Brotherhood Church: A kingdom Divided Against Itself?
By Ndifereke BASSEY
SILENT revolution seems to be gradually unfolding at the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) as adherents are fighting dirty over who is the authentic leader of the sect.
For years now, there has been prolonged succession crisis in BCS between Roland Olumba Obu, the son of the Late Olumba Olumba Obu and the sister, Ibum. While Roland is seen as the authentic King of Kings and Spiritual Leader of BCS Worldwide, Ibum leads another faction who equally sees as their leader and heir apparent, especially those based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.
THE BEAGLE NEWS gathered that the leadership crisis has festered on since its founder, Olumba Obu, passed away, until recently when a Court delivered a judgement in favour of Roland Olumba Obu.
However, following the judgment in favour of Roland's faction, some worshippers loyal to Ibum, protested and went berserk at one of the branches in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, destroying the portrait of Olumba’s first son, Rowland.
A video, which is being circulated on WhatsApp groups and Facebook, captured a man in a white cassock yanking off Rowland’s portrait from the wall and smashing it on the floor amid cheers from other worshippers.
Rowland’s portrait was hung near Olumba’s, but the angry worshippers did not attack the latter.
“Bring it down!” a woman’s voice could be heard shouting in the background of the video as the man in a white cassock smashed the glass frame on the ground.
“This is who we are worshipping,” a man’s voice could be heard shouting repeatedly as the camera panned and then focused on Olumba’s portrait on the wall."
Reacting to the development, the spokesman of the fold; PCS Amah Williams on Saturday November 16, 2024 at Four Towns Bethel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; during a press conference to mark the divine manifestation event of the fold's leader; His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu, described the video as spurious and called on members of the public to disregard the video circulating and trending in media space especially on Facebook did not take place at the world headquarters of the fold. The World Headquarters of BCS is safe, calm and peaceful.
He disclosed that members of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star shall be hosting their 2024 Universal celebration of the Divine Manifestation of His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu with the theme; The Unshakable King slated to hold from Monday 18th - Sunday 24th November, 2024 in Calabar.
He revealed that the actions as seen in the trending video took place at the property owned by Brotherhood of the Cross and Star but invaded by some hired hoodlums who paraded themselves as the New Kingdom Ministry at Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo.
The Spokesman noted that Brotherhood of the Cross and Star and her leadership was taken to court by some members of the New Kingdom Ministry, over a property owned by Brotherhood of the Cross and Star along Nsikak Eduok Avenue.
He said: "The fact of the matter is simple, the property in question is a subject of litigation "Hon. Justice Joy Unwana of the Akwa Ibom State High Court on the 17th of October, 2024 ruled that New Kingdom Ministry’s application lacks merit and was dismissed with the sum of N100, 000.00 against the applicant in favour of each respondent.
Rather than seek good legal advice, the members of the New Kingdom Ministry same people who rebelled against the leadership of BCS long time ago decided to take laws into their hands by organizing hoodlums to invade the BCS Worship Centre at Nsikak Eduok in clear contempt of the Court’s ruling."
"Their action as seen in the video that has already gone viral speaks more of their ignorance of the scriptures and confirms the fact that they are not led by the Holy Spirit. If they are aware of scriptural added nominations, they should be aware of the Statement of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 5:22-23 “which states thus; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgements unto the son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him”, he disclosed.
PCS Amah said that the action as seen in the viral video shows that the people who perpetrated such act lack spiritual understanding.
He said: "For Christ had already said in John 10:30, I and My Father are one. How then can you say you honour the Father and then dishonour the Son? They say the Father is God, and I ask them, who then is the Son of the same Father you said is God? Is He not the Son of God?
"I urge the general public to discountenance the rantings of the rebels and focus on the truth that seek to project the Kingdom of God on earth, promote the Fatherhood of all creations and the Brotherhood of mankind," the spokesman added.
Olumba still alive
Meanwhile, the authorities of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) says their Spiritual Leader, His Holiness, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, is well and alive, not dead as being speculated in the social media, calling on the general public to disregard the misleading videos that has gone viral on social media, noting that the alleged videos are not true
Speaking with journalists at Ambo, the World Headquarters of Brotherhood of Cross, Calabar, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu prayed for peace in the families and the nation at large and urged his followers to embrace love as the greatest weapon against hate and all divisive tendencies;
Leader Olumba stressed that; rumours have the tendency of spreading like wild fire, urging Christians to imbibe the lessons of love as demonstrated by the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ during his travails in the hands of the Jews.
Obu stated that he was not surprised because it's not the first time that BCS is facing false accusations, adding that by now adherents should be comforted by the fact that such acts are based on ignorance of their teachings and what the organisation represents.
