The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, held virtual service on Sunday, thereby complying with the orders of state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration banning gatherings of over 50 persons per time.
The PUNCH also reports that Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre also conducted online services on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
Dr Daniel Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries also made the list of a few of celebrated preachers in Nigeria whose mega-churches complied with the not-more-than-50-congregants per time directive to prevent community transmission of the novel coronavirus with cases reaching 27 in Nigeria as of the time of filing this report.
Olukoya’s church broadcast a previous sermon via its Social Media channels to its members worldwide.
The church, later in a video, showed an empty auditorium of its headquarters in Yaba area of Lagos, stressing that no ‘physical’ service was held at the auditorium on Sunday, adding that the church would not flout the directives of its host – the Lagos State Government.
The septuagenarian General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi also made the list.
Our correspondent confirmed that the church divided its branches which have more than 50 members to worship at different venues while branches with less than 50 members held services as usual but maintained high hygiene practices.
Pastor Adeboye during the online service said coronavirus would subside after God proves His point.
The 78-year-old cleric said during his sermon aired from the studio of Dove TV, which was broadcast live to all members of the church via Social Media channels, that the world is on a compulsory holiday.
He appreciated governments all over the world for the steps taken so far to tackle the scourge.
He said, “At the beginning of the year when I was giving the New Year prophecies, I did tell you that the world would behave like a child in convulsion.
“I announced that because I assumed that there would be earthquakes, volcanoes, flood, fire, tornadoes, hurricanes and all kind of natural disasters.
“But there is something extra He (God) said which I couldn’t tell you then and I will tell you the reason why I couldn’t tell you.
“He (God) told me loud and clear that this year, the whole world is going to be on compulsory holiday. When I heard that one, it was difficult to explain.
“I know the last time we got close to that – we didn’t get there – but we got close to the world being on holidays was after 9/11.
“You remember when there was this attack in America on the World Trade Centre Towers, that all planes were grounded around America.
“So, when He (God) said the whole world is going to be on compulsory holidays, I thought something like that is going to happen like it happened during 9/11.
“If that is what He (God) meant and somebody had prophesied it, when it occurs, the Interpol will come and get the fellow and say, ‘you heard about the plot and knew when they were planning it and you didn’t speak’, so, I kept my mouth shut.
“Now, the compulsory holiday is here and you can see the major nations of the world locking down. Even the smaller nations are locking down because nobody wants to travel by air.
“Compulsory holiday because my Daddy (God) wants to show the world that He is still in control. He wants to show some of us who think we are someone that Heaven is still His throne and the whole earth still His footstool.
“The good news about that is this; as soon as He has achieved His purpose, He will remove the plague.”
According to statistics from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, as of Sunday morning, there are 27 cases of the virus in Nigeria, with 4 in Abuja, 19 in Lagos, 2 in Ogun and 1 in Ekiti and Oyo States.
PUNCH
