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One of Nigeria’s leading Pentecostal ministries – Believers’ Loveworld, better known as Christ Embassy – has been thrown into disarray as its vice-president and wife of founder, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has filed for a divorce in a London court.
According to TheCable which got the exclusive, Pastor Anita is seeking divorce on the grounds of “unreasonable behaviour” and “adultery”. She also outlined several allegations against the pastor which cannot be published for legal reasons.
You recall that sometime in May, 2014, some church members had launched a Facebook campaign, asking: “Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome?” According to them, Pastor Chris and Rev. Anita were going through big issues and there were divorce insinuations. That their page was a call to prayer for all believers who understand God’s heart concerning marriage and a call to action for Pst. Chris. to do what he preaches. Officials of the church had quickly moved to deny any rift between the pastor couple.
Unfortunately, it turns out the efforts to reconcile the popular couple, whose church is one of the biggest denominations in Nigeria and has branches all over world, have failed.
The divorce case, with Suit No FD14D01650, was filed on April 9, 2014 at Divorce Section A,
Central Family Court, First Avenue House, High Holborn, London, United Kingdom (UK), on behalf of Pastor Anita by Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.
Pastor Chris, according to an elder of the church, has denied the allegations of adultery and believes his wife is being influenced by “bad friends” who are intent on destroying their home. While Anita believes she has been relegated in the scheme of things in the church, her husband has reportedly accused her of trying to usurp power and authority above her seniors in the ministry.
Sources told TheCable that the pastor had been making efforts to avoid divorce in the hope that the wife would eventually have a change of mind. However, the decree nissi was served on the charismatic pastor in his hotel room during a recent visit to the UK. Decree nissi, in legal terms, is like a yellow card in a football match which is a precursor to a red card (“decree absolute”) if no new evidence is provided to stall proceedings.
Church insiders said Oyakhilome had been hoping for rapprochement, but he was left with no option than to receive the papers when the lawyers cornered him at his hotel in London. The decree absolute, which will effectively end the marriage, is expected to be issued soon while terms of the divorce will be worked out by the lawyers on both sides.
TheCable learnt Anita recently wanted to go public with the details of her allegations against the husband but reached an informal agreement to sheathe her sword in the interest of the church.
Oyakhilome is regarded as one of the richest and most influential pastors in Nigeria, and co-authors the fast-selling Christian daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities, with the wife. However, following the strain in the marriage, the wife had been complaining to friends that her husband had stopped the payment of royalties due her from the devotional.
“She complained of being deliberately starved of funds, perhaps to bring her to her knees in the belief that she would eventually return to her matrimonial home and mend things,” a church member told TheCable in the UK.
A wealthy Zimbabwean businessman, who is into telecoms, is one of the biggest financiers of the London branch of the church which Anita pastors along with other branches in Europe. When the crisis got to a head, the Zimbabwean stopped funding the church ─ some said in solidarity with Oyakhilome, his close friend and neighbour in Johannesburg, South Africa.
However, Oyakhilome was said to have been shocked when the wife announced at a fundraiser that she was sowing a “seed” (donation) of $1 million ─ despite her assumed lack of access to funds.
Matters got to a head on Sunday, July 13, 2014, when some relatives of Anita locked up the London branch of the church to protest against the “humiliation” being meted out to their sister ─ who had not overseen services at the branch since November 2013.
Pastor Chris & Pastor Anita have two teenage daughters together, Sharon and Charlyn.
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