Just right after a particular Sunday Service, a young Celestian couple with two kids were given a free ride by an elderly Celestian, who they met while walking along a busy road in Ibadan, one of Nigeria's South Western city.
During the course of the journey, the issue of which faction the couple belong to came up. The young innocent couple politely replied that they belong to a faction different from that of the Celestian who gave them a lift.
Immediately, the car was halted and the Celestian demanded that the young couple and their children alight from the car, despite not reaching their preferred destination.
Another ugly incident showed it face, when some members of a particular Parish took posters and handbills of an upcoming event to another Parish.
These Celestians got the shocker of their lives as the handbills and posters were torn to pieces before them, by the Shepherd.
The handbills and posters were torn by the Shepherd of the parish they visited, because he saw that the name on the handbills and posters doesn't reflect the 'Pastor' his Parish supports.
Another incident happened when some group of Celestians were rejoicing over the demolition of a Parish because it belongs to a claimant of the Pastoral seat.
If the above cases are not enough, Celestians are now been told to leave the Church because they belong to particular faction or are Non-Partisan. We have heard members saying publicly that they hate those from other fractions.
All the above cases aren't fictions and often we are beginning to hear and read other sad narrations of elements of hatred served to Celestians by fellow Celestians. This is totally unacceptable.
Our Church is built on love and loving others is the bastion of Christianity, as Christ said in Mark Chapter 12 versus 31.
As Christians, members of Celestial Church of Christ must truly stand by the tenets of loving each other irrespective of the backdrop of the factions they belong to.
To those especially ordinary members, who are sowing the seeds of hate and discord, we just want to tell them that they are walking on a path of destruction.
To the Church elders, especially the claimants of the Pastoral seat and the numerous clergy and laity which support them, we only hope they rise up to the occassion of bringing the Church back as one. This negative trend must not continue. It has to stop.
Dear Celestians, we are to love and accommodate any Celestian irrespective of the faction he or she belongs to. We are one. Hate must not be found in our midst.
During the course of the journey, the issue of which faction the couple belong to came up. The young innocent couple politely replied that they belong to a faction different from that of the Celestian who gave them a lift.
Immediately, the car was halted and the Celestian demanded that the young couple and their children alight from the car, despite not reaching their preferred destination.
Another ugly incident showed it face, when some members of a particular Parish took posters and handbills of an upcoming event to another Parish.
These Celestians got the shocker of their lives as the handbills and posters were torn to pieces before them, by the Shepherd.
The handbills and posters were torn by the Shepherd of the parish they visited, because he saw that the name on the handbills and posters doesn't reflect the 'Pastor' his Parish supports.
Another incident happened when some group of Celestians were rejoicing over the demolition of a Parish because it belongs to a claimant of the Pastoral seat.
If the above cases are not enough, Celestians are now been told to leave the Church because they belong to particular faction or are Non-Partisan. We have heard members saying publicly that they hate those from other fractions.
All the above cases aren't fictions and often we are beginning to hear and read other sad narrations of elements of hatred served to Celestians by fellow Celestians. This is totally unacceptable.
Our Church is built on love and loving others is the bastion of Christianity, as Christ said in Mark Chapter 12 versus 31.
As Christians, members of Celestial Church of Christ must truly stand by the tenets of loving each other irrespective of the backdrop of the factions they belong to.
To those especially ordinary members, who are sowing the seeds of hate and discord, we just want to tell them that they are walking on a path of destruction.
To the Church elders, especially the claimants of the Pastoral seat and the numerous clergy and laity which support them, we only hope they rise up to the occassion of bringing the Church back as one. This negative trend must not continue. It has to stop.
Dear Celestians, we are to love and accommodate any Celestian irrespective of the faction he or she belongs to. We are one. Hate must not be found in our midst.
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