GUIDELINES rolled out by the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for reopening of worship centres have been criticized and rejected by Pastor of the Household of God Church, Reverend Chris Okotie.
The measures, according to the governor, is meant to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic as recommended by the health experts.
Okotie in a statement released in Lagos, on Friday, described the guidelines as an ‘abomination of desolation’, and vowed that his church will not open until the guidelines are withdrawn.
Amongst the rules are the directives which prohibit elderly people above 65 years and children below the age of 15 from attendance. Similarly, attendance of worshippers was restricted to a maximum of 500 with specified spacing in sitting arrangements during services alongside strict use of temperature checks, hand sanitizers and others.
“Our doors will remain closed until these profanation and secularization have been pulverized by the Emperor of heaven”, Okojie stated.
However, Rev Okotie, who had last Monday in a widely published statement lashed out at CAN for proposing similar guidelines, said government cannot reorder worship in the house of God.
“Beloved, yesterday, the abomination of desolation took a giant step towards standing in the holy place.
“To reorder temple worship is to deny God the divine prerogative of congregational adoration and the holy genuflects of the saints in light.
“Let no man’s heart be troubled by the vengeance of satanic antagonism. Dagon the god of the philistines fell in obeisance before the Ark of God.
“Coronavirus, the god of Secular Humanism will be decapitated in like manner. Our doors will remain closed until these profanation and secularization have been pulverized by the Emperor of heaven. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be. To thy tents O Israel”, he said.