Outrage over
Nigerian gay pastor
in UK

DISBELIEF and disgust:
Those two words have followed the guilty plea of a popular United
Kingdom-based Nigerian Christian cleric, Albert Odulele, in a charge of sexually molesting two young boys.
Odulele, a televangelist and
Principal Pastor of the Glory House, International, Kent,
London, last Thursday pleaded guilty to being a paedophile and a gay, before a UK court.
Christian clerics in Nigeria have
roundly condemned the act, while most of the comments on
his social network site, Facebook, are full of mix-reations.
Catholic Bishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, in an interview with
Sunday Compass described homosexuality as “sinful.” He said: “I don't want to
condemn the person, because I am not aware of the story. But the position of my church on
homosexuality is that it is a sin and it is condemnable ”.
Also, the Pastor of the House on the Rock Ministry, Pastor Paul
Adefarasin, said that anyone engaged in homosexuality
should be rehabilitated, and must seek forgiveness from God.
He said: “We condemn
homosexuality. It is not of God.
The person should be
rehabilitated, and he must also seek forgiveness from God. ”
Odulele, was arrested last summer over charges of indecent assault of a child under 16 years old, and sexual assault
of another male teenager. He pleaded guilty to both charges, at Bexley Magistrates' Court in south east London and was
committed for sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court on a date yet to be set.
The alleged sexual assaults took place in 2003 and 2004.
Pastor Odulele, who goes by the designate 'teacher, preacher and
evangelical preacher', is renowned among evangelical Christians. According to his website, his church has a congregation of 3,000; with branches in Leeds, Birmingham,
Nigeria and Brazil.
Odulele admitted to police that he had been 'battling' with his sexuality for years, and denied the offences were pre-planned.
However, checks on the Facebook account of the pastor indicate that since the scandal
broke out there have been several Cause Requests, such as:
We Stand By Pastor Albert Odulele, which as at yesterday
evening had 591 members; and another captioned: We Don't Stand By Pastor Albert Odulele,
having only nine members.
News Headlines Outrage over Nigerian gay pastor in UK
SUNDAY, 06 MARCH