Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy has said that pastors who are afraid of COVID-19 have no faith in Jesus Christ.
He alleged that some church leaders are responsible for the guidelines placed on churches.
The clergyman stated this while lamenting the divide among pastors on the reopening of churches which have been shut down since the lockdown period was declared months ago.
Pastor Chris also lambasted the COVID-19 guidelines given to churches by describing it as a tool of persecution.
He said: “You can’t believe in Jesus Christ and be afraid of virus. Jesus touched people with leprosy and healed them.
“But these people who are afraid are pretending to be representing the Christians. It’s a shame. I think the leaders are laughing at them.
“If you are a Christian and minister of the gospel and you are afraid of the virus, you have no gospel. Your gospel has ended. The moment you start giving such guidelines to people in the church, you’ve repudiated your faith in Christ.
“We have to pray for our leaders and pastors who are scared of the virus.
“You may not know this but the reason many churches are still shut down is not just government but church leaders who insisted that government should not let the churches open, except the churches follow these wicked guidelines.
“Some of those guidelines like wearing of gloves before laying hands on the sick, suspending holy communion, holy communion that Jesus Christ told us to take, now we are told to suspend them because of a pandemic, this is crazy.”