Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, has disowned a ‘pastor’ who promised members of his congregation heaven for N310,000 each. The Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, denounced the proclamation of Ade Abraham, while urging Christians in the state to disregard the fraudulent proclamation.
In a statement, yesterday, in Kaduna, Hayab noted: “The attention of CAN, Kaduna State chapter, has been drawn to the news in some sections of the media about one pastor described as Ade Abraham, offering to take his members to heaven if they pay N310,000.
“Though Abraham’s offer of a ticket to heaven is cheaper than the ransom Kaduna bandits ask their victims; sadly, CAN has not found anyone that knows the location of the church or established a church in Kaduna town with that name.”
According to Hayab, a faceless character like Ade Abraham can easily give the faith of the community a bad name, especially that CAN cannot trace his whereabouts or find any useful information about his whereabouts in Kaduna.
He stated: “Is it possible that Abraham, before becoming spiritual, had lived in Kaduna, or did he come to Kaduna for a visit? How can we have such a pastor and nobody knows him, only for us to read about his drama in the media, whereas the journalists in Kaduna do not have this information?
“Kaduna CAN appeals to whosoever knows Ade Abraham or the location of a church in Kaduna linked to the alleged person to furnish it with the information, so that we could work with security agencies to prevent what could further compound the security challenges in the state.”
Affirming that it will not decide what sermon her priests should preach, CAN said it would not hesitate to expose fake preachers when it finds one, especially when the sermon contradicts the teachings contained in the Bible.
It, therefore, called for investigation of the so-called pastor’s identity and the location of his ministry to put the record straight and to avoid creating panic and misleading the public.
“CAN wishes to advise the Christian faithful not to rush into accepting every kind of teaching without first studying the Scriptures to understand if what the preacher says is true, like the Berean believers who studied the Scriptures, day and night, to confirm whether what Apostle Paul was saying was true. May God deliver us from unholy preachers,” Hayab added.
