Victor EzejaThe presiding pastor of House on the Rock Abuja, Uche Aigbe has tendered an unreserved apology to his congregation and the entire Nigerians for mounting the pulpit with an unloaded AK-47 rifle.
A video posted on the church’s social media page showed Pastor Aigbe, during Sunday service with a remorseful tone saying that he was disappointed in himself for not considering the consequence of bringing the firearm to illustrate a passage in the scripture before taking the decision.
Prime Business Africa reports that a viral video clip recently showed Pastor Aigbe with an AK47 rifle on the pulpit.
The incident which caused a stir in the church was said to have been done by the cleric to demonstrate to the congregation message in the Bible about guarding their faith.
The church following reactions generated by the incident released a statement where it explained that the pastor had always shown exemplary leadership since 1999 when he became a pastor in the church.
The church however acknowledged his mounting the pulpit with a gun to demonstrate his message was inappropriate.
The pastor was subsequently arrested and detained by the Federal Capital Territory police authorities where he tendered an apology for his action.
Addressing the congregation on Sunday, Aigbe announced his temporal withdrawal from presiding church activities in order to reflect on the events, pray and heal.
He said, “This morning, I stand before you with a deep sense of sobriety and contrition as I humbly address the event of last Sunday at the second service which most of us were a part of, where I used an unloaded firearm to illustrate some texts from the Bible regarding the good fight of faith.
“Of course, as you all know, it has caused a lot of embarrassment and pain to the entire church family, to you House on the Rock (The Refuge), to my immediate family and, of course, to myself. The decision that I made to use that firearm was not thoughtful. It has left me disappointed in myself. My action has been very traumatic for me, my family and, I am sure, for many of us. And I trust that we will never ever experience such again.”
The pastor said he has consulted with the senior leadership of the church and would be taking some time off for prayer and meditation.
He thanked members of the congregation for their goodwill and pleaded for forgiveness from anyone who was offended by his action.
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“I want to thank you all for your prayers, love, empathy, goodwill messages and emotional support during this traumatic period. As Christians, time is of such trial that I have presently experienced, learning opportunities to grow in grace. I appreciate the love of our Heavenly Father who never leaves us nor forsakes us. He has promised us that no matter what happens, He will always be with us.
“To this end, I have consulted as necessary and with acceptable guidance from the senior leadership of the church. And I would like to humbly ask for your permission to take some time to pray, meditate, reflect and also to heal from all of the things that happened and its consequence. Notwithstanding, I will always be in church on Sundays and Wednesdays to worship with you,” he stated.
“Let me say that I bear no grudge against anybody in my heart. If I have offended you, please forgive me. God is God and He will always remain our Father.
“So, let’s remain resolute in our faith and trust in God. Let’s continue to labour in the house and not allow the enemies to deter us in any way. I also believe God for a peaceful election on Saturday and the weeks after that,” he prayed.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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