Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries International, Johnson Suleman, has revealed that one of the church’s branches in South Africa was razed by fire in what he described as a suspected insider attack.
Suleman said the incident was reported to him by the resident pastor, who disclosed that the church building largely funded through the cleric’s personal resources was completely destroyed overnight.
“Our pastor in South Africa called me to tell me that they have burnt down our church. We own the building, my personal money in that church was about 90 per cent,” he said.
The cleric explained that the ministry had operated in South Africa for nearly a decade before deciding to acquire a permanent structure.
“I saw the building, I was interested. I said to myself, we have been in South Africa for eight to nine years, let’s have our own building. We bought a building, they burnt it down. No chair was taken out, no sound was taken out,” he added.
He noted that the fire gutted the entire facility, including the main auditorium, children’s section, and all vital documents and equipment.
“They even burnt down the children building, all documents burnt down,” Suleman said.
Raising suspicion over the circumstances surrounding the incident, the preacher claimed the perpetrators avoided CCTV surveillance, suggesting possible internal involvement.
“They did it overnight. The CCTV camera could not pick the person. It was the job of an insider who knew where the cameras were,” he stated.
Despite the loss, Suleman said he chose to remain grateful, describing how he turned to prayer in response to the situation.
“As a human being, I was broken. And the Lord said to me, thank me. I went to my knees and thanked God for everything,” he said.
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He further disclosed that securing a new worship facility initially proved difficult, but the church was eventually able to rent another location within a short time.
“To get a building to rent, it was hard. That Saturday morning, they went in search of a building to rent, they called me to say they have seen, and I said pay for three months and move in there,” he explained.
Suleman also revealed that some members, particularly younger congregants, were angered by the incident and considered retaliation, but he urged restraint.
“Members were angry, some of the young South Africans were ready to put up a fight. I told them to leave the matter,” he said.
He added that the new worship centre is located in what he described as a more conducive and “elite” environment, expressing belief that the development aligns with a higher purpose.
“So where they are now is like an elite place. God knew what he was doing. What the enemy meant for evil, He has changed it,” Suleman said.
