Worshippers battle over signatories to church’s bank account

Worshippers battle over signatories to church’s bank account
Anglican Church leaders in the Diocese of Niger Delta North and
foundation members of the Saint Matthew’s Anglican Church,
Nkpogwu Deanery, Rivers State, have locked horns over who
should be signatories to the church’s bank account.
The leaders of the church had frowned on a situation where only
foundation members were signatories to St. Matterw’s bank
account. Their argument was that the vicar of the church must be a
signatory.
The issue escalated after a new vicar, Ven. Chiemela Samuel,
assumed duty at the church and was not allowed to be a signatory
to the church’s bank account.
The leaders subsequently took on the foundation members, which
led to a crisis in the church.
The crisis, however, took a fresh turn when the foundation
members openly challenged the leaders at a peace meeting and
embarked on a spontaneous protest outside the church premises.
The meeting was called on Saturday to settle the issue amicably,
but rather, it escalated the crisis in the church, with the foundation
members demanding the removal of the pastor. Electrical
connections to the vicar’s lodge were also disconnected.
Archibishop, Province of Niger Delta and Bishop, Diocese of Niger
Delta North, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey, who had tried to broker
peace, said withdrawal and use of church funds without the
knowledge of the vicar was wrong.
He blamed the problem of the church on “some foundation
members, who had been parading themselves as a cabal in the
church.”
He said, “This church has been giving problem since its inception.
Members use money anyhow without the pastor’s approval. We
feel there should be a check to these things.
“In Anglican churches all over the world, pastors are chief
signatories, but it is not like that in this church. The foundation
members of the church use money anyhow because the pastor is
not a signatory to the church’s account.”
It was learnt that the diocesan management team had met with
some of the church members and came out with a communiqué
sighted by our correspondent on Thursday.
The communiqué, signed by Kattey and two others, reads in part,
“The Diocesan Board maintains that henceforth and in line with the
provisions and financial instructions of the Diocese (Niger Delta
North), signatories to all church bank accounts should be the
chairman (rector or vicar), treasurer and secretary with the
chairman as the only principal (‘A’) signatory.
“To this end, the Diocesan Board further directs that all current
signatories to all bank accounts of St. Matthew’s Anglican
Church, Nkpogwu Deanery, be replaced with new ones from the
caretaker committee until such a time when elections will be held
in line with diocesan regulations.
“The relevant provisions of the diocesan financial institutions
should be adhered to in order to forestall further abuse of church
funds.”
The Chairman, Resolution Committee, Ven. Richard Okpara,
condemned the invasion of the pastor’s residence to disconnect
electricity to the house.
He added, “The pastor brought a generator. They went there again
and destroyed it and spread faeces on the pastor’s premises. We
consider that to be witchcraft.
“About three pastors were driven away by this group of persons
and now they want to drive the current pastor away.”
A member of the church, who prefers anonymity because of the
sensitive nature of the matter, described the allegations against
the foundation members of the church as fallacies, adding that the
congregation had agreed that the pastor should go.
“All these allegations are fallacies. The bishop is bringing ethnic
coloration to the whole issue. The pastor is trying to change the
vision of the church and members are saying that the pastor
should go.”
When contacted, Samuel told PUNCH Metro on the telephone that
he stood by the position of the diocese.
He added, “But we should know that the truth always stands with
two legs and falsehood stands with one leg. Very soon, lies will
get tired and the truth will prevail.”