Pastor Charles Kpandei took charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s (RCCG) City of David parish in Lagos on Sunday, replacing Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, who was suspended amid financial scrutiny.
Kpandei, previously of the RCCG Resurrection Parish Region 11, introduced himself during the second service and delivered a sermon on heaven. He greeted the congregation warmly, saying, “Are you really happy to be in church today? For those of you who are just coming for the second service, it is important to tell you that I am called Pastor Charles Kpandei. You need that name because you are going to tell somebody that on behalf of Pastor Charles Kpandei, you are welcome to church today.”
Before starting his sermon, he prayed for God’s favor upon the City of David parish, quoting Nehemiah 13:14.
The parish is currently undergoing an audit by KPMG, a notable firm, amid allegations of a N320 million debt. This audit follows the suspension of Iluyomade on June 1, 2024, due to various complaints and allegations. The church’s Governing Council suspended Iluyomade for three months and directed him to report to the church’s headquarters.
Iluyomade, often called PID, faced criticism after celebrating his wife Siju’s 60th birthday soon after the death of Herbert Wigwe, the then Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank and a prominent church member.
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An anonymous source from the church revealed that the decision to bring in KPMG was due to the lack of audits by RCCG’s internal auditors for most provinces under the Apapa family. “The parish is currently being audited by KPMG, which is not an RCCG financial and audit practice. It was necessary to get an external auditor because before now, most of the provinces under the Apapa Family were not audited by RCCG auditors,” the source said.
During the church service on June 9, one of the pastors announced that the church had paid about N15 million for the construction of the Trinity Tower between June 1 and 8. The pastor also informed the congregation of the parish’s significant debt, stating that the financial sheet displayed on the screen showed an outstanding N320 million debt.
The battle for control of the City of David parish continues to unfold as the audit proceeds, with the church leadership hoping to resolve the financial issues and restore stability.
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