Celestial Elder, M.O. Are, Children Die Of Suffocation In A Fire Disaster

It was with great shock that the news of the demise of one of the spiritual leaders in the Celestial Church of Christ, Most Superior Evangelist M.O. Are, one time Lagos State Evangelist, was received yesterday amongst the clergy and faithful members of the spiritual church founded by the late pastor Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa.Celestial Logo

The Octogenarian, who has remained committed and faithful  to the doctrines and teachings and unification of the Celestial church after his return fully to the fold from the opposition during the life and after the transition of the Pastor A.A. Bada, allegedly lost his life and that of two children in an early morning inferno that occurred at his home, Okeriya area of Agric in Ikorodu, yesterday, January 7, 2016.


The amiable and respected leader was unable to make it out of the burning building alive because of his advanced age and mobility.   In spite of all the shenanigans that have been playing out in the church ever since the passing on of Papa Oschoffa for 30 years now over the seat of the Pastor, a drama that has seen some of his peers and others lower to him within the rank of the church jostling for and losing their lives to  their inordinate ambition to be at the helms of the affairs of the church, Baba Are stood firm by his calling to remain an evangelist of repute  even when he had the support of other accomplished and respected clergies to take over the mantle of leadership.

Baba Are will rather seek for peace and bring about a united Celestial Church than assume leadership or take sides with the different factions that were never part of the journey nor shared the vision of the  founding Pastor concerning hierarchy and the stool of the overall world wide  Pastor.

According to those who got to the scene of the incident, Baba Are was alleged to have been badly burnt, to the surprise of those who saw his corpse, his garment (Sutana ) was not consumed in the blaze.

As the family and church will be mourning the passage of clergyman, the essence of his life and dedication to the ministry for a single indivisible Celestial Church  should be the goals every well meaning and faithful Celestial leader and member should work to enthrone so that his legacy for the steering of the church according to the originally laid-down constitution of the church is guided jealously just as he did his entire life from the first day he became a member to when he was called home to join the saints.

We chose to celebrate and not mourn the transition of Baba Are, the great Celestial evangelist who probably as a lone voice fought a good fight for the growth and oneness of the church and stood firm in the face of persecution and adversities till the very end. Adieu Baba Are.