If Anita, the wife of the Charismatic pastor of Christ Embasyy pastor, Chris Oyakhilome, sticks to her guns, the Christiandom may as well have witnessed and collapse of high profile marriage.
Church members and other well-wishers have been praying and wishing that marital altercations between the couple would be resolved amicable.
But the beautiful wife of the charismatic pastor Mrs. Oyakhilome has said that the marriage does not have any chance of surviving any more.
According Headlines reports, Mrs Oyakhilome spoke through her lawyers.
Mrs Oyakhilome was cited as telling her lawyers that her relationship with her husband had degenerated irretrievably.
She said to have blatantly ruled out any reconciliation or out-of-court settlement.
She spoke to her Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, after news broke that she had filed for divorce.
In their response Tuesday, her attorneys said there was no chance the estranged couple would ever live as husband and wife again.
“It is with great sadness that our client, Pastor Anita Oyakhilome, has come to the conclusion that her marriage to Pastor Christian Oyakhilome has irretrievably broken down and regrettably there is no hope of any reconciliation,” said Stephen Goddard, Business Development Manager of Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.
From early this year, there had been speculation that the marriage between Mr Oyakhilome, the founder of Believers Love World (aka Christ Embassy), and his wife, who is also Vice-president of the ministry, was collapsing.
Some church members even set up a Facebook page, “Where is Rev Anita Oyakhilome”, in May dedicated to addressing the issue. The church initially denied reports that the couple were estranged and possibly divorcing.
But it was reported on August 29 that Mrs. Oyakhilome had filed for divorce since April 9, accusing Pastor Chris, as he is fondly called by his followers, of “adultery” and “unreasonable behaviour”.
Pastor Chris has denied the allegations. He however warned church members against analysing his problem with his wife adding that the church is not a political party.
He said his wife is a bitter and angry woman who is being influenced by bad friends who are out to seek his downfall.
The pastor added that most pastors’ wives usually think they are equal to their husbands after they get married.
He said his wife wanted to overpower the authorities of the elders she met when she joined the Christian ministry.
As the divorce battle rages, Mrs. Oyakhilome’s profile has been pulled down from the church’s website.
Meanwhile, Rev. Anita’s friend and one of the church’s founding member in UK, Cyla Simpson, has come out to strongly defend the woman of God, whom she described as an epitome of humility and dedicated Christian living.
Simpson, in her Facebook page posting, try play the advocate beautiful wife of the handsome pastor.
Simpson wrote on her Facebook page wall: “I am writing this to everyone with a heavy heart. It is heart wrenching to see the way people are referring to Rev Anita and how uncultured people are while talking. You don’t need to be derogatory or condescending to express yourself no matter your level as a christian. First I would join true Christians around the world to appeal to Rev Anita but would say listen to God rather than man.
“I want to appeal to everyone to please pause and think deep because whatever a man sow, he shall surely reap. This is like beating a child like Ibo elders will say and still take the tears from the child. Take a step aside and think. Is there a woman who will give up her home on flimsy excuse, if no why are we so callous and insensitive in this matter. I am a married woman and so are many reading this, or you have a mother, a sister or daughter. If you are happy for them to go through whatever brought Rev Anita to this level please continue with your judgemental approach towards her. And the God of truth will visit everyone with same except if there was no cause. Amen!!!
“I have read some accusing her of money and power motivation. PLEASE LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE PASTOR ANITA I KNOW AS MOST OF YOU YOUNG ONES IN NIGERIA DO NOT HAVE MUCH OF AN ENCOUNTER WITH HER. Rev Anita has been my pastor for about 13 years now. I am one of the founding members of her church and I have seen her grow a church from using all any available venue while planting more churches in faith sending her best member out to start a new church, from two churches in England has grown to churches in almost every borough and cities. Rev Anita will see anyone and everyone regardless of your status.
“If she ever kept you waiting, she will apologise profusely throughout the meeting and make it good to you. Rev Anita without an office will still counsel us even in her car on Wednesday night after church yet she has 1hour 30mins drive back home with 2 young girls. For so long she was driving a volkswagon golf until 2005 that we bought her a BMW X3 and she still refused to drive it for many months until she was begged to use it so that we can be blessed. She used the same car until 2010/2011 and the replacement she had then is still what she used till her last day in church last year.
“We begged her to come around for us to celebrate her birthday but she will still go into hiding. On her return the little song we will do for her, she will return it to Rev Chris in thanksgiving. Any money you give her she sends it straight to church account or Loveworld TV. If we ever raise money for her birthday she ask us to go and use it for evangelism or send it to Loveworld TV. When you give her any material thing, regardless of the shop you purchased it, she will use it for you to see and thank you as long as she sees you for the gift.
“At Christmas, while service was on up to 2013 christmas she will give almost everyone in church gift. Foodstuff will be dropped at your side as service. She will specially take care of the elderly, help you settle down when you arrive in the country. No barren left without children as she will make it her project until it happens. So how come people came up with this terrible accusation. You accused her of being rude to some CEC members. Wow. This is wicked. First for so long, she was the Vice President and others have other positions. I thought husband and wife are one.
“She raised 2 girls in this society and the 2 girls are admirable, humble, down-to-earth children. They are children not a reflection of the home they grew. Pastor Chris was not around. He came to our church on Fathers’ Day sometimes ago and he told us one of the daughters’ requested for it as her birthday gift – how touching and how she treasures her dad’s presence. She could ask for material thing but she asked for his presence and we all are here judging them. I remember these girls will politely beg me to allow them carry my baby and they will play with him and when they bring him back, they will thank me for letting them carry him and I’m surprised because I should thank them for helping me. And they do same to other mothers in the mothers’ area where we sit in church. Is it not what they saw their mum do, they are not class-freak.
“I remember that visit of Pastor, Rev Tom talking said we may not value what we have. That she is the grace in the CEC. If they all condemn someone, she will see a good reason to embrace the person and she has always been right. Rev Chris said at one IPPC that most changes we see here in the ministry, she in her simple way brought them and that was the day he spoke about how she talked about the effort we put into publicity of programme but that same or more should be put in telling what the Lord did in that programme when its over. So what changed now, because she is asking for a change.
“I have read all the messages here by some writers, the news is all over our church and I have taken my time to find out what is really happening and to the much available, below are the things Rev Anita is asking for:
She told Rev Chris that you are such an organised person, you give us almost a full year calendar on Dec 31st of every year, please put the family in the timetable too. The times you don’t have any engagement, please come home. I need you and the children need you. Please bear in mind she has been here since 1999 and she was just about 30 years old then as a married woman with 2 children. So for almost 16 years of her marriage, no husband at home for straight 1 week, no dad at home for the children. No christmas, yet he has party with the staff that we all watch at Christmas. Even Jesus always withdrew from the crowd to fellowship with his father.
– She asked Rev Chris that on hearing of the immorality, ‘not holding it against you but let all these ladies move out of White House and go and get houses outside. They are rich enough to buy houses at their place of choice if they don’t already have one and allow them marry. Who benefits from this choice, is it not everyone? So which is her offence in this. And Rev Chris did not agree to it. The brothers even said they went to have meeting with him in South Africa to beg him to at least meet her half-way but he refused. 2 public responses are the emergency Bible study after their meeting with him titled – Spirit of Error and Spirit of Truth, please flash back at this meeting or relisten to it and after so much call in the UK for him to produce our mother, he had meeting with our pastors and deacons in May and it is recorded that many left the meeting weeping for the way he described our mother that some have had lifetime experience with.”
