"Holding church service online is totally unscriptural" - Rev. Chris Okotie

Rev. Chris Okotie, the Senior Pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, has said holding of Church service online due to the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is totally unscriptural.

The clergyman who has been very outspoken since the outbreak of Coronavirus believes that all Christians should be able to gather together to truly worship God physically.

Okotie, in a sermon titled, “The COVID-19 Mystery,” maintained that the deadly disease is a satanic conspiracy to challenge the power of God by keeping Christians out of the church.

He said:

“We are dealing with one of the most sinister conspiracies in human history. What we call the online church is absolutely untrue, because for you to be in church, you have to be ecclesia, which is translated from the Greek word, ec, which is out, and the word caleo, called out.

“You cannot gather unto God until you are called out. That’s why Israel was called out of the world. So, this thing, this phenomenon that we are talking about, the Internet and cyber churches, is totally unscriptural.

“God knows where you are; if He was not interested in the assembly, you don’t need to come to church; you can pray in your house. I pray in my house. You praise in your house. I praise in my house. He can see all of us. He doesn’t need computers. But that denies Him who He is; so, we must – that’s why the bible puts that verse as an imperative – you must not forsake the assembly of yourselves together.”

This comes after he accused Microsoft founder Bill Gates of leading a global conspiracy to destabilize the world economy and execute a “satanic agenda” against the church.

Last month, he also kicked against the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) proposed social distancing guidelines for churches, saying: “Social distancing in the Church of Jesus Christ is tantamount to blasphemous infidelity and an impeachment of the integrity of the Word of God.’