December 16,
2008, Kiev, Ukraine.
A meeting of
elders of Evangelical Churches and bishops of Churches with Sunday Adeladja,
senior pastor of the Religious Congregation “God's Embassy”, and was
held in Kiev, Ukraine. The meeting was called in order to address Sunday
Adeladja's activities entailing negative ramifications for the evangelical
movement in the Ukraine.
During the
meeting the of Evangelical Churches and bishops of Churches of the Ukraine
expressed their concern and claims regarding the actions and statements made by
pastor Sunday Adeladja in the following sequence:
1. Public
exaggeration of Adeladja's own merits and results of activities (e.g.
exaggeration of the number of parishioners of “God's Embassy” as well
as often openly spoken untruth, e.g. regarding his role and involvement in the
Orange Revolution in the Ukraine);
2.
Non-evangelical doctrine of financial prosperity as well as spiritual support
of financial structures (e.g. “King`s Capital”, etc.) which resulted
in impoverishment of many people left without housing and means of living;
3. Personal and
individual management of the religious congregation, creating an image of
personal infallibility which resulted in forming of Sunday Adeladja's
“personality cult”;
4. Appropriation
of funds belonging to the religious congregation having been collected as
offerings for the construction of a religious compound;
5. Involving of
the “God's Embassy” congregation into political processes which
entailed building adversity by politicians towards churches and, consequently,
multiple assaults against evangelical churches in mass media as well as
disgrace in society;
6. Making
statements and cultivating an opinion that “God's Embassy” is supreme
among all churches and Sunday Adeladja is supreme among all pastors resulting
in haughtiness and disdain shown toward all other churches;
7. Making
statements on behalf of all evangelical and protestant churches of the Ukraine
without being endowed such authority.
In the process
of the meeting, the bishops of the Ukrainian evangelical churches did not
accuse “God's Embassy” congregation or its members, did not disparage
their social and evangelistic work, sincerety and diligence. However, the
elders and bishops of churches were concerned that the elders of “God's
Embassy” failed to discern and make express timely reaction to Sunday
Adeladja's messages contradicting sound evangelical doctrine.
The meeting and
conversing of the elders and bishops of the Ukrainian churches with pastor
Sunday Adeladja was held based on the Bible (Ezek. 34:1-11; Math. 6:24; Math.
18:7; I Pet. 5:1-3; I Tim. 5:20; I Tim. 6:5-11).
After the
meeting Sunday Adeladja thanked all those present for the meeting, acknowledged
many mistakes, asked the ministers for forgiveness and promised to repent
publicly for the mistakes acknowledged as well as defer to evangelical
standpoint expressed at the meeting by the leadership of the Ukrainian
evangelical churches. From their end, the elders and bishops expect Sunday
Adeladja to make corrections promised for their final conclusions to follow and
be made.
The leaders of
the Ukrainian evangelical churches and groups of churches called all Christians
to pray for the deceived, suffering and devoid of faith and expressed a hope
for positive resolution of this situation.
The following
ministers participated in the meeting:
M.S. Panochko,
Senior Bishop of the All-Ukrainian Union of Pentecostal Churches of Evangelical
Faith
L.N.Padun,
Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church
A.V. Glukhovsky,
Assistant Senior Bishop of the Union of Free Churches of Evangelical Faith in
the Ukraine
F.M. Savochka,
Bishop of the Church of God of Christians of Evangelical Faith in the Ukraine
V.N.
Reshetinsky, Bishop of “Ukrainian Missionary Church”, Association of
Churches of Evangelical Faith Christians
A.P. Gavrilyuk,
President of the Association of Independent Charismatic Christian (Full Gospel)
Churches in the Ukraine
A.I. Kalyuahniy,
Bishop of the Council of Independent Evangelical Churches in the Ukraine
B.S. Grisenko,
Senior Pastor of Kiev Messianic Congregation
P.I. Kovalenko,
Senior Pastor of Kharkov Christian Church
S.V.
Balyuk, Bishop of the Evangelical Christian Church of the Living God
2008, Kiev, Ukraine.
A meeting of
elders of Evangelical Churches and bishops of Churches with Sunday Adeladja,
senior pastor of the Religious Congregation “God's Embassy”, and was
held in Kiev, Ukraine. The meeting was called in order to address Sunday
Adeladja's activities entailing negative ramifications for the evangelical
movement in the Ukraine.
During the
meeting the of Evangelical Churches and bishops of Churches of the Ukraine
expressed their concern and claims regarding the actions and statements made by
pastor Sunday Adeladja in the following sequence:
1. Public
exaggeration of Adeladja's own merits and results of activities (e.g.
exaggeration of the number of parishioners of “God's Embassy” as well
as often openly spoken untruth, e.g. regarding his role and involvement in the
Orange Revolution in the Ukraine);
2.
Non-evangelical doctrine of financial prosperity as well as spiritual support
of financial structures (e.g. “King`s Capital”, etc.) which resulted
in impoverishment of many people left without housing and means of living;
3. Personal and
individual management of the religious congregation, creating an image of
personal infallibility which resulted in forming of Sunday Adeladja's
“personality cult”;
4. Appropriation
of funds belonging to the religious congregation having been collected as
offerings for the construction of a religious compound;
5. Involving of
the “God's Embassy” congregation into political processes which
entailed building adversity by politicians towards churches and, consequently,
multiple assaults against evangelical churches in mass media as well as
disgrace in society;
6. Making
statements and cultivating an opinion that “God's Embassy” is supreme
among all churches and Sunday Adeladja is supreme among all pastors resulting
in haughtiness and disdain shown toward all other churches;
7. Making
statements on behalf of all evangelical and protestant churches of the Ukraine
without being endowed such authority.
In the process
of the meeting, the bishops of the Ukrainian evangelical churches did not
accuse “God's Embassy” congregation or its members, did not disparage
their social and evangelistic work, sincerety and diligence. However, the
elders and bishops of churches were concerned that the elders of “God's
Embassy” failed to discern and make express timely reaction to Sunday
Adeladja's messages contradicting sound evangelical doctrine.
The meeting and
conversing of the elders and bishops of the Ukrainian churches with pastor
Sunday Adeladja was held based on the Bible (Ezek. 34:1-11; Math. 6:24; Math.
18:7; I Pet. 5:1-3; I Tim. 5:20; I Tim. 6:5-11).
After the
meeting Sunday Adeladja thanked all those present for the meeting, acknowledged
many mistakes, asked the ministers for forgiveness and promised to repent
publicly for the mistakes acknowledged as well as defer to evangelical
standpoint expressed at the meeting by the leadership of the Ukrainian
evangelical churches. From their end, the elders and bishops expect Sunday
Adeladja to make corrections promised for their final conclusions to follow and
be made.
The leaders of
the Ukrainian evangelical churches and groups of churches called all Christians
to pray for the deceived, suffering and devoid of faith and expressed a hope
for positive resolution of this situation.
The following
ministers participated in the meeting:
M.S. Panochko,
Senior Bishop of the All-Ukrainian Union of Pentecostal Churches of Evangelical
Faith
L.N.Padun,
Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church
A.V. Glukhovsky,
Assistant Senior Bishop of the Union of Free Churches of Evangelical Faith in
the Ukraine
F.M. Savochka,
Bishop of the Church of God of Christians of Evangelical Faith in the Ukraine
V.N.
Reshetinsky, Bishop of “Ukrainian Missionary Church”, Association of
Churches of Evangelical Faith Christians
A.P. Gavrilyuk,
President of the Association of Independent Charismatic Christian (Full Gospel)
Churches in the Ukraine
A.I. Kalyuahniy,
Bishop of the Council of Independent Evangelical Churches in the Ukraine
B.S. Grisenko,
Senior Pastor of Kiev Messianic Congregation
P.I. Kovalenko,
Senior Pastor of Kharkov Christian Church
S.V.
Balyuk, Bishop of the Evangelical Christian Church of the Living God
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.