Cherubim and Seraphim cleric defends lenten observance, warns against doctrinal deviations
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Very Rev’d David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi, popularly known as Aremolekun, has urged Christians, particularly members of the Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Church, to remain steadfast in observing the annual Lenten season, describing it as biblically defensible and spiritually enriching.
The cleric made the call while preaching over two consecutive Sundays on the theme, “The C&S Is a Spiritually Conservative Church: Avoid Wrong Teachings.”
Akinadewo-Adekahunsi maintained that Lent is not a religious invention but a structured spiritual discipline consistent with biblical teachings on fasting, repentance and spiritual renewal.
According to him, the practice reflects scriptural patterns of congregational fasting and devotion observed by believers in biblical times.
Citing Matthew 5:18, the Resident Minister of Motailatu Church of God, Oke-Idahun Parish, Akure, noted that Jesus Christ affirmed that He came not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them.
He explained that Christ’s teachings emphasise continuity with divine principles rather than the abandonment of sacred structures that align with God’s word.
The cleric also rejected the notion that fasting must only be a private exercise, stressing that the Bible contains several examples of corporate fasting sanctioned by God.
He cited Joel 2:15–16 where a solemn assembly and holy fast were proclaimed among the people.
Akinadewo-Adekahunsi also referred to the national fast declared by King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:3 during a period of national crisis.
Other biblical examples, he said, include the city-wide fast in Nineveh recorded in Jonah 3:5–7.
He further mentioned the fast proclaimed by Ezra in Ezra 8:21 and the collective fast ordered by Queen Esther in Esther 4:16.
“These examples clearly show that congregational fasting is rooted in Scripture,” he said, adding that Christ’s warning in Matthew 6 addressed hypocrisy rather than the legitimacy of corporate fasting.
The cleric also highlighted the biblical significance of the number forty, describing it as symbolic of testing, consecration and spiritual transition.
He recalled that Moses, Elijah and Jesus Christ all fasted for forty days, noting that the Church’s forty-day Lenten observance reflects this biblical pattern of spiritual preparation.
Akinadewo-Adekahunsi traced the historical roots of Lenten practice within the C&S Church to its founder, Moses Orimolade Tunolase, who had strong ties with the Anglican Church through the Church Missionary Society tradition.
He urged Christians to remain committed to sound doctrine, unity and holiness, warning against what he described as doctrinal destabilisation capable of confusing the faithful.
