Pastor Enenche, Daddy Freeze & The Great Puzzle Called ‘Organized Religion’ -Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

To be honest, religion today has quite changed from what can be known of it from the Holy Bible and this is not because the words of scripture also had civilized with the passing of time but purely because of humanity’s preferred posture against God. Basically, it looked like nothing’s changed but a closer look easily spotted the difference and this is why I chose to call it ‘ORGANIZED RELIGION’.

For example, the church today no longer laid emphasis of soul winning and soul establishment in the word of God like the early church in scripture tells us rather it is about building cathedrals, buying jets and building businesses in the name of Jesus. Since the dedication of the largest auditorium in the world last November, the senior pastor of Dunamis international Gospel Centre has engaged critics in word-fare on the internet.

One wondered what time he had left to study the Bible in preparation for the next service. On the other hand, Daddy Freeze, who in recent times has emerged as Nigeria’s famous critic of the church and its pastors, have found for himself another victim – although one that can call down the fire of Elijah on any enemy – to assault. The bone of contention seems to be why such monies were channeled on structure while hunger ravaged members of the church.

If you recall scriptures, a certain Judas Iscariot asked the same question and was given an answer that remained valuable today. Before we go on to point out loopholes in what has been done, it is important that we discovered the real reasons why the church was proving their own version of faith in a different way from what obtained in the Holy Bible. First, it is necessary to say that the members are the reason why religion is deviating from its true path.

Because of the laziness of members to study the word of God, and because many have handed over these responsibilities to the pastors, they are unable to know and to understand that ‘Christians walked not by sight but by faith.’ The pastors – who are constantly under pressure to prove that the lord was still with the church – move into the building of structures and acquisition of expensive automobiles to prove divine presence.

And when you ask them, they replied ‘Jesus did it’. Yes it is good to build a befitting place for worship but what is not scripturally correct was doing so in order to show sign. Recall that Jesus of Nazareth was once asked for a sign by the unbelieving people and in response; He told them that there shall be no sign shown this wicked generation except the sign of Jonas. Jesus never forced the woman who washed his feet with an expensive perfume.

This is why he gave the response to Judas. But from the statements of Pastor Enenche, it is clear that the urge to show sign is the driving motive for whatever was accomplished in the Dome cathedral. I believe this because when you did a thing to show gratitude to God, you don’t lash at critics instead your responsibility is to carry them through scriptures; pointing in the process factors that motivated you to do what you did.

Some critics criticize because they needed to know more and although others did so for the sake of it. When Jesus was asked by John the Baptist’s disciples to prove he was the Messiah; He simply had his works to show prove but capped it by a strange statement that told us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. If the church thinks that it can satisfy the world by showing signs, it is really in for a big trouble ahead.

A certain church once built a big auditorium but it soon became obsolete in the minds of the people. The same church built the first university, the second, the third and I just learnt a fourth one is on; yet the world has remained in their faithlessness. Now, this same church has begun to openly ‘boast’ that they accomplished all those without borrowing a dime or sharing from any booty from government. That does not seem to be the way of the cross of Jesus of Nazareth even though it is called ‘boasting in the Lord’.

No one can come to God because of a pastor’s boast or accomplishment. Jesus said that no one can come to him except he be drawn by God. It is time the church came out of the thinking that wealth or material acquisition can make the gentiles (world) to come to their light. By the way, light means the word of God correctly interpreted. This means that the world will come to the word and not to structures.

Let me ask: how many colts did Jesus have in his ministry on earth as sign that he was of God? Yet, men surrendered to God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the motive for erecting the Dome remain the responsibility of Pastor Enenche to tell. What is not in line with scriptures is carrying on as if every Christian was as matured as the pastor. Apostle Paul has said that when you eat with the gentiles normally but find that it affected the faith of your brethren; you stop.

For instance, many have begun to question why the church despite armed with pure knowledge yet chose to organize self in much the same manner as governments of the secular world. Organized inequality was rife. Rich pastors versus poor members as found in the world has come to be the model fondly adopted by the church. Why would not the church come under attack every now and then; even under more severe attacks than the most kleptomaniac regimes in the world system?

Organized religion or the early church; which do you prefer to identify with? Organized religion is indeed a great puzzle because while people’s needs are hardly met, the needs of the pastors are no doubt attended to and which is why some have become ‘billionaires without a bank account’; yet the unattended flocks still follow behind their pastors sheepishly.

Not doubt, they bridge a very important gap and which is why I discourage any form of criticism but then humanity is humanity; you can’t fool all the people all the time. The dedication of the Dome Cathedral is a welcome development and a great sign that the church in Nigeria is marching on.

However 2 things remained unattended to: One, the need for pastors to be guarded in their utterances for the sake of the weak in faith. Two, the need for an egalitarian church as the early church once was. We are the light of the world and so the world was waiting to adopt our model and not the other way around!

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is an advocate for attitudinal change, a researcher and authored (THE ORIGIN OF IGBO MARGINALIZATION IN NIGERIA). 08062577718.