Baptist Church Members Lock Out Pastor Over Alleged Embezzlement

Sunday service of Ajegunle Baptist Church, Agbowo, Ibadan was held outside the church’s gate as some group of members aggrieved over their Pastor’s alleged financial impropriety, improper behaviour and abuse of pulpit locked the church. .

According to Tribune, the aggrieved members under the umbrella of “Concerned Members”, are insisting that church pastor, Reverend Oyewole Oyekan, leaves the church on allegations of unilaterally running the financial affairs of the church and banking the church’s money to the tune of over N4 million in his personal account. .

Speaking on behalf of the concerned members, Mr Sangolade Olufemi, said, “Our pastor has turned himself to the treasurer and financial secretary of the church, whereas we employed him. .

He spends our money singlehandedly without getting clearance from the financial secretary or church council. He cornered the account of the school for five years. .

When the school account of the school had problem, he started banking the school money in his personal account to the tune of over N4m. Even the church executive does not know the actual amount with him.” .

The crisis had begun about three years, when the group had forwarded their grievances to the Nigerian Baptist Convention, asking that Pastor Oyekan be axed after over 15 years of being in charge. .

The Nigerian Baptist Convention, in a letter dated December 20, 2016, had then confirmed financial misapplication by Reverend Dr Oyekan, though noted there was no embezzlement. .

The convention however ruled that the pastor should not keep church money, rather should allow the finance officers to do so.

Speaking on the allegations against him, Oyekan described the allegations as false, noting that no report of the auditor, financial secretary, treasurer or church in council had indicted him of embezzlement.