Suicide. The word has a frightening air of finality. Laden with hopelessness, despair, and tragedy, it is a word that everyone wants to keep at arms’ length.
“Only people who are really mixed up consider suicide,” you’ve told yourself.
But then one day that word entered your thoughts differently. You found yourself in an unbearable situation. Trapped and powerless, ultimately, “ending it all” seemed to be the only answer.
Suicides are increasing in the world, and the Church is not immune. This is getting to be an all-too-familiar story.
In another church tragedy, renowned worship vessel and former Pastor Enoch Adeboye-led Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) minister — Michael Arowosaiye (32) — took his own life in Abuja Nigeria last week. He was said to have hung himself with a trouser belt in his room.
The death report, which has been trending on the social media and has also featured in the newspapers, said the minister popularly known for his fan-thrilling performances took his own life after going into depression.
A friend to the deceased told Naija News that the gospel singer plunged into depression due to his inability to foot the bill of his accommodation; a development that has triggered reactions as some online users felt that he would have relocated rather than facing the challenges of paying a rent in an estate which could be beyond his financial budget.
Other reports speculated that he killed himself because of the shame of a secret lifestyle which may have been leaked, as there are rumours of leaked nude pictures.
In the same vein, social media has been awash with reports that Arowosaiye committed suicide because of the alleged cancellation of his wedding which was earlier scheduled for April 2019. The church allegedly cancelled the wedding because of his unholy dalliances with other ladies in the same church.
Although many sensational tabloids have associated Minister Mike with RCCG, the church administration established that he left RCCG two years ago and joined another mega-church Shepherd House Church International in Apo Abuja, where he continued to serve as a worship leader.
In a statement, RCCG Media & Public Relations unit denied that the dead man was its pastor and that he did not kill himself because of unpaid house rent.
He wrote:
While the RCCG leadership sympathises with the family of the deceased, it has become necessary to clarify the misinformation and absolute falsehood in the report. The said Mr Michael Arowosaiye was not a minister in the RCCG. He was a singer and a keyboardist in one of our Youth Parishes in Abuja until 2017 when he left for another ministry.
His movement to another ministry notwithstanding, Michael, through his elder brother who is presently one of the coordinators of the RCCG Youth Choir, continued to get invitation to minister in RCCG programmes.
He had accommodation problem in 2018 and though he was no longer in the RCCG, a family in the Mission gave him the Boy’s Quarters of their house in Sunnyvale Estate in Lokogoma FCT, which was where he lived till the unfortunate suicide incident. It is therefore untrue to refer to him as a Minister in the RCCG.
It is also misleading and absolutely incorrect to create the impression that RCCG does not care for its Members and Ministers. The RCCG is in the forefront among organizations with robust welfare package in Nigeria.
A former Shepherd House Church International member, Olusegun Dosunmu, revealed in a chat with Daily Post that Michael did not commit suicide due to his inability to pay rent and his nude photos getting leaked.
According to him, Michael’s accommodation was sorted out by the church adding that Michael was only suspended two months ago by Shepherd House Church, for engaging in sexual escapades with some church members.
Said Dosunmu:
“I think it’s time I spoke up about the lies being peddled by the social media experts…
No one ever had or released Mike’s nudes. The church suspended Mike three months because he had some sexual escapades with some girls in the choir. The church in its spiritual discretion felt Mike occupied a very sensitive position and should not abuse the office. Mike was due to be reinstated this Sunday (May 19).
He was still in church on Monday and was seen beating the drums. He appeared lively. He allegedly ended his marriage to his fiancée by mutual consent and she moved to Lagos. Mike didn’t look depressed, and he never said to anyone that he was owing some rent. The church never stopped paying his salary all through the suspension, he wasn’t just going to minister on the stage.
The disciplinary committee of church followed him up in his suspension days and felt he was remorseful and asked the church to reinstate him on Sunday. Rev. Joshua Talena, the Senior Pastor, was said to have supported him with prayers and some cash gifts and told him that his suspension was necessary, to serve as deterrent to him and others.
I’m able to reveal these because I was a staff and member of the church. The church brought me to Abuja from Lagos in 2011, and I was the head of their media department. I still have a cordial relationship with Rev. Talena and more importantly, the devout church members.
I’m told the church is still shocked at his passing and they’ve given his phones and laptop to the police for investigation. Probably, possibly, he was having some conversations that they aren’t aware of. Mike was a great gospel artiste.”
A current member of Shepherd’s House Assembly who spoke to TheNewsGuru on the condition of anonymity revealed that the Police was in possession of a CCTV footage detailing how Michael committed suicide stating that the church would call a press conference to speak on the issue.
“The church’s lawyer, who also knew Mike very well, in the company of a police commissioner watched the CCTV video and he has a lot to share with you. Meanwhile, the church is considering calling for a press conference to have questions from the media,” said the congregant.
Minister Michael Arowosaiye’s death is the latest visible case in a series of high-profile suicides in the evangelical world.
There is no lack of statistics about pastors and depression, burnout, health, low pay, spirituality, relationships and longevity—and none of them are good.
Chuck Hannaford, a clinical psychologist, told the Gospel Coalition that “he believes the rate of pastor suicides has increased during his 30 years of practice.” And he expects it to keep rising.
According to the Schaeffer Institute, 70 percent of pastors constantly fight depression, and 71 percent are burned out. Meanwhile, 72 percent of pastors say they only study the Bible when they are preparing for sermons; 80 percent believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families, and 70 percent say they don’t have a close friend.
The Schaeffer Institute also reports that 80 percent of seminary and Bible school graduates will leave the ministry within five years. It’s not clear how many commit suicide, but it is clear that pastors are not immune to it.
Psychologists point to several reasons why people commit suicide, from depression to psychosis to stressful life situations. But one thing is certain: Whatever drives someone to take their own life ultimately begins in the mind. Suicidal thoughts precede suicide.
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