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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa.
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has condemned the commercialization of religion at the expense of the true gospel of Jesus Christ which focuses on righteousness and salvation of souls for eternity.
The Deputy Governor expressed his displeasure when the Bayelsa District Coordinating Council of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) visited him at his office in Government House, Yenagoa, at the weekend.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who attributed the proliferation of churches mainly to the pursuit for pecuniary benefits, noted that the country had lost count of Christian organizations, particularly Pentecostal churches springing up everywhere with some of them adding no value to the Faith.
According to him, the pulpit of today is laying too much emphasis on prosperity gospel at the expense of salvation, thereby leading their members away from the real essence of Christianity to pursue materialism.
Describing the Christ Apostolic Church as one of the pioneer native pentecostal ministries with a good track record in Nigeria, he, however, advised all genuine ministers of the Gospel to focus on Christ and make Him the centre of their messages.
In response to an appeal to support the ongoing CAC Church building project at the state headquarters, the Deputy Governor promised to assist the church within the limit of available resources.
His words: “When we were growing up, the only Pentecostal church we knew then was the Christ Apostolic Church. But today, because of what is called the commercialization of religion, the Pentecostal churches are so many.
”But those whom God has genuinely called into the ministry must focus on the message: Christ is not a message of prosperity, but a message of salvation. So when the pulpit begins to degenerate into the prosperity gospel, it is only leading people away from Christianity and leading them to materialism at the expense of their salvation.
”The message of the Church must be anchored on ‘seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you’ and not the other way round.
”If the apostles, and the disciples and the missionaries who first received the gospel delivered it just the way it is being delivered now, none of us would be where we are today.
”I want to encourage you, despite the huge financial burden on you, because there is no project that doesn’t have an end. Whatever be the case, we should be able to focus, and I believe that we will see what we can do to associate with you.”
Earlier, the State Overseer of the Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Stephen Okachukwu, appealed to the State Government to support the CAC in the building of its Cathedral at the district headquarters in Yenagoa.
Pastor Okachukwu, who recalled a number of instances when the Deputy Governor supported the CAC in the past, applauded the present administration for the giant strides made in human and infrastructural development, as well as maintenance of peace and security through calculated investments in the security architecture of the state.
