Tag: Cherubim and Seraphim Church

  • Cleric seeks discipline at Christmas, New Year

    Cleric seeks discipline at Christmas, New Year

    Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ayo Ni O Conference has sent seasonal greetings to members and the Christian community as it joins believers to celebrate Christmas and usher in the New Year. It called for sober reflection, renewed consecration and commitment to Christian values.

    In a Christmas and New Year message from the Office of the Conference Supervising Prophet, Snr. Sp. Apos. Joel Adeniran, the church described the season as a period that goes beyond festivity, reminding Christians of the humility, obedience and love embodied in the birth of Jesus Christ. 

    “Christmas reminds us of the humility, obedience, and sacrificial love of Christ, ‘who, being in very nature of God… humbled Himself and became obedient unto death,’” the message said, noting the season should inspire thanksgiving to God for life, calling and service.

    Rooted in the historic Cherubim and Seraphim movement, C&S Ayo Ni O has continued to uphold holiness, prayer, prophetic ministry and spiritual discipline. It noted that the transition into a new year is an opportunity for believers to reassess their spiritual posture and recommit themselves to upright living, faithfulness and obedience to God’s will.

    The church encouraged members to approach the New Year with renewed resolve, clearer vision and deeper spiritual consciousness, stressing that growth in grace must be matched with growth in character.

    The message affirmed that Christian service, regardless of office or calling, must be rooted in integrity and reverence for God.

    However, the message became more pointed as it narrowed its focus to prophets and prophetesses within the C&S Ayo Ni O Conference, underscoring what the leadership described as the unique weight, dignity and responsibility of the prophetic office. Dr. Adeniran reminded prophetic officers that their calling places them in visible positions of spiritual representation, both within the church and before the wider society.

    “As Prophets and Prophetesses, we are ambassadors of Christ and stewards of divine mysteries,” the Conference Supervising Prophet declared, adding that “the Cross we bear in this prophetic vocation is not ornamental; it is sacrificial.” He stressed that the prophetic calling demands “integrity, dignity, holiness, and uncompromising obedience to God,” warning that character must always validate prophecy. 

    Emphasising the need for exemplary conduct, the church charged prophets and prophetesses to maintain the highest standards of discipline in their personal lives, relationships, doctrine and public engagements. The leadership cautioned against behaviours capable of bringing reproach to the prophetic office, including internal strife, bitterness, jealousy and moral compromise.

    “I therefore charge you, in this season and beyond, to maintain the highest level of discipline in conduct, speech, doctrine, and lifestyle,” the message read, warning that immorality and discord undermine the sanctity of prophetic ministry and weaken the church’s moral authority.

     The address also reflected growing concern within the church about the misuse of social media by religious leaders, a trend that has sparked controversy across Nigeria’s faith space. The C&S Ayo Ni O leadership admonished prophets and prophetesses to exercise restraint and wisdom in their digital presence, noting that online conduct is an extension of spiritual responsibility.

     “Furthermore, I admonish all Prophets and Prophetesses to desist from all undignified and unwholesome use of social media,” Dr. Adeniran stated. “Every utterance, post, or engagement must reflect the gravity of our calling.” He warned that careless digital behaviour risks trivialising and commercialising the prophetic mantle.

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     Beyond individual accountability, the message also placed responsibility on leadership structures within the church, particularly officers of the Prophetic Council at district and conference levels. The leadership charged them to enforce discipline consistently and without compromise, describing accountability as essential to preserving the integrity of the prophetic institution.

    “To all Officers of the Prophetic Council, both at the District and Conference levels, I give a solemn charge: do not cover, excuse, or tolerate behaviours that are inimical to the right disposition of a Prophet,” the statement warned, noting that discipline administered in love safeguards the collective witness of the church.

     As the New Year approaches, the church called on prophets and prophetesses to renew their covenant of holiness, faithfulness and accountability, urging them to function as watchmen with clean hands and pure hearts. The leadership stressed that prophetic authority is sustained not by visibility or popularity but by upright living and obedience to God’s word.

    The message concluded with prayers and goodwill for the season, expressing confidence that those who remain faithful to their calling will experience deeper grace and spiritual authority in the coming year. Dr. Adeniran assured members that divine calling is accompanied by divine enablement, declaring that “faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”

  • Cleric, elderstatesman get church centenary awards 

    Cleric, elderstatesman get church centenary awards 

    Supreme Head of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Solomon Alao and elderstatesman, Olorunfunmi Basorun, were among those who got the church’s centenary award in Lagos.

    The awards and dinner at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, were part of activities marking the 100th anniversary of the church founded by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.

    Alao and three others – Elder Hezekiah Philips, Amos Ogunkunle, Abel – received ‘Grand Commander Order of C&S (GCOCS).

    Basorun, member of Lagos State All Progressives Congress Governance Advisory Council (GAC), received ‘Grand Pillar Order of C&S (GPOCS) with Rev. Esther Ajayi, Sulaiman Olaye and Apostle Samuel Shodipo.

    Fellowship Order of C&C (FOCS) was conferred on the late Oba Ladapo Ademola, 11, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, Oba Charles Ibitoye, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Prof. Akinyele Omoyajowo, and Oba Ezekiel Oyewole.

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    Basorun was accompanied by Assembly member from Ikorodu Moshood Aro and Igbogbo Baiyeku Council Chairman, Hameed Aroyewun

    Present were Lagos APC Chair, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Deputy Head of C&S, Kenneth Arajua, Eric Odunayo,   Benson Agosu, S.A Adeoye, E.D Bamisaye, D.O Ogunleye, B..O. Alaka, Emmanuel Owomoyela, Seyi Odufuwa, and Oluwasegun Rufai.

    Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his goodwill message, enjoined the church to always show the light of Christian and moral vslues, and pray for the country.

    The Chairman of the Award Committee, Owomoyela, described C&S as a unique organisation with a unique histor from its inception.

    He said the award was designed to showcase, celebrate and recognise those who had played unique roles in the growth of the church.

    Owomoyela also hailed the deceased awards, saying that their deeds cannot be forgotten.

    Urging the recipients to see the recognition as a challenge, he urged them to see the award as a call to duty.

    The church used the occasion to build support for the Moses Orimolade University project.

  • ‘How persecution forced Orimolade out of Anglican Church’

    ‘How persecution forced Orimolade out of Anglican Church’

    As the Cherubim and Seraphim Church marks its centenary, the story of its foundation, struggles, and evolution continues to be a subject of deep reflection. Special Apostle, Pastor Dr. Steve Olusegun Ogidan, in a keynote address at the 10th Memorial Lecture of Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye, sheds light on the roots of the church, its founder, Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase, and the challenges he faced in his pursuit of a spiritually authentic Christian movement.

    The lecture, themed: ‘Centenary of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church: Establishing a Legacy of Continuity from Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase to Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye and Beyond,’ brought together clerics, scholars, and leaders of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) from across the continent.

    Moses Orimolade’s break from the Anglican Church

    Dr. Ogidan traced the origins of Moses Orimolade’s departure from the Anglican Communion, attributing it to two key reasons: his refusal to commercialize his spiritual gift of healing and his vociferous campaign against cultism within the church.

    He explained that while the Anglican Church initially recognized Orimolade as an itinerant evangelist, his growing influence and spiritual reputation soon became a source of discomfort to the church’s leadership.

    Orimolade, known for his deep spiritual insight, arrived in Lagos on July 12, 1924, lodging at the Holy Trinity (Anglican) Church with a fellow native from Ikare-Akoko. His prayer life and powerful preaching quickly gained attention, earning him the title ‘Baba Aladura’ (Father that prays). His popularity, however, unsettled the Anglican establishment, leading to his ejection from the church premises on September 11, 1924.

    According to Ogidan, Orimolade’s refusal to monetize his healing ministry was one of the major reasons for his expulsion. The Anglican leadership saw an opportunity to generate revenue from his spiritual gifts, but Orimolade firmly upheld the biblical principle of freely giving what he had received from God. His well-known declaration, “Ofe la fi fun wa, ofe la si gbodo fi fun awon eniyan” (We received freely, and freely we must give), became a cornerstone of his ministry.

    Additionally, his outspoken stance against cultism within the church, particularly his opposition to clergy involvement in secret fraternities, further strained his relationship with the Anglican authorities. Ogidan highlighted that Archdeacon T. A. J. Ogunbiyi, the founder of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF) in 1914, was one of the influential church leaders who felt threatened by Orimolade’s campaign.

    Doctrinal conflicts and the Anglican response

    While Ogidan’s historical account suggests that Orimolade’s persecution stemmed from his opposition to commercialization and cultism, a theologian, Pastor Evans Adetokunbo Emmanuel of Grace Missions International offered a contrasting perspective. He argued that doctrinal differences, rather than external influences, were the primary cause of the schism between Orimolade’s movement and the Anglican Church.

    Pastor Emmanuel noted that the Anglican establishment viewed the Aladura Movement as excessive in its emphasis on divine healing and prayer. He highlighted the Faith Tabernacle Movement, which shared similar beliefs with Aladura but had Western influences, as another factor that shaped Anglican skepticism towards indigenous healing ministries.

    He dismissed claims that the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF) played a direct role in Orimolade’s expulsion, stating that by 1914, the fraternity was already under scrutiny and was never fully integrated into Anglican doctrine. Instead, he emphasized that infant baptismal practices and divine healing without medical intervention were among the core issues that led to the separation.

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    The fundamental is that in most of the history books you are going to read, you are not going to find the issue of the Ogboni Fraternity, and there that’s the truth. In many of the people’s theses and studies, concerning the Aladura and the Anglican relationship and how they broke up, you would hardly find all those things like it was because of money or Ogboni, you won’t find it. l have not read it once so that’s why I said it depends on who is speaking, and who is telling the story.

    Ogboni people in the past were idol worshippers and were not accepted by the growing elites of Christians close to hundreds of years ago but it is true that Ogunbiyi later brought Reformed Ogboni Fraternity to make it acceptable within the Anglican Church.

    Faith, commercialization, and the modern church

    Rev. Olufemi Emmanuel, Provost of the West African Theological Seminary, provided a theological reflection on Orimolade’s legacy, pointing out that many of the challenges he faced persist today. He identified three key issues that Orimolade fought against: The commercialization of spiritual gifts and the temptation to monetize divine power remains a challenge in many contemporary churches. Occult influence in Christian leadership: Just as Orimolade resisted the presence of secret societies in the church, modern Christianity continues to battle syncretism and leadership compromises.

    Doctrinal integrity: The emphasis on faith healing and the power of prayer over conventional medicine was a defining feature of Orimolade’s ministry. Today, similar debates persist over the role of faith versus science in healing.

    Rev. Emmanuel emphasized the need for revival, stating that Orimolade’s commitment to prayer, integrity, and non-commercialized ministry is a legacy that must be restored. He challenged the church leaders to resist the modern-day commodification of the gospel and to uphold the spiritual discipline and sacrifice that characterized Orimolade’s ministry.

    He said, “I am looking beyond denomination here. If the stance of Orimolade is what C&S represents, I would rather go for that”.

    He noted that unfortunately, the present-day C&S cannot make an absolute claim of following their founder’s footsteps; but even the Anglican is not better. The love of money, power and dirty politics is in that denomination.

    As the church steps into its second century, the challenge remains: Can modern leaders uphold the purity and fire of Orimolade’s vision? If history is any guide, the answer will depend on their willingness to prioritize prayer, resist compromise, and preserve the foundational values that gave birth to one of Africa’s most influential Christian movements.