The Chairman of Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Yakubu Pam and President of International Church Growth Ministry have denounced the act of rape and were undivided in their decision for the accused Founder and senior pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, COZA, Biodun Fatoyinbo, to step down and admit for thorough investigation of the rape allegations.
The Chairman, and leading Church Growth authority, Dr. Francis Akin-John, reasoned that any man of God who cannot restrain his sexual urge should have nothing to do near a pulpit. Pam held forth that the position of a pastor as a rule was a very delicate position, adding that for anybody to have degraded himself to do such horrible thing was condemnable. He stated: “It’s not the kind of thing ears are supposed to hear of ordinary church members, let alone a pastor. I think it is high time for Christian Association of Nigeria to mandate the bloc leaders to start scrutinizing candidates to be accepted as pastors.
He also said that: “There should be a means of ascertaining those to be admitted as pastors in this country, because some of these pastors who come in through the back door are giving the church a bad name. ‘’It’s only in Nigeria that the church is well united through CAN and I believe if care is not taken about how we recruit our followers, especially our clergy men, and frown at certain things happening around the church, then we will begin to loose our ground gradually from the society.”
According to Dr Francis, what has occurred now is a distress call for all Christian leaders in the country to sort out their houses in order. He added that as the immediate supervisor of the embattled cleric, Northern CAN would without hesitation set up a committee to look into and ascertain where he is from and find out from his local government of origin to know about his background before taking any action. He also promised to reach out to the victim and her family members and placate them, mentioning that there was very little the church could do now beyond making peace with the aggrieved victim and her family members.
