Nigerian priest who resigned from Catholic Church launches own ministry

Patrick Edet
Patrick Edet

The Nigerian priest, who resigned recently from the Catholic Church in Nigeria, has officially launched his own church in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Patrick Edet, while serving in the Catholic Diocese of Uyo, ran a ‘Pentecostal-styled’ fellowship called Grace Family Outreach within the Catholic structure.

Mr. Edet, who had been a Catholic priest for more than 11 years, stunned the Catholic community in Akwa Ibom when he announced on a live radio programme on August 2 that he was leaving the Catholic Church to live his life as an independent cleric.

The Catholic Church later responded by stripping him of the rights and privileges enjoyed by priests and also barred Catholics from relating with him.

There has been a measure of excitement in Uyo over the recent launch of Mr. Edet’s ministry since his exit from the Catholic fold.

Some Catholic members, PREMIUM TIMES found out, have been attending the programme, even though the Catholic Bishop of Uyo Diocese, John Ayah, had earlier warned that any Catholic member who attends his programme or identifies with him (Mr Edet) in any way “does so at the risk of his or her Catholic faith and membership.”

Mr. Edet on September 1 launched a “mega revival” programme in Uyo, using his outreach.

The eight-day programme, which he tagged “The Great Awakening”, is currently holding in a city hall and has been attracting large crowds daily.

He has also erected billboards at strategic locations within the city to announce the programme which is his first major public outing since he quit the Catholic Church in August.

A member of the outreach, who gave his name simply as Chukwuemeka, told PREMIUM TIMES on telephone that Mr. Edet would be holding subsequent meetings in the city hall. 

He didn’t, however, say how often the meetings would take place.

On Saturday, during the second day of the church programme, several people defied the heavy rainfall to attend his programme.

About six police officers were deployed to guard the congregation during the programme.

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  • Frank Bassey

    When you are called, you show it. Be focused, preach the truth with boldness, the world will celebrate you.

    • realist

      Who call who? God had stopped calling individuals after the arrival of Jesus Christ, no wonder that Jesus handed over to group of people and the group continue to evangelize to get converts. Hence unity among them.

      • Frank Bassey

        You don’t know your Bible. Read John 14:12. Please do not imbibe such inelastic theological nonsense.

        • realist

          Which work would Jesus Christ followers do greater than him?

          • Frank Bassey

            Are you asking me? I thought you would read the Scripture. Read it and tell me the “work” Jesus referred to. Christianity would have ceased to exist if calling has ceased, as you erroneously suggested.

          • realist

            The greater work Jesus was referring to was the preaching work, the main way he propagated christenity in the first century. The disciples did it greater in terms of reaching out to more people, covering more territories etc. The disciples preached and got honest hearted people convinced thus keep increasing in number. You agree this is different from the bread and butter method prevalent among the pastorpreneurs today.

  • Dan Van Blocker

    Money matter na anoda matter.

  • Arabakpura

    Once he is successful, others will join! The world is now moving at a very fast pace!

  • donald,the russian stooge

    “Catholic faith and membership.” ……………………. is that the ticket to heaven???!!!!

  • GusO

    He wants to start raking in millions of naira from dumb people like Pentecostal Ministers. He is a greedy man.

  • realist

    Keep your eye on those who create division(promote sects) and causes for stumbling contrary to the teachings you have learned and avoid them, for men of that sort are slaves not of our lord Christ but their own stomachs, (bellies, appetites) and by smooth talk and flattery speech they seduce the hearts of the guileless (unsuspecting) ones – Romans 16:17,18.
    The above quote tells where the man belongs, so who have ears to hear.

  • tsunami1earthquake

    It’s an unmitigated disaster that a Catholic priest would leave the priesthood and the Catholic Church to begin something like this! This priest might be thinking he is doing something great, and in accordance with his conscience, but little does he realize he is treading a wrong path.

    Even with all the celebratory acclamations, praises, supports and approbations from some members of the public, these same people and many others outside the Catholic Church would inevitably and unconsciously bow before any Catholic priest they see around! This reaction is what the Holy Spirit has already placed in everybody to make us realize that path and direction Jesus Christ had bequeathed on humanity. Mr. Edet has left a path of salvation to begin to tread along a path he has carved out for himself in the name of doing what his conscience told him. Jesus Christ knew that our conscience could equally lead us where we would think was the way but He, in His Infinite Wisdom, chose to design a path for us in the Catholic Church when he mandated St. Peter to be the visible head of it, a leadership that has passed from generation to generation. And Mr. Edet would surely not deny this!

    I say all these because I wouldn’t like a person to be placed or place himself in a situation where he would be knocking at the door for Jesus Christ to open but Jesus Christ would tell him, ‘go away, for I don’t know who you are!’ This would continuously be said to this person who would claim that he had been singing Jesus’ praises, casting out devils and curing people in Jesus’ Name. But Jesus would continue to say, ‘go away, for I don’t know who you are!”

    Anybody who leaves that chosen path directed by God in His Catholic Church is only a rebel against Jesus Christ. And rebelling against Christ has been the bane of many a being who have chosen their own paths. Lucifer rebelled and chose his own path and the consequence is what had happened.

    I think there is still time for Mr. Edet to repent and recant his stand. Come back to the path of salvation already designed for you from the beginning of time, otherwise somebody else would grab it! A stitch in time saves nine!

    May the Lord Jesus come quickly to touch your heart and your soul and rescue you from this wrong path! Amen!

    • JOHN

      You are very funny basking in contagious ignorance. Peter is not the head of the church, but Jesus is the head of the living church. Everybody has the right to worship God in spirit and in truth the way he is led by the holy spirit of God. You cannot intimidate the man who has the Godly right to leave Roman Catholic Church whenever he realises the error and false doctrines there.

      • tsunami1earthquake

        Always read properly and understand before you dabble into discussions. I don’t discuss with people whose minds have been wired to suit the whims of a certain “pastor”. The way you begin by calling me “ignorant” immediately betrays your type. Nobody compels anybody on things like this. However, it is important to advise someone going the wrong way. At least God would not hold the observer responsible should the person advised refused to listen. Mr Edet fully understands what I am saying.