The leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has denied media reports that a youthful pastor, who reportedly committed suicide in Abuja, on Tuesday, was its minister.
The church made the rebuttal, Thursday, in a release signed by its Head of Media and Public Relations, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi.
The media, especially the social media, were awash with reports that a minister with the church, Pastor Michael Arowosaiye, had reportedly snuffed his own life around 4p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, 2019
The handsome young pastor reportedly hanged himself with his belt in his
Sunnyvale Estate residence sequel to his inability to solve his accommodation problem.
The late Pastor Arowosaiye was said to have slipped into depression shortly before he took the tragic decision. Before that, he was reported to have ministered powerfully at a recent RCCG youth event.
It was not clear if he left any suicide note.
But in its rebuttal, the RCCG said though the deceased was a member of the church until 2017 when he left for another Ministry, he was never an RCCG Pastor.
“He was a singer and a keyboardist in one of our Youth Parishes in Abuja until 2017 when he left for another ministry,” the RCCG said in the statement.
Below is the full text of the press release:
RE: RCCG MINISTER COMMITS SUICIDE
The attention of the leadership of the RCCG has been drawn to reports of the death of one Mr. Michael Arowosaiye said to have committed suicide in Abuja on Tuesday May 14, 2019.
The report which has been trending on the social media and has also featured in the newspapers, said the man decided to take his own life after going into depression.
While the RCCG leadership sympathises with the family of the deceased, it has become necessary to clarify the mis-information and absolute falsehood in the report.
The said Mr. Michael Arowosaiye was not a minister in the RCCG. He was a singer and a keyboardist in one of our Youth Parishes in Abuja until 2017 when he left for another ministry.
His movement to another ministry notwithstanding, Michael, through his elder brother who is presently one of the coordinators of the RCCG Youth Choir, continued to get invitation to minister in RCCG programmes.
He had accommodation problem in 2018 and though he was no longer in the RCCG, a family in the Mission gave him the Boy’s Quarters of their house in Sunnyvale Estate in Lokogoma FCT, which was where he lived till the unfortunate suicide incident.
It is therefore untrue to refer to him as a Minister in the RCCG. It is also misleading and absolutely incorrect to create the impression that RCCG does not care for its Members and Ministers. The RCCG is in the forefront among organizations with robust welfare package in Nigeria.
- Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi is RCCG’s Head, Media & Public Relations
