Fire outbreak: We will rebuild bigger, better — Pastor Chris

By Esther Agbo

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, President and Founder of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, has addressed the recent fire at the Church’s headquarters. He described the incident as an opportunity for growth rather than an accident, promising a more magnificent reconstruction.

Speaking during a live Sunday service at the Church’s campground in Asese, Oyakhilome referred to a previous crisis in 2001 when the church building survived a significant blast. He assured the congregation that the new structure would surpass the previous one in grandeur.

He said, “Nothing happens in the life of a child of God by accident. During the 2001 Ikeja cantonment bombing incident, the building vibrated so much and we thought it was going to collapse. I thought to myself that if it collapsed I was going to build a bigger, better one. At the end of the day it didn’t collapse and we called the engineers to see if there was any need to bring it down and rebuild but it was still okay.

“Now that this has happened, we will build a bigger, better, and more glorious one and the devil will lick his wound.”

Recall that a raging fire gutted the Christ Embassy Church headquarters along Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, Lagos on Sunday morning, Videos of the blaze at the Oregun, Ikeja location flooded social media. The fire, which started around 8 am, caused extensive damage worth millions of naira but was brought under control by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) by 10 am. No casualties were reported, although worshippers had to flee for safety.

Director of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident and advised the public to remain calm, noting that the fire was under control and there were no reported fatalities. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.