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CLASSICS: Weeks after Assemblies of God Church cancelled wedding – Church apologizes to couple – As they proceed to registry

FEW weeks ago, we reported a tear-eliciting incident which occurred at the Assemblies of God Church, Ojodu Berger, Lagos branch, where a wedding was called off right on the altar.

ENCOMIUM Weekly also followed it up with how the intending couple, Peter and Mary Akossun, managed to get out of the traumatic situation.  We can now authoritatively confirm that the couple are now living as husband and wife after they opted for a registry wedding.  Informed sources revealed that the two have put the ugly incident behind them and moved on.

Information has it that immediately the officiating minister, who stood in for the minister-in-charge of the Assemblies of God Church, Victory Chapel, Rev. Johnson Achu called off the wedding on the excuse that the bride was pregnant and as such the wedding could not hold, Mr. Peter Akossun and his beau, Mercy joined by both families, friends and well wishers stormed the Ojodu Marriage Registry, just a stone throw from the church and after paying the necessary fees and making a few calls here and there, had their joy restored again as they were pronounced husband and wife under the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An on-the-spot witness of what happened at the registry revealed that the couple danced their hearts out.  The bride shone brilliantly in an all-white wedding gown while the groom wore a grey suit. The aso ebi was orange dotted, and all their guests had theirs sewn in different styles.

Days later, the groom, Peter, told ENCOMIUM Weekly in a phone chat that we shouldn’t bother coming to see him again, since he told us earlier not to run the unpleasant story.  Adding that the church had already apologised for the embarrassment caused both families.  “Please, I don’t want you to make issue out of the matter, the church has apologized and their name is very important to them.”

When we called Peter again on Saturday, September 11, 2010, for further clarifications, he simply told us to stop bothering him, “Why are you disturbing us?  Please, leave us alone.”

It would be recalled that on Saturday, August 14, 2010, Peter and Mercy Akossun, waiting to be joined as husband and wife at the Assemblies of God Church on 2/4 Bank Shonibare Street, Ojodu-Berger, Ikeja, Lagos, were shocked beyond belief when the officiating minister dropped the bombshell that the wedding would not go on as the bride was suspected to be pregnant.  Prior to that day, the bride had done a pregnancy test, which is the prerequisite before a couple could be joined in holy matrimony.  But on that fateful day, another test was done after the pastor had called off the wedding which informed the two to settle for a registry wedding at the Ojodu Marriage Registry.

The Assemblies of God Church, led by Rev. Ogbonna Osueke, does not encourage sex before marriage.  In fact, as soon as an intending couple declares to their area pastor their marital intention, a close monitoring will be placed on them to make sure the bride does not get pregnant before their wedding.  Some denominations are, however, less bothered about this.

Likewise churches like Pastor E. A. Adeboye’s The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bishop David Oyedepo-led Living Faith Church Worldwide, Pastor W.  F. Kumuyi-led Deeper Life Church.  When we visited the church on Monday, September 21, 2010 to confirm if truly they had apologized to the couple, the lady we met declined comments and instead asked us to come back again around 5 p.m.

  • This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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