RESPONSE:

Dear Concern Celestians,

First let me thank you for monitoring this informative page religiously as you mentioned.  You heard it right; and so at first that, Baba Owodunni was supposedly resigning as self appointed Pastor of Celestial Church of Christ.   That I was told too, when Evangelist Marcus, the Chairman of the purported Reconciliation Committee came to meet with me in Abeokuta.  Evangelist Marcus told me that Baba Owodunni sent him to me in particular and that he will confirm by calling Baba Owodunni to talk to me via telephone that day.  I did spoke with Baba Owodunni via telephone on that December 27, 2007 afternoon.  I was at this time believing that Baba Owodunni may have true reconciliation at heart.  I was also told by Evangelist Marcus that Baba Owodunni had pledged to spend whatever it takes to bring unity to the Church and that raised a flag immediately, as I knew and understood what that meant.

If the reconciliation committee was rightly what it was called, the leaders should meet first and later bring in their respective supporters but reverse is the case as the campaigning group for reconciliation approached supporters of other leaders, offering them positions, appointing them into posts and rewarding them with money and even campaigning against their respective leaders.  If your question is whether I am in support of reconciliation, my answer is yes as I have started reconciliation process long before the Owodunni Reconciliation Committee was formed.  I had met with and working closely with Papa Benoit D. Agbaossi as one body and sole in the work of Christ.

Yes is my answer to your other question, and that I indeed met with Baba Owodunni the same way I met with Papa Agbaossi or will meet with any other leaders of the Church who wanted to meet me for the sake of unity in Celestial Church of Christ, but not as a supporter of the purported Reconciliation Committee as it is so formed, and due to their approach to spending Baba Owodunni's money.

In the case of meeting with Baba Owodunni,  I met with Prophet Johnson Banmeke (Wolider Johnson Ede) in his house and Wolider Johnson insisted that I meet with Baba Owodunni that same day.  We met as I was curious to know the genuineness of Baba Owodunni's interest in reconciliation and unity in the Church.  But, I made it clear that I was not there for purposes of their reconciliation committee by asking that members, including the chairman, Evangelist Marcus who was at one time with our dispensation that offers no money for reconciliation, to leave the room.

Baba Owodunni did most of the talking in his plea for support as the one chosen by Papa S. B. J. Osofa (Oshoffa) before the demise of the Pastor and founder of the Church.  Baba Owodunni brought up two story points that is yet to be substantiated evidentially.  In Baba Owodunni's word, he started by saying:  Papa Osofa appointed him twice, first; secretly in Papa's bedroom, when Papa invited him to his bedroom and asked that he (Baba Owodunni) sit next to Papa Osofa on the bed.  Baba Owodunni said he refused the invitation respectfully but Papa Osofa insisted repeatedly.  Then Papa Osofa held Baba Owodunni's hands in lock tight palm clasp, then Papa Osofa went on to say that he (Papa Osofa) will, from that moment on fear Baba Owodunni as he (Baba Owodunni) represents standing dead tree and he (Papa Osofa) represents farm owner (farmer), if the farmer did not cut down the standing dead tree, the standing dead tree can fall and kill the farmer.  This statement in Baba Owodunni's interpretation meant that Papa Osofa had appointed him secretly.

On the secondly story point; Baba Owodunni said Papa Osofa appointed him in the midst of other board of trustees present at a special meeting of the board with Papa Ososfa, Papa Baba, Papa Ajanlekoko, Baba Adefeso. Baba Owodunni and Baba Ogunlesi except that Bada Banjo was not present because he was incapacitated (Baba Banjo was then in Jail).  Papa Osofa offered them fried plantain (Dodo) of which they all ate.  Papa then offered them water to drink from a jug with Papa Osofa drinking from the jug first but instead of giving the drink to Papa Bada, which would be in line with their position in the hierarchy of the Church, Papa Osofa gave the water to Papa Ajanlekoko, then Papa Bada, Baba Adefeso thereafter, though Baba Owodunnui is Baba Ogunlesi's senior in the hierarchy, Papa Osofa gave the water to Baba Ogunlesi to drink before Baba Owodunni, Papa Osofa did not give the water to Baba Owodunni as he did with others but handed the water to Baba Owodunni to drink himself and finish it all, then Papa Osofa told Baba Owodunni that everything ends with Baba Owodunni.  In Baba Owodunni's interpretation to the second story point, Baba Owodunni believed that Papa Osofa had chosen him again in the midst of the trustees.

The spiritual meaning to the two story points as presented by Baba Owodunni in his word to me was in contrast with Baba Owodunni's meaning.  There is no way anyone within reasonable senses can interpret the standing dead tree that endangered the farmer's life as being harmonious or cordial relationship.  Dead tree has no value nor benefit to anyone and is unproductive.  If Papa Osofa feared Baba Owodunni in anyway, it could only be that he (Papa Osofa) knew what the Church would become today that he was then afraid.  As for the second story point where the trustees except Baba Banjo who did not attend the meeting ate fried plantain and drink water with Papa Osofa and that the order in which the water was served to them was how they died.  Papa Osofa drank the water first, then gave the water to Papa Ajanlekoko, then Papa Bada, followed by Baba Adefeso, then Baba Ogunlesi, it was in this order that they all died and everything will end with Baba Owodunni, the only one remaining alive because Baba Banjo did not attend the board meeting that day.  Death leaves no witness to this story as it was never told either to the court or anyone when others involved were alive.  I prayed for God to restore senses to those who lead this Church, so they can wake up to know the truth.

Since Baba Owodunni had taking the Church and Papa Alexander Abiodun Bada to lower court, the court of appeal  and the supreme court on a claim that Papa Osofa did not appoint Papa Bada or anyone before his demise, how do we justify this new claim that Pap Osofa appointed Owodunni secretly and with fried plantain (Dodo) and water.  The riddles continue...

Baba Owodunni raised the question on validity of the registration of the Church in USA and the two resolution given to me by the remaining Board of Trustees of Celestial Church of Christ Nigeria Diocese.  That needs no explanation to any lucid human mind, except those who had lost it completely.  There were seven original members of the Registered Board of Trustees of CCC Nigeria Diocese: Papa Osofa, Papa Bada, Papa Ajanlekoko, Baba Adefeso, Baba Owodunni, Baba Ogunlesi and Baba Banjo.  The USA registration was adopted and executed by five of them, Papa Osofa was deceased and Baba Owodunni abstaining due to lack of cooperation with others.  That does no stop the business of the trustees as quorum was formed and majority carry the day and the action preceded the Supreme Court ruling, and the later Supreme Court ruling has no effect on the trusteeship as of then.  Any statement or expression made that were otherwise contrary to this fact is absurd.  Baba Owodunni statement that the act was invalid tally well with those interpretation he had on his story points.

The question you forgot to ask..., Do I have respect for Baba Owodunni..?  The answer to that is: Yes, I have respect for all the elders in Celestial Church of Christ and understood them very well.  Though their reasoning on points of interpretation sometimes become questionable and unsettling, they are still our elders and most be given due respect.

While I have yielded the position of Grand Patron of Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide to Papa Agbaossi as the only remaining member of the three elders of in this Church, I am considering yielding the position of Patron of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide to Baba Owodunni, should he reason with his position as the eldest of the remaining original board of trustees appoint by the Pastor and Founder and allow real and meaningful unification in the Church and stop deceiving members in quest for followership under this so called Reconciliation Conference.  The best reconciliation yet is that which was been handed down by the Court of competent jurisdiction, such as when Baba Owodunni himself took the constitution of the Church to Court and have it rendered invalid.  The axe of judgment will soon come down on the defunct board of trustees of Nigeria Diocese and Baba Owodunni is inclusive or so, as I will like to remind all that he is one of the remaining board of trustees of CCC Nigeria Diocese.

Signed:

Prophet, Rev. G. Bolanle Shonekan

Pastor and Supreme Shepherd

Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide.

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