At the heart of the dispute is a contest over which of the two factions of the church has the lawful right to use the name and claim assets acquired under it.

📋 Breaking It Down

Two churches are locked in a legal tussle over the right to use the name “Gospel of God Church”, with competing registration records at the centre of a four-decade dispute concerning identity and property.

At the heart of the dispute is a contest over which faction has the lawful right to use the name and claim assets acquired under it, after a 1968 registration was followed by a 1985 deregistration, a fresh registration in 2004 and a reinstatement in 2009.

One faction is registered as "Gospel of God Church (SOC 7670)", formerly known as African Gospel Church, which received legal recognition in 1968, while the other is "Gospel of God Church International (SOC 45700)", formerly known as Glorious Gospel of God Church, which was registered in 2004.

📌 What You Need to Know

The dispute has moved through the Registrar of Societies, land courts and the High Court, with each side presenting a different account of which institution legally survived the twists and turns of its history.

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The dispute also concerns land, church buildings, motor vehicles and other property acquired over decades, with rival factions claiming competing rights over assets held under the "Gospel of God Church" identity.

The latest chapter ended last week when Justice Roseline Aburili struck out a constitutional petition by Gospel of God Church International (SOC. 45700), without deciding which faction ultimately owns the contested name or assets.

The court found that the petitioners bypassed the statutory appeal route after the Registrar of Societies issued decisions in August and October 2024 directing SOC 45700 to revert to its former name, “Glorious Gospel of God Church”, within 30 days or face cancellation of its registration.

Under the Societies Act, a society aggrieved by the Registrar's decision must first appeal to the Cabinet Secretary before approaching the High Court.

📰 Source: Nation Africa