The Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria has distanced itself from a viral video depicting an unusual bishop ordination, describing the act as “vexatious and despicable before God and man.”
The leadership of the church in a statement on Monday clarified that none of the individuals in the video are members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria.
The church expressed its dismay over the use of its founder’s name and its symbols in the controversial video.
The fold revealed that its investigations identified the lead character performing the ordination as one His Eminence Baba Aladura Alfred Oluwasegun Okikiola Ogunnusi (LAHOJAH).
The anointed bishop in the video was also said to have been identified as a man known as Benjamin a.k.a. Ajigbo, reportedly an Edo State-born self-acclaimed prophet operating a makeshift church in Adamo, Ikorodu, Lagos State while the ceremony was said to have taken place in the Ogijo area of Ogun State.
The church, however condemned the perceived idolatrous practices in the video, emphasizing that it strictly adheres to biblical doctrines.
READ FULL STATEMENT
VEXATIOUS ANOINTING OF A BISHOP BY A SELF-ACCLAIMED CHURCH ELDER: OUR VIEW*
The attention of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria has been drawn to a video circulating on social media which content has sent shock waves among followers of Christ in Nigeria and in the entire global community.
The video in question depicts a horrific scene where the actors, who purport to be followers of Christ, apparently while performing the ordination of a ‘Bishop’, displayed an act despicable before God and man.
The Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria (the umbrella body for all sons and daughters of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase) would not have dignified these characters with a word of reaction, but for the audible mention of the name of the founder of our church and the visible display of symbols associated with our church in the video.
Though the lead character in the video has since ‘clarified’ his abominable action in another video also now circulating on social media, It may interest people to note that all the characters in the viral video are NOT known members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, which regulates all acts and conducts of member churches in the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation.
Upon investigation, we gathered that the lead character (who was anointing a ‘Bishop’) in the video calls himself in his latest video message as His Eminence Baba Aladura Alfred Oluwasegun Okikiola Ogunnusi (LAHOJAH).
We also gathered that the purported anointing was conducted somewhere at Ogijo area of Ogun State and the man being anointed is identified as Benjamin a.k.a. Ajigbo (who is said to be an Edo State-born self-acclaimed prophet) and who has a makeshift ‘church’ at Adamo area of Ikorodu, in Lagos State.
In defence of his vexatious ‘ordination’, the man Ogunnusi quoted Genesis 48:10 – “Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.” The anointer likened himself to Israel who was said to be advanced in age and could hardly see clearly before he kissed his sons and embraced them. (For sure, the biblical Israel could not have done such an abominable act as was seen in the viral video while ‘kissing’ his children.
For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of people that are not members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, our church strictly abhors idolatry practices which was flagrantly on display in the video.
First and foremost, it is sad that people misconstrue anyone in white clothing for members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church. There are other, albeit reputable, Christian denominations whose members are clad in white garments such as ours. Our church has always highlighted this fact that it is easy for anyone to enter into a market place and procure a white clothing material and give it out to a tailor to sow for him or her and hence use that to claim they are members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church organisation. It should be clear to the Christian community worldwide and general public that all recognised members of the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation are known to and recognised by the leadership of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria.
Inversely, it is clear that these characters probably loved to be identified with a white-garmented church such as ours by cladding in such apparel, but they refused to come into the Unification Church fold because they could not shriek themselves of their idolatry practices.
Secondly, the mention of Moses Orimolade Tunolase in the viral video depicts that these characters understood the spiritual prowess of the founder of our church and knew that they could use his name to gain followership from unsuspecting members of the public. So, while we will not stop anyone from calling on the name of our founder to seek the face of God, it is our belief that Moses Orimolade Tunolase’s pedigree would be better appreciated when those calling his name worship God in the beauty of His Holiness. Therefore, the public is urged to understand that, the fact that someone calls on the name of the founder of our church, in no way, makes such person a member of the Church – after all, all non-Jews from across the world call on the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – without having any affinity with the Israelites.
Thirdly, one of the cohorts of the said Lahojah in the video (holding a microphone) adorned a garment with the official logo of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria boldly emboldened in it. We wish to state categorically here that just as is the case with the garments these characters wore, the man with the logo on his garment is neither a Seraph nor was he authorised to put on the official logo of our church by any tier of the body of Christ. These are impostors parading themselves as Seraphs of which they are not.
In the light of the above, the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria wishes to distance itself from these characters seen in that viral video and their despicable act.
We, as a church, strongly abhor idolatry practices which these people displayed in the said video. We reject and condemn their satanic and gayish acts in its entirety.
As a church, we anoint our members with olive oil ONLY and we baptise our members through immersion in WATER and not the other way round. Carrying out this unholy act quoting from the Holy Bible was surely a misappropriation and lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
We urge the general public to disregard these characters as they are NOT Seraphs and their action MUST be collectively condemned squarely.
Signed.
Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria.
