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Crisis In Christ Embassy Deepens As Oyakhirome Moves Against Sinach

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

Editor

The crisis of confidence erupting Christ Embassy church has deepened as Chris Oyakhilome tightens the noose against Sinach, a gospel artist.

Pastor Chris Oykhilome is the founder of Christ Embassy, also known as Believers Love World.

Osinachi Egbu, fondly called Sinach had been the anointed daughter of Chris Oyakhilome and a member of the church until recently when her appearance at the church numerous services dropped to zero level.

Information has it that Sinach was groomed in Christ Embassy and given a platform to showcase her talent.

She has enjoyed the love and support of Oyakhilome over the years.

It became obvious that the relationship between the two is not as solid as it used to be when a few years ago Sinach attended the annual interdenominational programme, The Experience, which is usually organised by the founder of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin.

Her attendance enhance insinuation that she had switched church and become a member of Adefarasin’s led church.

Beyond that, signs that the relationship has broken down irretrievably emerged when Sinach’s ministry grew in leap and bounds and virtually stopped attending Christ Embassy because of different singing engagements that took her round the world.

Report has it that Oyakhilome was not too pleased with the fact that she wasn’t active in church again.

Even when Sinach and some other gospel singers, who grew and became established through Christ Embassy, ministered in some of the branches of the church, it was alleged that they demanded large sums of money as royalty which Oyakhilome consistently frowned at.

He instructed Sinach to return to her local assembly and be part of the singing ministry there.

He also encouraged her to take Christian singing engagements almost for free as a sort of blessing to the body of Christ, but the gospel act would have none of that.

The pastor allegedly stopped most of her songs from being played or performed in his church and the decision also affected other music ministers who were discovered in the church.

Oyakhilome had called for a gospel ministers’ conference where he expected the gospel act to be in attendance and even play a major role, however, she didn’t turn up for the conference.

The cleric felt disappointed that Sinach should be a role model for all other established acts from the ministry, but she has ignored most of the instructions he gave and has not been on very good terms with her since then.

The singer made a cryptic post last week on her Instagram page and many alleged that she was referring to the issue she had with her pastor. She wrote that what has happened to her as a gospel minister has in no way hindered her ministry but it has helped to further expand it.

This, perhaps, may have provoked what has been described as an attack on Sinach’s lyrics by Oyakhilome especially her “Way Maker,” a contemporary worship song released as a single on 30 December 2015.

The song has been covered by a number of Christian music artists worldwide including charting hit versions by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Leeland and Passion.

Sensational parts of the song include “Way maker,” “Miracle worker,” “Promise keeper,”
“Light in the darkness,”
But during a recent service, Pastor Oyakhilome indirectly attacked the key messages in Sinach’s popular song saying that “God is not a miracle worker. He is not a promise keeper. He is not a light in the darkness. As you hear the word and you are thought, we are the miracle worker.

“He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is in the sabbath.

“He is not working now. The Bibles says He is waiting till his enemies is made his footstool. But He must reign till then through us. So, we are the miracle worker.

“All the promises has been fulfilled in Christ. He is not keeping any promises. You are the result of his promises,” Oyakhilome told the large congregation which has gone viral on social media.

Reacting, Pastor Ekene Nicodemus of God Own People International Ministry said: “He {Oyakhilome} has a personal issue with his praise and worship leader SINACH so he’s trying to DESTROY her label using the holy altar.”

Headline

Leader Of UK Christian Group Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Women

Published

11 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

Chris Brain, 68, the leader of a UK Christian group once backed by the Church of England, has been convicted of sexually abusing nine women in his congregation.

A jury delivered the final verdicts on Thursday.

‎Brain led the Nine O’Clock Service, an evangelical movement in Sheffield during the 1980s and 1990s. The group was known for its nightclub-style worship, held at 9 p.m. on Sundays, which included live music and drew large crowds of young people.

‎Prosecutors said Brain used his authority to control members of the congregation, isolating them from family and friends, and used his position to commit sexual assaults. He also maintained a group of young women known as the “lycra nuns” who assisted him, his wife, and his daughter at home, prosecutor Tim Clark told the court.

‎The leader of the UK Christian group was charged with 36 counts of indecent assault and one count of rape involving 13 women between 1981 and 1995. He denied the charges, claiming any sexual contact was consensual.

‎Following a trial at Inner London Crown Court, he was convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. He was acquitted of 15 other charges, while the jury could not reach a verdict on four additional indecent assault charges and the rape allegation. The Crown Prosecution Service said it would “carefully consider” whether to seek a retrial.

‎The Nine O’Clock Service had received approval from the Church of England. In 1990, the Archbishop of Canterbury-elect George Carey met with Brain to discuss his methods, and his ordination was expedited. Prosecutors said the group even spent heavily to purchase the costume worn by Robert De Niro in the 1986 film The Mission for his ceremony.

‎Brain resigned shortly before a BBC documentary aired in 1995, accusing him of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Carey later said he was “crushed and let down” when the allegations became public.

‎In court, Brain admitted to receiving massages from congregation members that sometimes became sexual but denied manipulating or controlling them.

‎Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox said in a statement: “What happened was an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred. Where concerns were raised in the past and were not acted upon properly, that was a failing of the Church. For those institutional failures, I offer an unreserved apology.”

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Russia Claims More Ukraine Land As Hopes For Summit Fade

Published

11 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

Russia on Saturday said its forces had taken two villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, increasing the military pressure as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict.

South Africa added its voice to those calling for a summit between Ukraine and Russia.

Russian forces are slowly advancing in the embattled eastern region of Donetsk, grinding closer to Kyiv’s key defensive line in costly metre-for-metre battles.

Moscow’s defence ministry said on Telegram that its forces had captured the villages of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk.

The taking of Kleban-Byk would mark a further advance towards Kostiantynivka — a key fortified town on the road to Kramatorsk, where a major Ukrainian logistics base is located.

On Friday, Russia said its troops had captured three villages in the Donetsk region it claimed to have annexed in September 2022.

On Saturday, Ukrainian military officials said its forces had stopped a Russian advance and recaptured the village of Zeleny Gai in the Donetsk region in a post to Telegram.

In July, Russia claimed the capture of the village, on the border with Dnipropetrovsk, adding that it was an important stronghold used by Ukraine to protect the area.

– Ramaphosa backs summit –
The latest Russian advances come as hopes dim for a summit between Russian and Ukrainian presidents — a solution championed by US President Donald Trump as part of his efforts to end the conflict.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday added his voice to calls for a Russia-Ukraine summit during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war,” said a statement from his office.

Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the statement added. He will speak with other European leaders in the coming weeks.

Ramaphosa spoke on Monday with Vladimir Putin, whom he described in October at the BRICS summit as a “dear ally” and a “valued friend”.

However, for the first time since Russia’s attack on Ukraine, South Africa earlier this year backed a UN resolution declaring that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky said he had told Ramaphosa he was ready for any kind of meeting with Putin.

“However, we see that Moscow is once again trying to drag everything out even further,” he said on X.

He called on the Global South to send “relevant signals and (push) Russia toward peace”.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “no meeting” was planned as Trump’s mediation efforts appeared to stall, while Zelensky accused Russia of trying to prolong the offensive.

AFP

Headline

US Suspends Work Visas For Nigerian, Foreign Truck Drivers

Published

24 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

The United States government has suspended the issuance of work visas for Nigerian and other foreign truck drivers, citing job security concerns and safety risks for American citizens.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Thursday, saying it takes immediate effect.

According to him, the rising number of foreign truck drivers on U.S. highways is both threatening lives and reducing opportunities for American truckers.

“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio said.

The move comes under President Donald Trump’s renewed clampdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.

As part of new measures, travellers from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak travel databases will be required to pay a bond of $5,000 to $15,000 before obtaining certain categories of visas.

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria also directed all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles from the past five years, warning that failure to comply could result in denial of applications and possible ineligibility for future visas.