Pastor Emmanuel Iren, the lead pastor of Celebration Church International, recently addressed sexual assault allegations within his ministry, emphasizing the significance of understanding consent and the risks of false accusations.
In a sermon, Pastor Iren revealed his initial reaction of anger towards reports of sexual assault among church members, but upon further examination, he found that many of the allegations were not credible.
“In this ministry, 9 out of 10 cases ended up false. The first few cases, I was angry. I called the guy and swore I would jail him until he sent evidence. The girl who claimed she was assaulted said ‘It was a nice time’ in the chat,” he revealed.
The pastor expressed concern over the misuse of such serious allegations, especially in the context of broken relationships. “Ending a relationship should not be a ground for sexual assault allegations,” he said.
Pastor Iren also used the opportunity to counsel young men in the church, urging them to pursue chastity and stay clear of compromising situations.
On the topic of consent, he gave a pointed warning: “Initial consent isn’t total consent. Run for your life if consent is withdrawn 10 seconds after granting it. I don’t know who raised some men!”
