of the senior leaders of
evangelical churches of Ukraine
regarding the activity of Sunday Adelaja and
the
negative impact it has had on Ukrainian Christianity
“…and
have tested those who say they are apostles,
and are not and have found them
liars…”
( Revelation 2:2, Bible, NKJ)
On December, 16th, 2008 a
meeting of the senior ministers of evangelical churches of Ukraine with the
senior pastor of the “God’s Embassy” religious community Sunday Adelaja took
place in Kyiv, Ukraine. The purpose of the meeting was to lay claims and to pose
the questions exciting within the churches and the public of Ukraine as well as
to confront S.Adelaja about his actions and statements which do not correspond
with the Holy Scriptures. In the course of the discussion S.Adelaja acknowledged
many of his mistakes, asked for forgiveness, promised to repent publicly and
also promised to subordinate to the evangelical position expressed at the
meeting with the leaders of evangelical churches of Ukraine. From our side we,
as senior leaders of evangelical churches, expected pastor Sunday Adelaja to
consequently undertake definite actions in the fulfillment of the promised
corrections.
To our deep regret, no actions which could be qualified as
“worthy fruits of repentance” have been undertaken by S.Adelaja since the time
of the meeting. On the contrary, such reports as “Sunday Adelaja thanked leaders
of evangelical churches for support”, or “It is unfair to give the one-sided
report, said pastor Sunday Adelaja “, or ” An official address of pastor Sunday
Adelaja to all protestant believers” appeared on the “God’s Embassy’s” web-site.
This makes it clear that pastor Sunday resorted to manipulations, untrue
statements and self-justification.
We have taken into consideration the
appeals for the help and council of many people from among the members of the
“God’s Embassy” religious community who suffered from the activity of “King's
Capital” financial company. Testimonies of these people, the close analysis of
the facts, reaction to reproof of the bishops of evangelical churches of Ukraine
(dated December, 16th, 2008) – all of these point out that pastor Sunday Adelaja
is an inspirer and a spiritual protector of the above mentioned financial
structures which finally led to deplorable spiritual and material condition of
many people, and even to the point of loss of their accommodation and own
habitation. The given activity has become the cause for some mass-media to
identify Sunday Adelaja with all Christian evangelical
churches.
Previously leaders of various Christian evangelical churches
repeatedly admonished and warned S.Adelaja, but have been ignored.
In
view of the above-stated and based on the Holy Bible (Is. 56:10-11;
Is.57:17,20-21; Ezek. 34:1-11; Mat. 6:24; 18:17; 1st Peter 5:1-3; 1st Tim 5:20;
6:5-11) WE ANNOUNCE:
• We radically dissociate ourselves from Sunday
Adelaja and his activity.
• We condemn:
— Aspirations to create a cult
of personality;
— Methods and the activity, based on self-advertisement,
exaggeration of personal merits and on lie;
— The false doctrine of
prosperity, the sin of love of money;
— Practice to curse the church members
and parishioners who disagree with his opinion.
• We ascertain:
—
Sunday Adelaja is the inspirer and the spiritual patron of the para-church
financial structures («King's Capital» and other);
— Sunday Adelaja evaded
from the pure evangelical doctrine and is currently in spiritual seduction and
error.
• We address:
— All the church leaders to abstain from
brotherly fellowship with Sunday Adelaja;
— To pray for spiritual healing of
members of the “God’s Embassy” religious community;
— To pray for those who
suffered from the activity of the “King's Capital” financial company;
— The
Board of the “God’s Embassy Church to discharge Sunday Adelaja and to compel him
to leave the ministry for the improvement of the spiritual the church.
•
We suggest Sunday Adelaja to sincerely repent in his words and deeds and we do
believe that only a true repentance gives freedom and cleanses from all sins and
delusions.
(Holy Bible, Revelation 3:18-19: “I counsel you to buy from me
gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments, that you may
be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your
eyes with eye salve that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and Chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent”.)
The Official Statement was signed
by:
Bishop Mikhail Panochko – President of the All-Ukrainian Church Union
of Evangelical Faith Christians – Pentecostal;
Bishop Leonid Padun – Leader
of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church;
Assistant Bishop Anatoly
Gluhovsky – Union of the Free Churches of the Evangelical Faith Christians of
Ukraine;
Bishop Philip Savochka – Leader of the “Salvation” Christian
Evangelical Church;
Bishop Valery Reshetinskiy – Leader of the Union of
Christian of Evangelical Faith “Ukrainian Missionary Сhurch”;
Bishop Anatoliy
Gavriluk – President of the Union of Independent Christian Charismatic Churches
of Ukraine (Full Gospel);
Bishop Anatoliy Kalyuzhniy – Leader of Independent
Evangelical Churches of Ukraine Union;
Pastor Boris Grisenko – Kyiv Messianic
Congregation;
Pastor Peter Kovalenko – Senior Pastor of Kharkiv Christian
Church.
Kyiv, December 29,
2008