A pastor with the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM), Dominic Uwalaka, has accused the church of branding him a member of the Eastern Security Network ESN) for complaining about certain unwholesome practices in the church.
He also alleged that the church wants to confiscate his building housing the branch of the church he pastored.
Uwalaka, who was the Pastor of MFM Obidi Amapu Okuku Branch in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, said that the church officials used some of his colleagues to frame him and take over the building of the branch he pastored and which he bought with his own money.
According to Uwalaka, he had in 2009 resigned from the church due to the unwholesome practices, including using diabolic means in its worship and non-payment of backlog of salaries to him.
He had also accused the Church of having no regard for its pastors, promotion of evil loyalty and bribe and heretic teaching.
Uwalaka however said that in 2013 he had to withdraw his resignation due to the intervention of some members.
But Uwalaka said that since then the church had not relented as he has continued to subject him to all forms of abuse.
According to him, the authorities of the church have also denied him his salary and attempted to take over the building housing the church, which he bought with his money when the church refused to provide accommodation for its activities.
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He said that he had been summoned before several disciplinary committees after he had been issued several queries and he had defended himself of all the allegations.
Uwalaka said he was able to defend himself before the church’s highest disciplinary committee on allegation of ministerial misdemeanor involving neglect of official instructions, adding that to his chagrin, the church was determined to nail him.
He added, “I could not bear all of the harassments and intimidation. They used all means to get me out including using my colleagues and tagging me as ESN member. They used the police to harrass me. But the last straw which I could not bear was when I was recalled to the international headquarters of the church in Lagos as a punitive measure.
“After building the church in Amapu with my sweat, I was treated like a common criminal. They also denied me my salary for all these years and upon all wanted to take over the building of the church, which I bought with my own money. They used the regional overseer to torment and make my life miserable in the church.”
In a letter sighted by our correspondent, Uwalaka was withdrawn from pastoring the branch in Owerri and transferred to Lagos, as action he considered punitive.
When contacted the Chairman of the Church’s disciplinary committee, Chief Rotimi Jacobs, (SAN), accused Uwalaka of being economical with the truth.
He said, “Before I answer you, tell him to tell you the whole truth. Also ask him why he resigned from the church and returned five years later. The same church he accused of using diabolical means in their worship, was the same church he returned to pastor after five years. Ask him with which money did he use to buy the property he alleged we are trying to take over from him.
“He’s not worth any attention because if I open my mouth and tell you what he did nobody will like to listen to his preaching.”
Jacobs said that no punitive measure was taken against Uwalaka as he was only transferred to the international headquarters to continue with his work, adding, “tell him that his campaign of calumny won’t work but will worsen his predicament”.
