Former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Evangelist S.O Odeyemi has attributed the decay been witnessed in the church to the belief that the church is a spiritual church therefore clergies do not required any form of education before becoming one.

In the book, “The Theory and Practice of Celestialism,” Odeyemi disclosed that the inability of the pastor/founder to operate in two places at the same time, necessitated the need for an elder (who later transformed to a shepherd) to be in charge of a new group of members (parish). “In those days, when a gifted elder is discovered, he undergoes brief apprenticeship under a more experienced (elder) leader. At the earliest opportunity, the apprentice would be posted to a new parish,” he wrote.







According to the General Youth Coordinator of the Church, the massive increase in the number of parishes resulted to many untrained emergency shepherds. “These did not undergo any form of training. It was a period when many mechanics, drivers, traders, bricklayers etc became shepherds with no formal or informal education in the new profession. That was the beginning of the problem we have in the church today,” Odeyemi said.


The Evangelist mentioned that those who supported the idea of allowing untrained shepherds in the church were of the opinion that “Celestial Church is a spiritual church. Oshoffa, the founder, did not go through any theological school and therefore shepherds needed no form of education. It is the spirit that directs in Celestial Church of Christ, they usually say. This wrong belief is responsible for the decay which we are witnessing today.”


In declaring his support for the training of shepherds, Odeyemi laid emphasis on 2 Timothy 2:1-2, by arguing that as Paul received hidden mystery from Jesus Christ, Paul taught Timothy everything and Paul commanded him to teach everything he received to other faithful men who in turn will teach others.


He further asserted that “the fact that your daddy is a lawyer does not automatically make you, the son, a lawyer. The son must acquire his own law education. It follows therefore that all shepherds must learn everything Christ taught Oshoffa. In fact every member of Celestial Church of Christ must pass through the educational system of Celestial Church of Christ.”









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