Recently, news of bitterness and unhealthy rivalry had been coming from the strongest and the most formidable faction of the Church, the Might Ketu.

This is one faction which has a formidable structure but it's​ sad to hear members of this faction bringing up court cases against each other. If a faction as big as Ketu can become frationized, then there is need for members who are deeply concerned about the division in the Church to be worried.

Let it be noted, that I am completely non-partisan, so it should be noted that my interest in this subject do not have any ulterior motive, but the concern of a pragmatic member who is deeply pained about the continued division in the Church.

Consequently, the best quote I had come to appreciate and coin all by myself is, a friend is someone who says you are stupid when you are really stupid, not someone who would see one's stupidity and call it wisdom.

Therefore, I am putting down this piece as a friend and brother to all Celestians, who love this Church. If we want to be totally truthful to ourselves, we would come to agree that our Church is becoming more like a political party rather than a Church.

The scheming and shenanigans common among politicians are making waves in our Church. It seems we have forgotten that we are a Christian society not a political party. We all know that politics is dirty, should such dirtiness be found among Christians.

Let me be clear, it is good for Christians to disagree among each other, but it is unchristian like to make it dirty. Rather than Celestians to be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, but rather we have become enemies over simple issues which we should settle amicably.

The issue of pastoral tussle had dragged on for more than 30 years, yet most of us aren't seeing that this is disgraceful and doesn't speak well of us as Christians.

Instead of ordinary members not to take sides and put necessary pressure on our leaders to sincerely work on unifying the Church, we are the fuel that is igniting the fire of discord.
We support our fathers in the Lord with our speeches and actions which have the semblance of that of political thugs.

Therefore, we should ask is the recent court case a matter of rebellion​ or revolution? As a keen observer​ of the recent issue happening in our Church, I have come to understand that the answer to the question above depend more to the divide the individuals answering the question belong to.

Those who are staunch supporters of Ketu and Ketu itself, believes the issue is about a set of disgruntled members who are rebellious to the leadership of their Pastor. While those who are currently​ dissatisfied with Ketu see themselves as revolutionaries who want to correct the negative issues they believe are being practiced by Ketu.

Personally​, I see the recent court cases​ as neither a rebellion nor a revolution, but a call for leaders in the Church to critically see the need to address issues before they go out of hand.

As a Church we must begin to understand that dissenting voices are good for the growth of the Church. When there are free thinkers in the Church, there would be various choice of opinions to pick from that would benefit the Church greatly.

This is the cause of the recent court cases and those instituted in the past against leaders of the Church. When we keep suppressing the opinions of members, by seeing them as the thoughts of rebels rather than those of dutiful stakeholders, we are calling for trouble.

Consquently, at 70, Celestians need to mount pressure on our leaders to put away those attitudes​ that make our Church more like a political party. The best way to do this is to become non partisan. We must respect our leaders, but make it known to​ them that we are tried of the continuous and disgraceful lack of peace in our Church. We are Christians not Politicians.

Anjuwon Oluwole is the lead publisher of Celestial Church Blog.
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