The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has clarified that the rule prohibiting outsiders from preaching in its churches is applicable worldwide.
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A January 5, 2024, memo signed by Pastor Oladele Balogun, Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration, titled “Invitation of Guest Ministers in RCCG,” went viral on Monday.
It said that “no external preacher, speaker, or minister should be permitted on any of our altars or platforms.”
The letter that caused a stir on the internet was sent to all global pastors in charge of regions and provinces, as well as deputy and assistant continental overseers and overseers.
It read: “We refer to our memo dated 14th December 2023 with Ref: RCCG/ADM/OAB/JP/MEMO/14/12/2023 on the above subject matter, and wish to inform you that the General Overseer (Pastor Enoch Adeboye) has issued a further directive that no external preacher, speaker or minister should be permitted on any of our altars or platforms.
“Anyone intending to invite a guest minister, speaker, or preacher to their parish must ensure that the individual is a recognised member of the RCCG.”
The message also threatened to remove any minister who disobeyed the order from their ministerial responsibilities in the Mission and to subject them to “severe disciplinary measures.”
However, in an interview conducted late on Tuesday, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, the Head of Media and Public Relations for the RCCG, gave additional details about the letter, emphasizing that it was an absolute prohibition and that preachers who are not part of the RCCG ethos are not welcome to serve as parish ministers.
Pastor Olubiyi said: “It’s a total ban on all our parishes from inviting people from other churches. Yes, we have a system whereby people are to seek approval but now it’s a complete ban, a total ban from inviting people who are not clearly from the RCCG culture. It’s a total ban on all our parishes within and outside Nigeria from inviting people from other denominations.”
He added: “Any programme, anything we want to do, we must source from people who are clearly RCCG ministers.”
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