Shock, sympathy and caution still characterise the atmosphere around yuppie Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church, a few days after he publicly announced the break-up of his four-year-old second marriage to delectable ex-wife Stephanie, at a Sunday morning worship service. The news, which immediately spread like wild fire across the country, jolted many who could not help but recall the glamour and public support that followed his marriage just four years ago.

Memories of his break-up with Tina, his first wife, remain fresh in the mind. Tina, who had come all the way with him for 14 years, had travelled to America where her prolonged stay caused members of the church anxiety. It took Pastor Okotie time before he finally announced more or less in the same manner he did just last Sunday of the crash of his marriage to Tina his first wife, at a service in his church. “Tina was not coming home to the marriage anymore,” he had said. The marriage was over and he was moving on.

When our reporters visited the church during the mid-week service, the first of such since Pastor Okotie made his second famous marriage break-up speech, the mood that enveloped the church reminded one of the same mood that characterised the church when Tina left. Everywhere, there were echoes of un-answered questions. For most of the members who longed for more answers, they defied the rain of Wednesday, to ensure their presence in church. The expectation was much. They wanted to know more. What could have made their jerry-curled pastor to separate from his second wife Stephanie, who until that Sunday was usually called ‘mummy’ at the church?

After the praise worship, Pastor Okotie, in an all-white kaftan, stepped into the church, escorted by security men like the pop star that he had been many years ago. When he got to the pulpit, he took over the microphone and went into singing and spiritual chant. He had transformed to the spiritual realm. He spoke in tongues, jumped and gyrated all over as members flowed along to catch up with his pace. For many inside the church, he was the centre of attraction. They just stared at him, with much feelings for him, feelings that they could not express to him, which they would have loved to express. Many among them would have loved to wrap him up and tell him, ‘it is well’ because, once again, their loving pastor is alone, and the church is now without a ‘mummy.’

Finally, it was time for the pastor’s sermon, and the members shifted on their seats, with much expectation that here again, the pastor would tell them more about his separation from his second wife Stephanie. But he talked on how to grow in Christianity; how to grow into maturity and be in tune with and in a solid relationship with God. It was a moving sermon, which told the church members that their pastor is moving on in his relationship with God. He may not have matured fully, but he is in the process of maturing, and hopes one day, to mature fully. As for Stephanie and that marriage, he did not say a word. Pastor Okotie has moved on…?



What some members said after midweek service



Around the vicinity of the Household of God Church, the members shied away from dropping comments on the break-up as the church ground bristled with security. You would think the church had advised the members not to talk about the incident. But not so outside the church. The members commented freely about the incident but most pleaded to remain anonymous.

Mandy: We are sad. And right now, we are worried about our pastor, worried about how this marriage separation is going to affect him. Personally, I wish it didn’t happen.

Ayo: I don’t want to talk about it. It is his personal decision. I don’t know what happened and what made him take the decision. I am a family man, I take decisions in my house and when I do, I don’t expect people to change it or scold me for it. I would have talked more if it was some other matter. This is my pastor’s matter, not mine.

Chuks: Definitely, there are unanswered questions. What beats me is that there was no indication at all. I meanwhile, I have been attending Household all this while, I can’t believe what is happening. I don’t know what to say.

Mummy B: Something is wrong somewhere. No two people live together for that long and then part without something having taken place. I was hoping that Pastor would tell us more today, but he didn’t. That cannot stop my family and I from attending the church though. It didn’t stop us when he parted ways with his first wife. It won’t stop us now. My husband didn’t come today because he is not around. If he was around, he would have been here.



Sister Esther: Our Pastor needs our prayers at this time. I feel terribly sad. It is a blow to me because the pastor and his wife were a beautiful couple. The woman is so beautiful, but God knows best. Who are we to judge them? We cannot judge them. Like I said, God knows best.



Dapo: I feel for Pastor, truly I feel for him. He is such a gentleman, only God knows what went wrong. It can’t be an easy decision for them, but one cannot rule out childlessness. You remember that it was an issue in his first marriage. Women are particular about having children for their husbands. I don’t think Stephanie will be an exception, even if she had already had children in another marriage.



What some celebrities say:



Senator Ita Giwa (Politician)

I think marriage is a private thing between a couple, and not something that the public should influence. It is a private thing if a couple have any difference between each other, they should call themselves together and sort it out between them. I know Pastor Kris Okotie and I know they will sort it out with each other. It is beyond us, it is beyond the public. It is their private matter.



Bashorun Dele Momodu (Publisher)

It is sad and unfortunate that the marriage did not work. I feel like a stakeholder in that marriage. I attended their wedding and I was very excited about the love they exuded openly. Pastor Kris has been my friend of many years. He is a man who supported me all the way during my exile years. So I feel very bad that this is happening again to him. But then, he is a human being like the rest of us. Being a pastor does not make you less human. What I like about him is that he is a very brave man, who is ready to carry his cross alone at any time. Even Jesus our Lord carried His own cross at a time. So there is nothing strange or new in men of God going through trials and tribulations. If he finds love again, I don’t think anything should stop him from doing so. He cannot live alone perpetually. Every man needs a good companion. So we can only pray that God will find him a permanent companion. He should not be discouraged. As to your question whether he should marry a foreigner, I will say that it does not matter where a woman comes from, a human being is a human being. But I do not think that his choice of a wife should be limited to his church members. A man should look beyond his immediate environment for a marital partner. In a relationship, one person must make the move.



Gloria Doyle (Musician)

I actually feel a lot about marital issues. Pastor should settle down and go out for the right reasons before taking the step. You don’t marry a woman because she is beautiful, you don’t marry a woman because of just any casual reason. You marry a woman because you want to share your life and love with the woman. If what they professed they had in their hearts for each other was genuine, then I don’t think they will get themselves to the point of separation.

Right now, they are not disclosing the issues that led them to this. But they just agreed to separate. As to your question about the church not having fore-knowledge of what was going to take place last Sunday, I will say that Pastor Kris has always been a very private person, he is somebody that makes his business his business. Personally, if I say that I did not see it coming, I will not be sincere. For instance, I have been with Stephanie in the church and I have seen her. Pastor Kris needs the right hand. He is a pastor and a teacher, anybody he gets married to, needs to have a vast knowledge of the Bible. I think they got married because they have been friends for long.



Tee Mac (Musician)

There is no point two people living together as husband and wife, if they are not happy with each other. Happiness is very important in any relationship. Two people can only live and be happy with each other, if it is so sanctioned by God. But if they both think that it will save both of them a lot of stress by living apart from each other or separating from each other, then it is best they do so. There is nothing like ‘till death do us apart’ anymore, that injunction is outdated. We are in modern times and every relationship has to be guided by love and happiness. It is correct for Pastor Kris and his wife to split if the love and happiness that joined them together are no longer there. Anyway, I believe that two people can live together without being married. I wish Pastor Kris Okotie all the best and also wish his ex-wife Stephanie all the best.



Benny Obaze (House of Bevista, City Clothier)

The separation between Pastor Kris Okotie and wife Stephanie is unfortunate. I feel for the pastor, but he probably knows best. But if you are in a marriage and it is not working out, instead of living in despair or a pretentious life, it’s better to end the relationship. Pastor Kris has been my friend and pastor, so I am sure that the decision that he has made is good for him and his now separated wife. So like he said, I think we should respect his privacy. What I can do is to pray for him so that he can find his true love. I believe something must have gone wrong which we are not privy to.

Marriage is a very difficult thing. We can never know the whole details of what went wrong. However, God said that it is not good for a man to be alone. So I am advising him to marry again, if he sees the right partner. I support him to re-marry because a marriage did not work does not make him a bad man or does it make Stephanie a bad woman. It was an irreconcilable difference. People can get to a point that they cannot reconcile and it becomes best for them to separate, instead of living a pretentious life. I’ve known the pastor over the years, he is not pretentious. He is straight. He is still a young man, in his early 50s, and a pastor of a very big church. So he should find a good partner who will serve God with him.

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I pray for him that God wl give him the best.

This Pastor needs deliverance. He has to accept it and have a bigger pastor pray for him.

....

Moderrator: This Pastor needs deliverance. He has to accept it and have a bigger pastor pray for him.

Shut up your little mouth fellow

Most pastors marry by sight without God's directive. Pastor Chris should have known that beauty and spirituality don't go together. You can't eat your cake and have

MOG my foot, he has another babe lined up, he was probably yanshin before, its high time pple see wat dis MOGs are, for they are, human and nt semi God. OkoTie ko okoaja ni

na wa o, if he' not a pastor, i know what i'll say, but now,i think i shd keep my mouth shut!

greatgod2012: na wa o, if he' not a pastor, i know what i'll say, but now,i think i shd keep my mouth shut!

Na why they Bleep up, because people still give them the saintly respect. The Chris Okotie of a guy, baffles me too much. May be he has seen a model he wants to marry next.

Oh well

He should consult TB JOSHUA 4 deliverance on his marital life and have permanent solution if not he will continue to marry and re-marry pls forget the issue of MOG he need deliverance or for him to go to 21 days fasting and prayer and stop joining new couple together as husband and wife. He is a pastor without defined call. Our people find it difficult to say the truth pls let the whole world know the truth explain ur self due to the versus of Ur position

He is a terrible sinner. God has left him longtime ago. The bible says it is a sin to put away(divorce) your wife. Since when he has put away his first wife dat was when he has fallen because the lord does not associate with sinners. If his marriage is that hidden from his members then what are they learning from him about marriage practicaly or he's just telling them theory. May the Lord deliver him and his members who are following him blindly

My Brother Leave Everything To God.

dani1luv:

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Isn't it funny how these carnal men that knew nothing about the scriptures are freelancing advice here to a Pastor that ought to know better.
There is nothing like irreconcilable differences in a Christian Marriage. Unless either of the partner is an unrepentant adulterer, else forgive and allow that Love you professed in the beginning to cover the multitude of wrongs done by your partner.

Now, this is an express Licence for some members that needed to show more love and understanding in their troubled marriages to call it quits, afterall their Pastor has done it twice without giving a damn like GEJ doesn't about a constitutional Asset
Declaration.
Broken homes are terrible things to the society as the kids mostly turn cold and vindictive, disoriented and harder to raise unto maturity.
Being a family-oriented man, I believe that men should be able to give anything to protect the wholesomeness of their families.

geosvic: He is a terrible sinner. God has left him longtime ago. The bible says it is a sin to put away(divorce) your wife. Since when he has put away his first wife dat was when he has fallen because the lord does not associate with sinners. If his marriage is that hidden from his members then what are they learning from him about marriage practicaly or he's just telling them theory. May the Lord deliver him and his members who are following him blindly

As Righteous As You Are

i no fit shout!praise d lord!!!

this guy is crazy, a pastor for the second time. haba, make we call a spade a spade. am truly sorry for ppl going to that church because many souls will be deceived. so times the problem we have Nigeria is that we find it very very difficult to say the truth when it is needed. in the bible is there any man of God that divorce his wife?, but in this case, this is the second time. if you look at his biography, let say the truth. THIS MAN IS NOT A MAN OF GOD. haba Let me ask WHO IS A MAN OF GOD?. some1 who started from hustling to pastor. Look deep into this, am a man, some men are crazy and stupid at the same tym when it comes to the issue of women. quote this man will get married b4 the next 6month, he don the eye another person since. A PLAYER WILL ALWAYS BE A PLAYER. may God have mercy on the souls he will lead to hell fire. rubbish.

Is like this Okotie church members have something in common with muslim, mumuology and brain-washiology problem

Its as if many of u dnt read the BIBLE, chris okotie is a fornicator and adulterer and he will answer to God when he dies, he claims he's a pastor and yet he forgets its "till death do us part" all these pastor are using the name of God to make money, they are thieves and they dnt decieve me! Very soon he wil take the 3rd wife (is he a muslim?)and yet preach to all of u about fornication and adultery. Over my dead body make i go that kind church, i am CATHOLIC 4 LIFE, ANGLINCAN CHURCHES too is ok, if i no fit go any of these 2, i go sidon 4 my house on sunday and be counting cowries

Someone from his church said childlessness can't be ruled out.

Does that mean he doesn't have children or what?

I just hope Pastor Chris is divorcing them for the right reasons as stated by the Bible.God cant be deceived!

Moderrator: This Pastor needs deliverance. He has to accept it and have a bigger pastor pray for him.

that's very true,he has. The problem of marry A̶̲̥̅̊₪d̶̲̥̅̊ remarr.

freecocoa: Someone from his church said childlessness can't be ruled out.

Does that mean he doesn't have children or what?

i hope u are not try to cover 4 him! How many orphanage and motherless babies home are in lagos? He is supposed to lead by example,a day i visited a motherless babies home,i saw many adorable babies, for him to adopt one,wil make people like him more, church now na business office, he is after the money

Pakavy: i no fit shout!praise d lord!!!

Lol!!

I think this man‘s prick(i.e pen~is) is not functioning. If FALSE, why is the two previous wives not pregnant for him. Even for once. And also after divorce, there is no reasons for the divorce from both parties (mutual agreement) I think this man‘s prick(i.e pen~is) is not functioning. If FALSE, why is the two previous wives not pregnant for him. Even for once. And also after divorce, there is no reasons for the divorce from both parties (mutual agreement) I think this man‘s prick(i.e pen~is) is not functioning. If FALSE, why is the two previous wives not pregnant for him. Even for once. And also after divorce, there is no reasons for the divorce from both parties (mutual agreement)

freecocoa: Someone from his church said childlessness can't be ruled out.

Does that mean he doesn't have children or what?

that's my thought too.

Bello Masaba the 88 years old minna cleric with 97 wives has just revealed he is fulfilling God's mission. Okotie, another cleric on such mission is only 55 years old with a legacy of only 2 ex wives. He is 42 years younger than masaba and still has a lot of mission to fulfil. Tuface is a member of his church with 5 'wives' already. Carry on pastor, sow your wild oats, choose the most beautiful, catch them young, take a wife a year. Your ediotic celebrity church members will always have your back even when the next irreconcilable difference rears its ugly head and you are ready for your next bride. Don't read that portion of the bible that forbids a man from divorcing his wife. Just go on grammatical rampage, feeding your flock with meaningless polemics and demagorgical platitudes. Mtchewwww!

zicobaba: I think this man‘s prick(i.e pen~is) is not functioning. If FALSE, why is the two previous wives not pregnant for him. Even for once. And also after divorce, there is no reasons for the divorce from both parties (mutual agreement)

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hmm,your theory

This Man is possessed with the spirit of amadioha

Dont his congregations know about divorce? A church that 50% of them are celebrities, what do u expect? If children is his excuse then who is to be blame for that? Let him practise what he preaches and stop deceiving himself.