Senior pastor of the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, Poju Oyemade says the closure of churches across the country over the coronavirus pandemic does not affect true faith as suggested in some quarters.

There have been dusts over the decision of the federal government to close churches while markets are allowed to open following the easing of lockdown.

David Oyedepo, the presiding bishop of Living Faith Worldwide, had alleged ulterior motive on the part of government authorities for shutting churches.

The clergyman had also declared that those against the growth of the church would die, warning that such action could birth “spiritual famine”.

Oyedepo’s declaration had come after Chris Oyakhilome, founder of LoveWorld Incorporated, also called out pastors for shutting down their churches in compliance with the federal government’s ban on religious gatherings.

But taking a contrary stance on the development, Oyemade, in a post on his social media page, said physical gatherings should not be seen as the hallmark of a true faith.

“Closing the doors of a physical building does not in anyway mean the closure of the anointing of the spirit from working. The sick we see healed in the book of Acts were healed on the streets, in people’s homes, in public places and not within the four walls of a church,” he wrote on Instagram.

According to him, the fact that churches have been shut down does not mean God cannot manifest himself in the lives of people.

“Church buildings may be shut down but true faith and the anointing of the spirit has not stopped working. There is a difference between expression of emotions and the manifestation of the anointing to heal the sick. There is no where in Jesus’s ministry where the healing of the sick was preceded by a congregational service,” he added.

“In the Book of Acts, the sick were healed predominantly on the streets with no fanciful service going on. Closure of a church building does not stop the rivers of living water from flowing out of your belly. It resides in our inner man.

“There was collective prayer to receive a supply of the Spirit which led to out door manifestations. To this Paul himself attested to the fact that we don’t have to be together in a physical space to receive that supply. Did he not say to the Church at Phillipi, I know this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus.

“The Church was miles away from where Paul was. Charles Finney began a massive revival by people praying in their homes all keeping watches at the same time. They all chose the exact time to pray and they did in their homes until the Spirit broke out on the streets.”