By Archibong Jeremiah
Dr. Lawrence Ekwok, Chairman Cross River State branch of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CRS-PFN) has revealed that out of over a thousand Pentecostal Churches in Cross River State, not more than two hundred are members of CRS-PFN.
The Cross River PFN Boss made the revelation while fielding questions from CrossRiverWatch on alleged involvement of its members in ungodly activities such as ritual killing, child witch branding and exorcism.
His words: “Under normal circumstance, anyone running a Pentecostal Church should be part of PFN but because a number of them know the things they’re doing is not right and they know if they come to PFN we will investigate and expose them, that is why they don’t belong to PFN but they give the impression that they pastor pentecostal churches.
“But in reality most of them are herbalist homes, ritualists, occultists, juju men, so they just use a name of a Church to lure people to attend but they are not doing what is right. Some of them have tried to come, once we started announcing screening they took off but Pastor’ Anthony Obo of God’s Commandment Ministry is not a member of PFN and has never been. In Cross River here, plus minus, you will agree with me that there are over a thousand pentecostal churches but not more than two hundred are registered with PFN.” He maintained.
Dr. Lawrence went on to reiterate that, “We do not harbor Ministers with questionable character and we do that by having a screening committee to ensure we operate within the doctrine of the Bible. How you become member is you are issued a form, interviewed and screened. The screening has stages; the Committee interviews you, conduct investigation on your claims to be sure they are correct and align with the tenet of Faith after which you can be a member.”
Adding that, “The man I hear he was a commercial cyclist until they were stopped he went and opened the Church, many are going into church business for stomach infrastructure sake.”
On child witch branding and exorcism, the Christ for the World Mission Church Pastor held that, “PFN believes witches and wizard exist but casting away is by prayer and by word of mouth not by inflicting bodily injuries or by the use of weapon, we believe in deliverance but not through torture and stress, we saw how Christ did.”
Concluding he urged all to continue to expose those who hide under the name of the church to do something else.