Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the founder of the largest evangelical church in Europe, the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, has said he lost property worth over $4m to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Converted to the Nigerian currency, the naira, it amounts to N2.32 billion using the average current BDC exchange rate of N580 per dollar.

The clergyman also said in his bid to avoid being caught up in the invasion, he had to leave the country with only one shirt, though he is grateful to God Almighty for sparing his life.

He was speaking via a Zoom meeting organised by Network of African Christian Journalists (NACJOURN).

The Nigerian born preacher who lived in Kiev, Ukraine for some decades said he is planning to return to Africa in obedience to God’s instruction.

Adelaja urged African Christians to avoid misrepresenting the present President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, saying the man is fighting for traditional values of the Christian faith.

“I’m beginning to believe that this Vladimir Putin who everybody is saying is mad and demon-possessed is the same man that is fighting for traditional values of the Christian faith. He is saying Christianity and satanism are not equal. He is against homosexuals, saying same-sex marriage is wrong.

“What is happening in Ukraine right now is pathetic and very unfortunate. Lives are being lost. My house which is worth about $4m was burnt. I left the country only in one shirt,” he said.

Adelaja who hails from Idomila in ijebu North-East, local government Area of Ogun State also said the Russia invasion may lead to Third World War except urgent measures are taken, “There is nothing I need from Nigeria Christians but what I want them to realize is that this invasion may escalate and lead to the Third World War whereby Russia will be ready to use nuclear weapons. Let us all pray against this.

It could lead to war that may dictate how the world will be ruled.

“War is destructive, damaging, traumatizing, I believe that this war is the judgment of God upon Ukraine, the attacker and the attacked, the victim and the aggressor are being judged. There is no way one can deny the fact that this is God’s judgment. God may use this to glorify his name,”

Adelaja who also spoke on some of his plans among which is to return to Nigeria to continue his vision said, “God asked me to return to Africa but I asked him what becomes of the church which I have invested over 30 years on but he showed me what will happen. I saw a vision where flowers were flowing everywhere, this represents my church member who were flying from Europe to another part of the world. This happened to the Apostles who were scattered all over after the death of Christ.

“In 2016, I had a revelation about the Nigerian church, God told me to round off my assignment in Europe and move to Africa. When I asked him what becomes of the church, he said I should consider my Europe experience as a school and that the next phase of my ministry is in Africa. At that point God asked me to leave, I could not leave because I had a lawsuit in my name and wanted to clear that before coming back to Nigeria. I was in court and made up my mind I won’t leave until I clear my name.

“I left the country because the American government was warning there is a list of people that the Russian government would eliminate when they take over. That was why I had to leave.

“Thank God I left because they came to my house to search for me. The person they met, said they did not believe I was not in the house. They broke all the doors and searched everywhere. Thank God we had left. All the Russians and Africans and Ukrainians with me had also left.

“I believe only God’s plan will come to pass. In the second world war, the population of the world was about 1 billion. At that time over 40 million people died in the war. The world might not come to an end. God forbid. If we experience the Third World War, it may lead to the death of 80 per cent of the world population.

“That is why the church has a role to play. We need to make the world know what is going on so that we don’t take sides and push the other side to do the unthinkable.”

Plan to return to Africa

“God told me to go back to Africa and I said what will happen to the church I spent all my life building. He showed me what will happen. I saw a volcano, I saw members of my church like lava flowing from one country to the other. I saw it vividly just like what happened to the Jerusalem Church. But I did not know it would happen through war.

“I implore Christians to pray so that the invasion does not escalate.” (Adapted from a Vanguard report)

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