The founder of Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God, Sunday Adelaja is enmeshed in a sordid adultery scandal after being accused of sleeping with at least 20 women in his church.
The pastor of the The Ukraine-based church, which touts itself as one of Europe’s largest churches, is now being pressurised to step down after the scandal.
But he has denied the allegations. He said the allegations were the machination of people planning to kick him out of his church.
“That is not true at all; I have read what people are saying about me. The funny thing is that nobody asked me for any information; no interview was granted to anyone,” he told the Punch newspaper in an email.
A statement posted on the website of the Russian Union of Christians Evangelical Faith alleged that Adelaja, confessed to adultery with his female parishioners at a meeting of pastors and the board of elders of the church but added that he had repented.
The statement written by one Apostle Toff Ulissis, stated that Adelaja had been advised to “seek psychiatric help in Kiev and the United States.”
Ulissis said, “Pastor Sunday mentioned that he had a relationship with 20 or 30 women; probably, the number was more than he could remember. Also, I talked with many women (married and unmarried), as well as with their husbands, and they shared with me their pain and described how the pastor manipulates people who work for him. All the stories were equally horrific, disgusting and depressing. People are very sorry about the current situation with the pastor and wanted him to have psychiatric help.
“I made it clear that my aim is not to destroy either the Embassy of God, because many people have found help in the church or Pastor Sunday as a person. I wanted to make sure that everything has been done to these women and the couples have received care, reconciliation and redeeming restoration.”
Also, a bishop in Adelaja’s church, Anatoly Belonozhko, resigned in protest after the embattled pastor refused to seek help, it was alleged.
“We, as church elders, began to create new projects and exercises to heal and restore the church, a new structure, and of course, help our pastor. But Pastor Sunday in writing categorically rejected our help, humiliating us and saying that we have no power to tell him what to do and how to do it and that he knows how and what to do.
“For 22 years in the Church of the Embassy of God, of which 14 years in the rank of bishop, I have always been faithful and responsible before God and people for their service. Taking this opportunity, I want to refute the lie that I knew of pastor’s sin for a long time. I found out about the moral fall of Pastor Sunday in the middle of December 2015 through the pastors of the Apostolic Council. After I learned about it, I talked to Pastor Sunday, trying to help. Remaining in the church in the most difficult time for all of us to save and restore the church and souls of men. But as I understand it, the pastor does not need my help,” Belonozhko said.
But Adelaja stated told the Punch that the entire story was a re-hatched fabrication.
“It is actually an old story that was cooked up by some disgruntled members of my leadership team when they knew of my decision to hand over the church because of my plan to return to Africa.
“So, it’s a leadership tussle from those whose desires for church leadership were not granted. I’m happy with my wife. The church here in Ukraine is doing well. So I thank God that their stories though believed by some without confirmation is still false nevertheless.”
