COVID-19: Nigerian pastor holds New Year crossover service, dares govt to arrest him

Despite the directive by the Ondo State government banning the annual “cross over vigil”, senior pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa still went ahead to hold the programme.

At the cross over service held in his church auditorium in Akure, Giwa said only a fake Christian is afraid of death.

The state government through the Ondo State Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID-19 had threatened to jail any church leader who flouts its ban on crossover services across the state due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Giwa, while addressing his church members said it would be hard for anybody who could not die for Christ to enter the kingdom of God.

He quoted the book of Matthew 10:39 to support his argument and urged Christians to expect great tribulation any moment.

“You can only arrest me in the house of God, but you cannot arrest me in a beer parlor. What is the essence of following Jesus Christ if you cannot die for Him?

“We did our cross over service today successfully and closed at 12:35 am. I made a vow to God to gather His children to worship him.

“I fear no man, but God. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, says Jesus’s Christ in Matthew 10:39.

“The apostles in the bible died for Christ, but most apostles of our time are afraid. When the Scripture tells you to obey a leader, it does not tell you to obey leaders who don’t have fear God,” Giwa stated.