Going by the divergent views of many Nigerians on the social media and other conventional media platforms over the abrupt retirement of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye as the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria. It is evident that the retirement of the former university don and professor of Mathematics obviously comes as a massive shock to the entire Christian fold in Nigeria. More so, the contentious circumstances under which the Septugarian clergy was compelled to vacate his position as the head of the church is utterly bothersome. It is equally in this light that many Nigerians have castigated the Financial Regulatory Council for his needless meddlesomeness in the affairs of religious bodies through the laws of the Financial Regulatory Council, which mandates heads of Religious bodies, NGO and other charitable organization to retire after 20 years of Stewardship or after attaining 70 years age.

Apparently, it is no gain saying that the controversial law had suffered grave criticism from certain section of the Nigerian public. Beside the fact that the law is perceived as a ruse to incapacitate the growth of Christianity in Nigeria, it is equally being portrayed as a strategy to execute the Islamist agenda by the Northern egalitarian hierarchy as being spare headed by the Buhari led government. While, the antagonistic posture of most Christian leaders is utterly understandable, bearing in mind the growing cases of genocide, which is being perpetuated against the Christian community in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the nation, It is utterly disheartening to realize that a substantive population of those who have castigated the government for his undue interference in the affairs of churches are being blindfolded by their emotions.

Though, the promulgation of the Financial Regulatory Council code for Religious bodies, NGO and charitable organization is deem to reincarnate a new order in Nigeria religious system, which will reinstate sanctity to the body of Christ in Nigeria. However, the assumption that the operation of church affairs is absolutely a spiritual exercise and must be guided by spiritual direction has fuelled the dearth of virile organizational structure within most Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria. Therefore, it is a common phenomenon within the Nigeria religious system for General Overseers to preside over the affairs of their churches like private business empire. Surprisingly, this inordinate doctrine which gives the General Overseer and members of his immediate family the sole right to act as signatories to the church account has tremendously spurred a fraudulent systemic order, which breeds financial impropriety and other various forms of sharp practices within the Body of Christ.

Interestingly, as an ardent of Christian faith and a Bible scholar, one may equally deem it apposite to advance his position on the principle that God is a supreme being who operates in an enigmatic manner, which is beyond man’s understanding. While, it will be fruitless to question the vision of God for his anointed servants, it is also illogical for a church leader never to pursue a system that promotes transparency and accountability in the execution of his divine assignment. It therefore becomes instructive for us to draw reference from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom demonstrated financial transparency and accountability in his ministry through the appointment of Judas Iscariot as treasurer and which by extension oversees the spending of his ministry.

Following the inability of most church leaders to replicate financial transparency and accountability as demonstrated by the exemplary life of our Lord Jesus Christ, this has subsequently open the doors for greed and distrust in most Pentecostal churches. While Jesus Christ clearly distinguish his person from the office of the treasurer, which was occupied by Judas Iscariot, it is lamentable that most Pentecostal churches operates without the office of a substantive Treasurer and General secretary and in few instances where such offices exist, it is overwhelmingly controlled by the office of the General Overseer. Perhaps, the compulsion of Religious bodies, NGO’s and charitable bodies to establish the offices of General Secretary and Treasurer by Financial Regulatory Council is regarded as a landmark development in the efficient administration of indigenous churches in Nigeria. Similarly, the establishment of a virile organizational structure within the body of Christ will apparently addresses the challenges of impunity and abuse of office and in turn end the growing cases of financial impropriety and other related sharp practices in the body of Christ.

Similarly, the Bible which serves as the moral and ethical standard for the operation of Churches, also shed an exhaustive perception on all aspect of church administration. However, it is surprising that the deliberate failure of Church leaders to adhere to certain teachings of the bible has impelled the growing dissention and the ceaseless acrimony within the ranks of the church. However, the inability of church leaders to groom successors and the failure to enact rules that borders on the peaceful transition of power often generates needless hostility. Since God is never an author of confusion, it is equally not His plan to lead an institution or a nation into crisis. In the book of Numbers chapter 27 vs 17 - 20 the bible emphatically dwells on the presentation of Joshua before the Children of Israel as Moses successor in line with divine directions. However, it is seemingly necessary to state that the purpose for the exercise was to obviate the apparent leadership tussle, which might spring up after the demise of Moses.

Furthermore, the choice of Simon Peter by our Lord Jesus Christ as His successor is anticipated to achieve a peaceful transition of power devoid of resentment after His crucifixion. While God clearly underlines the need for peaceful transition of leadership as demonstrated by Moses and our Lord Jesus Christ, it is unspeakable that most General Overseer have utterly deviate from the standard of God as obtained in the Bible. Unlike Moses, who was directed by God to appoint Joshua rather than assigning Aaron who is a close relative as his successor, most leaders of Pentecostal churches made it a norm never to groom a successor outside their immediate family. Equally, the perception that the appointment of a successor can only arise after the demise of the spiritual leader had often spur leadership crisis within the church. And it is in this line that Moses was compelled to appoint Joshua as his successor while he was still alive, same way our Lord Jesus Christ equally chose Simon Peter as his successor before his crucifixion.

Thence, the section of Financial Regulatory Council code on Religious Bodies which mandates heads of Religious bodies, NGO and other charitable organization to retire after 20 years of Stewardship or after attaining 70 years age should be perceived as an opportunity for indigenous Churches to enact rules that will sustain peaceful transition of leadership within the body of Christ. Similarly, there is the need for church leaders to review certain church policies which promotes the devious transition of leadership to their immediate relatives. Regrettably, this egotistical action had unfortunately exposed the church as a business financial empire rather than as a place of true worship. With regards to the foregoing, it is obvious that the Financial Regulatory Council code regulating Non – Profit Organization is certainly not an attempt to incapacitate the growth of Christianity in Nigeria, but rather it should be seen as a wake up call for Church leaders and the entire Christian fold in Nigeria to revisit certain aspect of the church, which has undeniably sustained the culture of self-indulgence and distrust within the body of Christ in Nigeria.

Abai Olumuyiwa is a Public Analyst & social Commentator based in Lagos