In a turn of events, LoveWorld Incorporated, popularly known as Christ Embassy, experienced a devastating fire in the early hours of yesterday.
The church workers and other members present for the Sunday service had no inkling of what was about to unfold. The scene quickly turned traumatic as the intense heat and deafening roar of the flames engulfed the building, leaving members running for safety in a state of pandemonium.
Africa Health Report (AHR) correspondent who visited the scene on Monday reported that the fire destroyed the ground floor of the church administrative block as well as the main auditorium, reducing them to ruins.
While the cause of the fire remains uncertain, there are various speculations. Some individuals in the vicinity who spoke to AHR surmised that it was a spiritual attack orchestrated by demonic forces.
“But God has shamed the Devil,” said Osa, one of the church members.
However, a majority of the church members who were interviewed by AHR attribute the incident to a power surge from electrical appliances. They expressed gratitude that no one was harmed during the incident.
A member, identified as Uche, shared, “I thank God because the inferno did not lead to any casualty,” he said. ” The church had organized its one-week programme which we usually closed with a thanksgiving service at the Asese Camp. So many people were not here yesterday.”
When asked about the cause of the fire, Uche, like other members, believed it was due to a spark in the electrical appliances caused by a power surge.
Another member, who chose not to disclose her name, stated that the entire building would have been destroyed if not for the timely intervention of the church-trained fire personnel and hydrant system in place, which helped bring the fire under control before the intervention of the Lagos Fire Service.
AHR gathered that the inferno started around 7:3 am and was put out around 4 pm preventing worshippers from gaining entrance to the church’s main auditorium to conduct the morning service.
It also learned that to avoid a vacuum, church members were taken to Asese, the Crusade Ground along Lagos/Ibadan expressway, Ogun State so that the Sunday service could continue.
Despite the devastating impact, the church’s president and founder, Oyakhilome, during a live Sunday service at the church’s campground, Asese, said what happened was not an accident but an avenue for bigger and better things to come for the church.
“Now that this has happened, we will build a bigger, better, and more glorious one and the devil will lick his wound,” he announced.
One of the church leaders who spoke to our AHR echoed the same sentiment as Pastor Chris. He said the fire incident would never affect the growth of the church.
He believed it would rather strengthen it. According to him, “It’s a temporary setback.”
