It was a beautiful gathering of young men and women fully attired in stylish white robe of different embroidered, laces, Swarovski and sequins, designs.
That fateful Tuesday afternoon at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State, the hall was full with vibrant youths of Cherubim and Seraphim Church and Celestial Church of Christ.
The youths who came all the way from the United Kingdom, the United States of America and from across Nigeria, harped on the unity of churches in Christendom, and called on those who have one negative thought or another about white garment churches to have a change of heart, saying there was no difference between the Christians that wear regular clothes and those that wear white garments.
They condemned the situation where privileges are denied white garment church members just because they are members of the denominations and nothing more.
Addressing the conference, two youths that represented each of the organisations, Brother Qudus Patrick of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church and Sister Kehinde Akande of the Celestial Church of Christ, took time to intimate the audience on the need for unity among Christian groups, saying emphatically that white garment churches need not be discriminated against because they also believe in Jesus Christ and the bible, which is the Word of God.
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The young people who proudly talked about their faith, appealed to gospel and orthodox churches and the public to embrace unity and tolerance of one another in the quest to run the Christian race towards making heaven in the end..
“We understand that there are negative connotations against us. We want to make people, especially our fellow Christians, understand that we are also Christians. We believe, confess and profess Jesus Christ, just as we believe in the Word of God, the Bible,” Brother Patrick said.
Convener of the meeting, Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi, Founder, Love of Christ Generation Church (C&S), based in London, England, at the event intimated the audience about the forthcoming ‘Celebrate The Comforter 2018’ annual convention.
According to her, July 28, the world would see the difference in practicing Christianity when the Cherubim and Seraphim Church and Celestial Church of Christ will come together as one to celebrate this year’s ‘Celebrate The Comforter’ at United Palace, Broadway, New York, United States of America.
“The essence of the celebration involving the two strong sects, is to disabuse the mind of the people as regards white garment churches, especially ‘those who are hypocritical about us’, stating emphatically that ‘the body of Christ is one, not divided’ according to 1 Corinthians 12:1 to end.
She maintained that white garment churches are bible believing churches and should not be discriminated against while intimating that the reason behind holding the first edition in UK and the second edition in USA before bringing it down to the ‘root’, Nigeria, lies in the fact that the first two countries have what it takes to create the necessary awareness, moreover, UK happens to be the residence of the organizer and home country of the parent church.
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“There is the need for all Christians to exist in one accord and live in unity without casting aspersions on another. Just because we wear white garment does not make us any different from the rest of Christendom. Our purpose is one and the same,” she said.
Supporting Rev. Esther Abimbola Ajayi on the views that white garment churches are pure Bible-believing and practicing church, were Odekunle Michael, Babaniji Oluwamayowa, Michael Oduyebo,, Adetutu Ogunleye, Ayo Osho, Ola Ajayi and Dr. Fatunloye, who is the music director.
Mother Ajayi further stressed that the basic idea of bring the C&S and CCC sects together is to create a positive impression in the minds of the people, and that on no account will the two churches merge to become one.
This is simply because, according to her, both were founded on separate visions and callings, and so the possibility of merging is zero.“C&S remains C&S and Cele remains Cele,” she concluded.