Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church International, a.k.a Winners’ Chapel has disagreed strongly with the decision by the Lagos and Ogun State governments to continue to keep the churches shut.
It will be recalled the government had shut down religious worship centers in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country as part of efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.
However, after several weeks of the lockdown, the government approved the conditional ease of the general lockdown and reopening of certain sectors of the economy. Certain states have also approved the reopening of worship centers based on approved guidelines.
But the Lagos and Ogun State governments have so far maintained that it remains unsafe to reopen the worship centers as such action would lead to a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections.
Recently, the Lagos State government backtracked on its decision after initially giving approval for reopening of worship centers, citing increase in cases of COVID-19 infections.
The government decision has however attracted an angry reaction from Bishop Oyedepo of Winners’ Chapel who said the Lagos and Ogun state governments have been infected with anti-church virus because of their decision to open markets but keep churches shut.
Oyedepo made the submission while delivering a sermon on Sunday.
Oyedepo who blasted the government noted that the churches can better guarantee hygiene and safe practices necessary to prevent the coronavirus spread than the markets that have been flung open.
The Bishop noted, “No handwashing, no nothing, everyone is in the market running over each other every day of the week and there is no outbreak from the market but there is now outbreak, perceived outbreak from the church. Prophets are God’s voices to the nations. Caution!
“Now, freedom of worship is no longer a constitutional right but now determined by some individuals. It is a hard thing to kick against the priest. This is no longer coronavirus in Lagos and Ogun. It is now anti-church virus clean and clear.”
The cleric however added that no one can silence the church, adding that over 100 people who contracted the virus had got divine healing from the church.
“Can anybody silence the church? Never! I have never heard of anybody that God healed in the market but people get healed in every church day and night, real tangible healing. We have recorded 114 coronavirus healing testimonies. We got 10 this week.
“And that is the place that is vulnerable, not the market,” the Bishop said.
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