FOLLOWING the death of the popular evangelist, Prophet T.O. Obadare, the President of the Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Abraham Akinsoun, has admitted that the late evangelist took steps to correct whatever mistakes he realised he had made that led to the lingering crisis in the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).
It will be recalled that the Christ Apostolic Church has been enmeshed in a leadership tussle which has lasted for over 20 years. The crisis led to the splitting up of the church with the emergence of different factions.
Akinosun made this known in his reaction on the death of the popular evangelist made available on the denomination’s website. While eulogizing Obadare, he stated that unknown to many, the late Obadare had taken steps of reconciliation with the mainstream CAC family.
According to him, “unknown to many who were conversant with the crisis in the Christ Apostolic Church, Prophet Obadare, towards the end of his life, had taken steps to correct whatever mistakes he realized he made that led to the crisis.
“I have to state this openly that Prophet Obadare had openly castigated litigation-mongers among the church’s ministers to withdraw all cases in court, saying he was no longer in conflict with the leadership of the church. When they refused to budge, he had distanced himself from them.
“Furthermore, Prophet Obadare had reconciled with the mainstream of Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide. But because of the parlous state of his health, he couldn’t effectively push it through before his death.”
Akinosun further revealed that Obadare had sent emissaries to the leadership of the mainstream of CAC to effect reconciliation and end the over 20-yr-old crisis. “All the steps this man of God had taken led me to be optimistic that our Baba would be there when we celebrate the imminent reconciliation of all factions of the Church. You can now understand my regret at the news of his passing into glory,” Akinosun stated.
When Sunday Tribune visited his church in Ilesa, in Osun State, on Saturday, the atmosphere was calm as people wore pensive look, mourning the death of the cleric. At his residence, located around Bolorunduro area, opposite Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Mount of Redemption WOSEM Revival Centre, the same dull mood pervaded the air.
Biological sons of the late cleric were not around to speak to our correspondent, but Mrs Christiana Adenuga, wife of the pastor-in-charge of WOSEM, Bolorunduro Ilesa, Osun State, opposite Obadare’s house, shared her thought on Obadare.
According to her, “Baba Obadare was well known prophet of God throughout the world and God used him for long years, he helped Nigeria and with some other countries in various areas like healing, deliverance among others. Indeed, he was a hero in Nigeria”.
On the successor of Obadare at WOSEM, she disclosed that before his death, he did not name his successor, stressing that “according to someone who was with Baba before his last breath, he did not handover to anybody. So, the governing body will decide on who will take over Baba’s ministry.”
At Obadare’s church headquarters, Christ Apostolic Church, CAC WOSEM Revival Centre, Oke-Agbara, Ilesa District, Pastor Joshua Olubunmi Owoseni, who is also Assistant General Evangelist (AGE,) bared his mind on the life and times of Prophet Obadare.
Olubunmi emphasised that “Obadare fully used his life to serve God without rest and limitation. Sometime, Obadare would go to villages with lanterns, torchlights preaching the gospel while you would see some pastors, restricting their activities to big cities like Lagos, Abuja and others.
“Baba wished everybody could know Christ before he comes and Obadare did not believe that he would die before Jesus Christ will come; he wanted Jesus Christ to come before he would die and for everybody to see him.
“Obadare didn’t say that someone will replace him; it is only God that will choose another person like him for WOSEM. Whatever God says is what we are going to do; we can’t choose for God. So when we finish the conference and some other programmes, the Governing Council will sit and pray over who will be working as he was doing before”, he stated.
On the burial arrangements, Olubunmi said details of the programme would be made known by Obadare’s children when they returned from overseas.
Contrary to speculation, he hinted that the late evangelist did not die in the hospital, but gave up the ghost in his house in Akure, where other pastors were praying for him. They only took him to the hospital for confirmation.
Source: Tribune
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