on the topic of the day’s preaching, ‘Children of the Word,’ he cited a plethora of Bible verses to encourage his congregation not to stray from God.
“Sometimes when you are going through challenges in your life, you many not know what steps to take. He says you should take these scriptures as a light shining in the darkness.”
He also used several other Bible passages to explain the difference between a man of God and a preacher as well as spiritually-minded people and carnal-minded people.
“A carnal minded person will say ‘How many times do we give offering? One, two, three, four times. Spirit people don’t think like that. A carnal minded person will come into the church and say ‘This place is hot,’ ‘The A/C is not working,’ ‘The fan is not working.’ A spiritually-minded person will instead say ‘How can I contribute to change this place?’
“Say I refuse to be a carnal person.”
The congregation chorused after him.
Mr. Oyakhilome is also renowned for his healing powers. So just before he rounded up his preaching, he announced a couple of miracle-receivers.
“A young man named Appiah, you are deaf in your right ear. You are healed.” Another lady, named Maggie, suffering from migraine, was told that she had been set free; another unnamed “adult” having an infection creeping towards his spinal cord was also told to receive his healing.
“There is someone who is not far away from me. You’ve had three seizures in the last six weeks. You are healed.
“As you are sitting down, miracles are happening,” he reminded them.” A pastor is suspended
After a list of offerings that included monies for Bible sponsorship, Children/Teens Ministry, Healing School, Reachout Nigeria, partnership with the church, amongst others; it was announced that Michelle Okojie, one of the Lagos pastors, had been suspended from the church.
“It has come to our attention that Pastor Michelle Okojie has been visiting church members in private and slandering the ministry, engaging in subversive activities that are against the scriptures,” read the statement issued by Ray Okocha, the church’s Secretary General.
Citing Bible passages from Romans 16:17-20 and Titus 3:10 wherein Christians were told to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles,” the church warned every member of the congregation to stay away from Ms. Okojie.
“The church is not a social club where you can walk in and walk out at will and live disorderly.
“Pastor Michelle is hereby suspended from the fellowship.
“Avoid her. Do not fellowship with her. Do not try to counsel her or receive counsel from her. All you can do is direct her to her pastor.
“Do not be a partaker of another man’s sin.”
Efforts to ascertain from the church members the real reasons for Ms. Okojie’s suspension were unsuccessful as all the church members approached for comments declined to speak.
But one who spoke over the telephone said that the pastor was suspended for blasphemy.
“She has been suspended for blaspheming against the ministry. But we don’t know exactly why,” said the church member who did not want her name mentioned for faith reasons.
Chris Oyakhilome and his ex-wife Anita“My zonal pastor just told us we should not have communication with her,” the lady added.
Founder of the Believers’ Love World Incorporated, popularly known as Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has urged members of his congregation to pray for his estranged wife, Anita.
Pastor Oyakhilome and Anita, Pastor of Christ Embassy
Breaking his silence on the allegations of adultery reportedly levelled against him by her, he described them as “frivolous charges.”
Oyakhilome also lamented that the media had been writing all sorts of “stupid things” about him and his marriage.
Noting that Jesus Christ was also accused of different allegations during his lifetime, Oyakhilome asked Nigerians to refrain from unfairly criticising him.
He was quoted by an online news portal, TheCable, as saying this while giving a sermon in his church on Sunday.
He said, “You don’t know who a man of God is. I don’t go in that direction. I wasn’t accused of the things you said, nor did I commit those stupid things that you said and I don’t need to go into that level in such discussions. Jesus Christ was accused by many – a lot of frivolous charges. There will always be those who would like for it to be true. But you know, in spite of the accusations against Jesus, it didn’t change who he was. It didn’t change him.
“There are preachers and there are men of God. I am not a preacher; I am a man of God and I go in the way I’m asked to go. It may cause some troubles with individuals but that’s not because I have done something wrong and when it comes to Reverend Anita, what I will say to you is ‘pray for her’.
TheCable added that Oyakhilome, who appeared visibly disturbed during his first few minutes on stage, acknowledged that divorce was unbiblical but suggested he could consider the option should his wife insist on it.
He recalled that Jesus passed through similar travails and eventually overcame. He said that although so many people were making mockery of him, he would remain steadfast and not lose focus.
“Don’t act like those people. If you are married to a man of God, it doesn’t make you automatically mature. You can make mistakes; you can do something that is wrong. But some people expect the wife of a minister to definitely be at the level of that minister and so they may be looked upon and the expectation may be like that, but it’s a positional thing.
“If a man of God is married, it doesn’t automatically mean that the wife of a man of God is therefore a woman of God. That’s not the way it is in the Bible. That’s why you don’t really find the wives of men of God mentioned in the Bible. How many of them? Who was Peter’s wife, did you ever know her name? You never find that out. Who was John’s wife? Did you ever read the name? What about all the other Apostles? How many of their names are written in the Bible. You never find their names.”
“You have to understand something about a man of God. A man of God is not just someone who worships God or preaches God. A man of God is handpicked by God, set on course by God. If you study the scriptures, you will not find one man of God go against God, sinning against God.
“The only things you might find will be a man of God, maybe in two different kinds of ways. Moses, for example; when he struck the rock twice, [he] was provoked by the anger of the people. [It was] not because he wanted to do something against the Lord.
“No man of God does something against the Lord. Are you hearing me? A man of God is set on a course; there is a type of life that he is given. Then you have a young man, a young prophet; he wasn’t named; he was deceived by another man of God and so he went in a direction that God said ‘don’t go’.”
Though not denying the growing divorce scandal surrounding him, the head pastor of Christ Embassy Church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has threatened legal recourse against journalists publishing stories about him and his wife, Anita’s divorce.
Pastor Oyakhilome and Anita, Pastor of Christ Embassy
The pastor, who spoke through his lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), called the accusations of adultery a “false and malicious” attack against him and the church.
“The attention of our client, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, and the church has been drawn to the wave of false, malicious and fabricated stories being published in the print and electronic media about his person, the church and a matrimonial cause between him and his wife,” his attorney stated.
Sharply criticizing the recent coverage of the divorce proceedings, which the statement did not refute, the release claimed that publishers went so far as to fabricate claims that he had committed adultery against his wife, Anita.
These contradict her claims that the leader of Christ Embassy Church had indeed been unfaithful during their “terribly degenerated” marriage, something she disclosed through counsel to Premium Times earlier Wednesday.
Characterizing the media’s coverage of his wife’s efforts to divorce him as “complete distortion of the facts in the pending proceedings in the United Kingdom”, the statement cited the coverage as “selfishly motivated” for political and financial advantage.
Oyakhilome’s counsel further said the media’s coverage was engineered to bring him and the church shame and ridicule, though his wife was the person who aired the allegations against him. Earlier today, Wednesday, Mrs. Oyakhilome even told Premium Times, through counsel, that the marriage had “terribly degenerated”.
The statement also acknowledged freedom of the press, but quite contradictorily cautioned that further action will be taken to safeguard the image of the church and the pastor if coverage continued. “Be warned therefore that unless the concerned media houses desist from further publishing words and stories which are false and damaging of our client’s reputation and the church, we shall, without further recourse to the concerned publishers, promptly embark on appropriate legal machinery with a view to protecting our client’s reputation and that of the church.”
Members of the Christ Embassy are divided over a divorce suit filed against the Senior Pastor of the church, Chris Oyakhilome, by wife, Anita, in a London court.
Pastor Oyakhilome and Anita, Pastor of Christ Embassy
Oyakhilome is the President of the Believers’ Love World Incorporated, the registered name of the Christian ministry, while his wife is the Vice President.
Some members of the church on a Facebook page, ‘Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome,’ which is believed to have been opened by Anita’s fans, expressed differing opinions on the matter.
On Saturday, one of the church members, Ijeoma Olive Ehirim said, “I am a Christ Embassy member. I hate one thing there: How can a pastor be working together with a lady hand in hand, attending meetings and lodging in a hotel for days. My girlfriend travels with our branch pastor annually for PPCF which holds in Lagos. Only God knows.”
Sharing a similar view, Samantha Iwowo, described adultery as one of the grounds for divorce.
Iwowo said, “Pastor Chris Oyakhilome must have been discovered compromising his marital bed business. It is what it is. God says judgement will start from His house. ‘Touch not my anointed’ is God’s instruction regarding all His children, not an individual nicking, scheming, threatening monies off people’s purses and telling them that salvation is tied to tithes and that seed sowing is only money donation to the church/pastor’s coffers. One down, more to roll. Christ be praised.”
In her post, Chinyere Okechukwu-George, claimed to have left the church when she observed some irregularities.
“I and my family left Christ Embassy for our own good after worshiping there for three years plus and seeing all the things going on under the disguise of church. And I can comfortably say that for over a year now, we have had so much peace in our Christian lives. I don’t care how you view my comment but truth must be told.”
Joseph Osagiede, however, responded saying the Oyakhilomes were still together.
He said, “I have been in Christ Embassy for 12 years. All is totally well with thier marriage. All those wishing them to split and also those going about saying nasty things about the church, be careful.”
Faith Ebunoluwa Adetayo also said, “I have been in Christ Embassy since 1990s and I can authoritatively say some things: I have seen the power of God work, demonstrated in healings and many other things. I have seen how that Pastor Chris is less concerned about mistakes we make.
“He believes that these sins of the flesh will disappear, only if we listen to the word of God. Rather than condemning us, he speaks words of encouragement. And for your information, Pastor Anita is still very much in the ministry and she’s with her darling husband.”
Meanwhile, the Christ Embassy has kept mum on the divorce case.
A woman, who picked SUNDAY PUNCH’s call to the Nigerian office of the church on Saturday, said she had no information to give on the matter.
When asked to confirm if the divorce suit was true or not, she simply said, “I have no information to give on the matter.”
When another call was made to the church thorough another number, the respondent, who identified herself as Pastor Christabel, said the church had no information about the case.
“No, we have no information on the matter,” she said.
An online newspaper, The Cable, had reported on Friday that the divorce case, with Suit No FD14D01650, was filed on April 9, 2014 at the Divorce Section A, Central Family Court, First Avenue House, High Holborn, London, the United Kingdom, on Anita’s behalf by Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.
Anita reportedly filed for dissolution of the marriage between her and her pastor husband, which produced two teenage daughters – Sharon and Charlyn – on the grounds of “unreasonable behaviour” and “adultery.
