The Embassy of God has launched construction of a "Ukrainian cultural-spiritual center" in Kyiv's Osokroki district, said the church's pastor, Sunday Adelaja, who is an immigrant from Nigeria.
The new center will feature conference halls, offices, and exhibition hall and sporting arenas, said the pastor, according to Interfax-Ukraine information agency.
The church, which faces opposition from local Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, authorities, and political groups opposed to Westernization of Ukraine, claims to have tens of thousands of followers in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, including Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky.
Adelaja was accused in November 2009 of being involved in the dealings of King’s Capital, a financial group led by a member of his congregation. The company promised as much as 60 percent returns on investments and drew many of its investors from the church. Several church members complained to the authorities that they were unable to recover the money they invested, which left many of them bankrupt. Police later arrested one of King’s Capital leaders, Aleksandr Bandurchenko, on suspicion of fraud.
The pastor denied all charges of wrongdoing in this article appearing Charisma Magazine in October 2009.
