Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the General Overseer of Christ Embassy Church, addressed the recent fire outbreak that severely damaged the church’s building in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
The fire, which occurred on Sunday morning, destroyed the Loveworld Convocation Arena (LCA), previously the headquarters of Christ Embassy Church.
In a message during the International Cell Leaders Conference (ICLC) Sunday Service at the Church Camp Grounds in Asese, Pastor Chris described the building as one of the best worship facilities, valued at multiple millions of dollars.
“That’s the best worship facility, frankly, in this part of the world. It’s worth multiple millions of dollars,” Pastor Chris stated.
He then invited the Secretary General of Loveworld, Kay Adesina, to share his eyewitness account of the incident. Adesina reported extensive damage, stating, “It’s really, really messed up. We were not able to enter, but we could see from outside. I took some of the pictures. The whole of the interior was coated in fire. And everywhere inside actually collapsed, including the offices.”
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Adesina added that the fire services struggled to contain the blaze from outside due to the intensity of the fire. “The fire services that were there, they saw that they couldn’t go in. So they tried to put out the fire from outside. But all, including the external wall, you see, all the walls are compromised. But the only reason why the whole structure is not compromised is because they are steel structures. Otherwise, you would think that the whole building would collapse. So it’s really in a bad state,” he explained.
Despite the devastation, Pastor Chris emphasized the church’s resilience and determination to rebuild. “We will build a beautiful one, let the devil lick his wounds. We must look at life from the spiritual,” he declared.
Reflecting on past challenges, Pastor Chris recounted the Ikebukuro attack and how the church overcame it, underscoring their faith and strength. “I’ll never forget, when the supposed bombings took place at the Ikebukuro attack, they thought it was war. There were explosions at Ikebukuro, atomic. The sounds were so loud, the explosions were so loud. Many thought there was war. And they began to flee from all that area,” he shared.
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When asked if he was surprised by the fire outbreak, Pastor Chris replied, “Not, not even the slightest surprise, not even the slightest surprise. But that’s another day’s talk. When something like this happens, we have to remember that we are not of this world. Every single day, God protects us. He protects us, He protects everything that He gives us, with His glory and His grace, every single day. He protects us.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and officials from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service are currently investigating the incident. Despite the physical damage, Pastor Chris and the Christ Embassy Church are determined to rebuild and continue their mission.