The Pastor and members of the Ogonoebizor Zion, Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Benikrukru Town, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have refuted claims that the aforementioned church was founded by the Late St. Apst. Elijah Ubebe (of blessed memory).

The spiritual leader and members of the church who made the pronouncement on Monday evening in a statement  released to the media, were reacting to an earlier publication on PENGlobal in respect of the 33rd remembrance of the Late St. Apst. Elijah Ubebe, the founder of New Jerusalem Zion and other affiliated C&S churches in the Niger Delta region.

Part of the statement as earlier published on PENGlobal reads: "St. Apst. Ubebe's ministry was also characterized by missionary evangelism (missionary journey) which led to the establishment of many churches in different communities, clans and kingdoms in the Niger Delta and beyond. Popular among them is the Benikrukru Church in Gbaramatu Kingdom."

However, in their released statement, Pastor and members of Ogonoebizor Zion Church in Benikrukru alleged that the above historical account was not correct and could be misleading to the public.

The spiritual leader said: "Our attention has been drawn to a published report titled 'The Intriguing Historical Account of Late St Apst Elijah Brakoru Ubebe (1915–1991), Founder of New Jerusalem Zion and Other Affiliated Churches' wherein the author of that report claimed that the church in Benikrukru Town, Ogonoebizor Zion, was among the churches founded by the Late St. Apst. Ubebe (of blessed memory).

"While we hold the revered matriarch in high esteem and acknowledge his great evangelistic contributions to the spread of the Gospel of Christ, we however state here that such a claim is not true.

"We state that the Cherubim and Seraphim church in Benikrukru Town, the Ogonoebizor Zion, was founded on February 9, 1984, and available records before us is contrary to what is being insinuated.

"We are therefore calling on the general public to disregard such a contrary information as purportedly claimed."

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