OKOTIE'S MARRIAGE PLAN SCATTERS CHURCH

Household of God, a church headed by funky and controversial pastor, Reverend Kris Okotie, is on the brink of collapse. Investigations yesterday revealed that, apart from its population that has dwindled by half, some top church members have left. It was gathered that the imminent collapse of the church may not be unconnected with Okotie's marriage plan. Some weeks ago, the 49-year old unmarried pastor, had given a hint about the lady he intends to get married to soon.

This announcement, we learnt, did not go down well with some female members and Okotie's long time friends in the church. We learnt that three weeks ago, the church administrator, Ms. Sola Salako, left for the United States of America for holiday, a few weeks after she returned from a previous holiday in the same country.

This, it was learnt, triggered insinuations within the church that she had decided to relocate to the US after Okotie made it clear that she was not going to be his new wife.

Early last week, Okotie himself travelled to the US for some rest after his failed presidential bid.

But there are insinuations in the church that his trip is not unconnected with Sola Salako's trip. Moreover, it was learnt that he was concerned about the news early last week that his ex-wife, Tyna, whom he still talks passionately about openly in church, is now married to a South African and pregnant in the US.

A close friend of Okotie who does not want his name in print, told us that Okotie had gone to the US to convince Shola Salako to return to the country and the church.

Ms. Salako, we learnt, apart from being the church administrator, is also the National Publicity Secretary of Okotie's political party, Fresh Democratic Party (FDP).

Another church member said that the pastor had gone to confirm whether or not his ex-wife was really married and pregnant.

Meanwhile, the Household of God Church seems to have lost its shine.

We checks revealed that celebrities in the church such as Stella Damascus, Richard Mofe-Damijo and many others who were very visible in the church have all left for undisclosed reasons.

Another music star, Soul E and his wife Ure Okozie, daughter of a former minister, have also left. In an interview with a magazine recently, the music star said he left because Okotie did not like their relationship. But there are those who think that this is not unconnected with a previous relationship between Okotie and Ure when she was still single and a manager of First Inland Bank.

We learnt that even with one service on Sunday, instead of the two full house sessions the funky preacher used to conduct before his presidential ambition, it is now common to see the church half filled.

Okotie's church has been in existence for 20 years and the development may mark the beginning of the end of the church of a man who claimed that God said he will one day rule the country.

We gathered from some members who have left the church that their pastor had erred by trying to combine a divine appointment with a personal ambition.

Stella, who quit the church two months ago told us that she could not understand why a man called by God to do His work now finds politics more attractive.

“If pastor Okotie was really called by God to serve, why does he want so much to go into politics? Why does he keep going from one political party to another and why is it that after he has said God told him he will win, he never won?” she asked.

Another church member simply called John, said he left because he could no longer strike a balance between the pastor and the politician.

“When my pastor is preaching, I don't know whether I'm listening to a politician or a pastor and you know that politics is a dirty game. How do we reconcile the two?

“I don't usually know when my pastor is preaching and when he is campaigning,” John added.