An Anglican priest serving as Vicar of St. Paul’s Parish, Nteje, in Anambra State, Rev Ifunanya Maduka has been suspended for six months without pay over allegations of staging false prophecies and deceiving members of the congregation.
The suspension was conveyed in a letter dated April 27 and obtained in Awka on Thursday, in which church authorities detailed what they described as serious breaches of clerical conduct and doctrine.
According to the letter titled “Suspension from office as Vicar of St. Paul’s Parish, Nteje,” the priest was accused of engaging in “practices grossly unbecoming of an ordained priest,” including arranging and manipulating prophetic acts.
Church authorities said credible and verifiable reports showed that the cleric allegedly involved individuals whom he induced or paid to participate in staged prophecies, presenting them as genuine manifestations from God.
The letter further revealed that when confronted with the evidence, the priest admitted to the allegations.
“This development is particularly troubling because you had previously been commended to us as a priest of sufficient knowledge, good conduct, and sound doctrine,” the letter stated.
It added that despite several prior engagements with the priest over concerns about his ministry, he had consistently maintained that his practices were in line with Christian teachings and Anglican doctrine.
However, the church said recent findings contradicted those assurances, describing them as false and misleading.
The authorities outlined a range of concerns arising from the priest’s conduct, including false prophecy, abuse of the name of God, deception of the faithful, and actions that could amount to obtaining money under false pretences.
They stressed that such behaviour is inconsistent with the moral and ethical standards expected of clergy and warned that the actions had brought disrepute to the church.
“Your actions have brought dishonour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, abused sacred trust, and ridiculed the image of the Diocese,” the letter read.
As part of the disciplinary measures, the priest was directed to hand over all church properties, documents, and funds in his possession to the People’s Warden, and to vacate the church premises within four days.
The church also announced that a disciplinary panel would be constituted within one month to further investigate the matter and determine any additional sanctions in line with church regulations.
The suspension, the letter added, is intended to preserve discipline, order, and the integrity of the ministry, while urging the cleric to seek repentance and reform.