Background: Bishop Adjeman a Ghanian was a protege of Oyedepo in Kaduna and was ordained as bishop by same Oyedepo and then transferred to head Winners Chapel Ghana which consisted of 14 churches spread across Ghana, kingdom heritage schools and church house. Bishop Adjeman later re-registered the church in his own name, secede and the drama broke loose.
In 2004 Bishop Adjeman staged a takeover of the Ghanian branch of Winners Chapel after the Headquarters in Canaanland Ota, Nigeria attempted to transfer him to winners chapel Ibadan when he refused to continue remitting the $60,000.00 monthly church income that was erstwhile remitted to the Nigerian headquarter(Usually Money is remitted from all branches of the world to Nigeria then after, certain percentages would be returned to the branches while HQ keeps rest).
After bishop Adjeman revealed how much was transported to Nigeria every week, all hell was let loose in Ghana as the debate became a Nigeria vs Ghana debate. Some Ghanaians felt it was wrong for a church in Ghana to remit money to a church in Nigeria, therefore took sides with Bishop Adjeman. Others felt Adjeman was disloyal to his former boss in Nigeria and should leave the church using the right way and not taking over any of the church’s properties, members or name.
The Ghanian branch of Winners Chapel Ghana was started in 1996 and already had 14 branches, Kingdom Heritage school(s) etc while Adjeman was transferred to Ghana in 2002. However Adjeman claimed that when he got back to Ghana he met the church badly run and therefore when Govt authorities in Ghana called for Churches to be registered as companies, Bishop Adjeman went ahead to re-register the church in his own name and excluded the names of all the Nigerian trustees without informing the Nigerian church of the new regulatory development nor asking for their assent.
Bishop Adjeman Seeks Financial Independence From Winners Chapel Nigeria
The initial aim of Adjeman wasn’t so clear at this stage. But what is sure is that Adjeman wanted at least financial independence from Nigeria at some point. The Ghanian church had kicked against the practice of money being “illegally” transferred to Nigeria. The Ghanian church claimed that Winners Chapel isn’t a limited liability and should not transfer money to Nigeria only to later receive some percentages of it.
Winners Chapel Nigeria Transfers Adjeman To Ibadan
Following Adjeman’s refusal to keep remitting money to Headquarters in Nigeria he was transferred to Ibadan, Oyo state.
Adjeman Rejects Ibadan Transfer
Bishop Adjeman rejected Ibadan transfer and notified church members that he has been transferred because of his refusal to remit money to Nigeria. Some members cheered Adjeman on and encouraged him to disregard the transfer.
Bishop Adjeman Sacked By Winners Chapel HQ in Nigeria
Once Adjeman had refused to honor his transfer to Ibadan, Adjeman was then sacked by the Nigerian Headquarters.
Ghana Pentecostal Fellowship Demands Adjeman should Vacate Church For Winners Chapel Nigeria
Following the attempt at secession, the Ghanian Pentecostal Fellowship ordered Adjeman to vacate the Winners Chapel premises. The argument of GPF stemmed from the fact that Winners Chapel Ghana was built with seed funding from the Nigerian church, therefore, it should be returned to the mother church in Nigerian.
Oyedepo’s Faction Of Winners Chapel Intl Sues Adjeman’s Winners Chapel Ghana To Court
While attempts where being made to resolve the crisis of ownership, two factions were quickly created. The Oyedepo faction(now referred to as Winners Chapel Intl, Ghana) and the Adjeman’s faction referred to as Winners Chapel Ghana. Both factions where unaware that the battle they had just begun was going to last for the next 14 years in the Ghanian judicial system.
Oyedepo’s Faction(WCI) Starts All Over Again
Once the Adjeman faction had retained the church premises in 2004 the Oyedepo faction secured another space not too far away from where they began worshipping as they began to tussle with winners chapel Ghana led by Adjeman.( It is important to note that there was never a direct lawsuit between Winners Chapel Nigeria and Adjeman’s faction of Winners Chapel Ghana)
As the Crisis metamorphosed the GPF equally admonished Oyedepo to settle Adjeman so he can go and start his own ministry. Oyedepo initially disagreed querying if that wouldn’t be tantamount to a bribe. The GPF, however, encouraged him to see it as a way of setting up a Son.
Adjeman Makes A Request Of $50,000, A House and Car As Conditions For Handing Over the Church
To settle the problem, Adjeman made a demand that he be paid $50,000 as severance, along with the church mission house and a car. Oyedepo vehemently opposed this but he was persuaded to see Adjeman as a son and not a rebel and that he should see the money given to Adjeman as a parting gift to a son. Bishop Oyedepo, after due consultation with his church elders, was said to have agreed to approve $100,000 but without a car and a house. This didn’t go down well with Adjeman and he decided to take over the church for himself.
Adjeman Visits Oyedepo in 2010 “To Return Church Properties”
Seemingly feeling remorseful, Adjeman visited Oyedepo in 2010 against the wishes of his lawyers. There, Oyedepo reportedly agreed to let Adjeman have all the properties but should drip the “winners chapel” tag from his church name which was the root of the contention. Adjeman agreed to drop the name and even church properties. But Adjeman changed his mind as he got back to Ghana.
Ghanian Court Delivers Judgment in 2017 In Favor Of Adjeman
13 years after in 2017 the Ghanian court dismissed the lawsuit by Winners Chapel Intl(Oyedepo’s faction). According to the court, winners chapel Ghana is a registered and recognized church in Ghana as it was duly registered by Adjeman and therefore won the case. However, properties acquired between 1996 and 2002 must be valued and half returned in cash value to Oyedepo’s faction. However, judgment was not given as regards the name of the church.
Winners Chapel Intl Today And Winners Chapel Ghana
The Oyedepo faction(WCI) started again in 2004 after the unfortunate split. It now has a network of 150 churches in Ghana and is about getting its own university. However, winners chapel Ghana led by Adjeman has plunged from 14,000 members as at the time of secession to 1,000 members.
The day of secession as told by a Ghanian in church.
According to Paul Agbai
“A lot had been going on prior to the coup de tat that day, a Wednesday… In April 2004. Prior to that day, the Pastors from winners chapel Ghana had gone to Lagos for annual pastors retreat of which George Adjeman himself was supposed to go but he didn’t and rather handpicked those pastors loyal to him to go. News had gone round before the arrival of the Pastors that those who went to Lagos were made to sign some undertaken against their will, but no one could ascertain this claim. I came to church that night, driving towards the church, behind one Pastor Richard Appiah, who was next to Bishop Adjeman in seniority, himself just coming from the Lagos trip and was heading to Church that night.
Just by the gate of the church, the head of Crowd Control Unit, CCU, stopped him and said “Oga” has said that all the pastors who went to Lagos should not be allowed in. This pastor Richard Appiah gave a note to the brother to go and give the Bishop that he, Richard, had come but Bishop Adjeman sent a message back that he should meet him in the house by 9 pm. I was in my car, just behind Pastor Richard as all these unfolded, I was wondering and a bit confused because of all the preceding tension buildups. Well, Richard’s wife got down from the car and trekked in to take her sit with the choir I was leading then. I reversed my car a bit for Richard to pull back before I could enter the church in my car.
Towards the end of the service, Bishop Adjeman stood up with a script in his hand and started…..”when a child in the womb delays in coming out, a surgical operation is needed, we are about doing a surgical operation.” Along the lines of the script, was these statements that shocked me to my bones and marrows till date. Bishop Adjeman said that “all the pastors that went to Lagos had been held and detained against their wills and he doesn’t know where they are and that the church should rise up so that we pray for their release from those holding them in Nigeria..” I stood up with others…but instead of praying.I was lost in wondering if this was a kind of home movies theatre or a church, I am in?.and congregation prayed like they were casting out demons in Africa…you know that scene…I was asking myself…is it not now that this man asked the pastors to meet him at a place for meeting at 9pm…but unsuspecting souls were led astray to make it look like its a fight between Ghana and Nigeria… 13 years down the line…no sense of remorse… Not even after he later called Bishop Oyedepo that he wanted to come to see him for restitution and he was granted an audience. In that meeting captured on Video, he told Bishop Oyedepo that he was ready to let go and Bishop told him he should just drop the name that is creating confusion and go with the properties to start his own life assembly church he jettisoned. Bishop Adjeman said he won’t only drop the name of winners chapel he is using but would drop all properties too.(I will soon release that Video…stay tuned)…he returned to Ghana and changed his mind………End of my eyewitness account of that night of “surgical operations” to remove winners chapel, Ghana from winners chapel international… But the truth is always true and if hidden, how can it be known…hence my putting this here!
Eyewitness Account…
Report Credit: Education Explore Site