The Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide, His Eminence, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, has reacted to the ongoing controversy ignited by statements made by VSE Olatosho Oshoffa, concerning wearing of ear rings, tattoos and plaiting of hair by male members of the Celestial Church of Christ.

Speaking from his present base in the U.S.A, His Eminence, condemned, in very strong terms, the statements made by VSE Olatosho Oshoffa who is the Shepherd in Charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, International Headquarters, Ketu, Lagos.

In the words of Reverend E.M.F. Oshoffa, the Celestial Church of Christ is a Bible Believing Church and we must portray this in everything we do. Quoting copiously from the scriptures, Reverend E.M.F. Oshoffa relayed the words contained in 1st Peter 2:9 – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The Spiritual Head called on all members of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide to shun the things of the world as spelt out in the scriptures in 1st John 2:15-16 which says, “Dont love this evil world or the things in it. If you love the world, you do not have the love of the father in you. This is all there is in the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see and being too proud of what we have. But none of these comes from the Father. They come from the world.”

And specifically addressing the wearing of female adornments by male members of the Celestial Church of Christ, the Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ quotes the scriptures in Deuteronomy 22:5 which says, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD, thy God.”

In a voice quivering with unbridled conviction, E.M.F. says, “Just because society approves of something does not make it right in the eyes of God. The Bible warns against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 which says, ‘Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print or tattoo any marks upon you.’

The new testament takes it higher by preaching that it is wrong to defile our bodies. 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 says, ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’

On God’s calling on his children, the spiritual leader of the world’s largest white garment church has this to say, “The call of God is mysterious and it comes by God’s supreme will. God has called us all into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ,” so says the Bible. The Almighty calls different people in different ways and for different purposes,” His Eminence stated categorically.

Hence

The Celestial Church of Christ does not encourage a man to wear what pertains to a woman and vice versa.
The Celestial Church of Christ does not encourage her members to pierce their bodies and wear tattoos.
The Celestial Church of Christ recognises that the call of God is on all who have been called into this fold as God has called us all into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Once again, we wish to reiterate that the Celestial Church of Christ is a Bible Believing Church. Members of the church are devoted and ardent followers of Christ and our utterances, deeds and actions must mirror the life of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the one whom we all bow and tremble at the mention of His name, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Reverend E.M.F. Oshoffa warned all clergy and laity of the church to desist from whipping up unnecessary controversies by making inflammatory statements capable of pitching members against the leadership of the church. Again, he delved into the scriptures in James 1:26 which says, “If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15.)