Strict church hit by scandal

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Aug. 15, 2002
http://www.inboxrobot.com/news.php3?fid=14774296
By Georgia East
Staff Writer

HOLLYWOOD· It’s a small church whose 40 mostly Nigerian members abide by a strict interpretation of the Bible.

Yet despite their stringent rules, the members of Celestial Church of Christ, St. Peter’s Parish, are finding themselves embroiled in a nasty controversy.

Former pastor Emmanuel Ayoola, demoted after allegations surfaced that he was having extramarital affairs with female congregants, has filed suit against several senior church members alleging they illegally changed corporate documents to gain control of the church’s finances.

The suit, recently filed in Broward County Circuit Court, also names Washington Mutual Bank as a defendant.

Ayoola claims he is still the shepherd of the church in Carver Ranches. However, members say a vote was taken on April 7 to remove Ayoola because they felt his conduct reflected poorly on the church.

Lasa George, a senior evangelist who is now acting as the interim church shepherd, said allegations of sexual misconduct by Ayoola had first surfaced last year.
[...]

The pastor was told to take a few weeks off. “After the first episode, I was his No. 1 supporter. We told him it was a sickness,” said George.

Ayoola went on a retreat and returned, but church members say the conduct continued. The final straw, said church secretary Isaac Salvador, came when two women argued outside the church doors, each staking claim to the married pastor.

“After you do this so many times, you’re not giving the church the credibility it holds,” said George.
[...]

Founded in 1942, the Celestial Church of Christ is one of Nigeria’s oldest Pentecostal churches, a blend of Christian beliefs and west Nigerian traditions. It claims to have 6 million followers worldwide.

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