On April 25, 2025, Apostle Emmanuel Iren, lead pastor of Celebration Church International (CCI), stirred controversy with a sermon addressing sexual assault allegations within his ministry. In a post shared on X, Iren is seen holding a microphone, wearing a grey cardigan, with a bold red “GUYS” label on the image. The sermon, reported by CreebHills on the same day, revealed Iren’s claim that “9 out of 10 sexual assault cases in my ministry are false,” prompting a heated debate on X.
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— Apostle Emmanuel Iren (@pst_iren) April 25, 2025
During a recent sermon at Celebration Church International, Emmanuel Iren tackled the sensitive topic of sexual assault allegations within his ministry. As reported by CreebHills, Iren shared that he initially reacted with anger to such reports but, upon further investigation, found many to be “not credible.”
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Iren, who founded CCI in 2014 after starting as a campus fellowship in 2008, also used the opportunity to counsel young men in his congregation, urging them to pursue chastity and avoid compromising situations, as noted in the CreebHills report. His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of religious leaders regarding their handling of assault allegations, making this a particularly contentious topic.
The sermon and Iren’s claims have sparked a wide range of reactions on X, reflecting the polarizing nature of his comments. Some followers supported his stance, with @Celebralpha replying, “There was nothing wrong with what you said and you didn’t invalidate victims. May the spirit of God continue to give you wisdom to navigate these things.” @MrFitz also praised Iren’s sensitivity, noting, “I love the final line. ‘Don’t make it hard for people who have genuinely been assaulted to speak up,’” highlighting Iren’s call for balance in addressing such issues.
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However, others were highly critical. @Ol0ye challenged Iren’s role as a pastor, asking, “Are you a pastor or a motivational speaker? Pastors have an obligation to back up everything they say with the word of God.” @cuppydat took a more provocative stance, alleging, “Pastor Iren says it’s ok to sin. As long as you know when to stop,” while @dearpeculiaar was outright dismissive, stating, “you’re just useless, iren.” @lakeesyde expressed frustration, saying, “How does this idiot keep coming to my TL,” indicating strong disapproval.
