Pastor dies few days after he cancelled wedding over lateness

The founder and lead pastor of Fulfilling Word Foundation Church, Rivers state, Essa Ogorry, has reportedly died few days after he cancelled a wedding over 5 minutes lateness by the couple to the venue.

Newsflash had reported that there was a mild drama on Saturday, February 6, at one church named the Fulfilling World Foundation Church, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as the senior pastor, Essay Oggory, refused to wed a couple after they arrived 5 minutes late to the venue of their wedding.

According to PUNCH, a source close to the clergyman revealed that he passed away on Tuesday at the age of 55.

“My pastor has gone on to be with the Lord. He had health issues even before the wedding saga. We took him to the hospital and he had to come from Lagos to attend the wedding,” the source, a church staff, was quoted as saying.

“He tried to preach the Sunday after the wedding but he was not in his normal strength. He went back to the hospital and he gave up yesterday (Tuesday) morning.

“He celebrated his 55th birthday on February 9. He lost his wife last year, on February 16, 2020, the same date.”

The cause of Ogorry’s death was, however, not revealed.

The spotlight had recently beamed on the clergyman after he allegedly refused to join a couple over their lateness to the wedding service.

Commenting on the wedding, the source said the couple had signed that the pastor had the right to cancel it if they came late.

“He (Ogorry) came that day and waited for five minutes. Before the day, he did interviews with the intending couple and he told them not to allow him to look bad in the face of the congregation,” the church member added.

“That thing had happened before when intending couples come late and all the members will be waiting for them. There is a document every to-be couple signs that the pastor has the right to cancel their wedding if they are late.

“The to-be couple in question signed it. They came more than five minutes late, they came over 15 minutes late and the pastor had already gone into his office as he was not feeling well. The bride came to the pastor and pleaded.

“Pastor considered going on with the wedding. He requested that he join them in his office as he wasn’t feeling well but the groom and his family rained insults on him. Then, an uproar ensued and the pastor left the church.”

The deceased and his late wife are survived by a 17-year-old child.

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