By Our Reporter
A burial ceremony at Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reportedly turned tragic on Thursday when the resident pastor of the Redeemed Church in the area, Deacon Steve Eyo, suddenly collapsed while preaching.
Eyo was delivering a sermon titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond” at the burial ceremony, which was attended by more than 300 people, according to eyewitnesses.
The pastor reportedly began his message at about 1:10 p.m., speaking about the inevitability of death and urging those present to live their lives with the consciousness that death could come at any time.
Using an illustration, Eyo likened death to going to the market, saying some people leave the market early while others remain until late. In the same way, he said, some people die early while others live longer.
He also reportedly reminded the gathering that death could come unexpectedly.
However, at about 1:25 p.m., while concluding his sermon, the pastor suddenly collapsed in front of the congregation.
His fall initially left some people confused, as he had just been speaking about the suddenness of death. Some attendees reportedly thought the collapse was part of his illustration.
It soon became clear that the situation was serious.
Eyo was immediately taken to the back of the venue, where church ministers and members of the choir gathered around him and prayed. People with medical knowledge at the scene also reportedly administered first aid.
His condition, however, deteriorated, with a medical person at the scene reportedly stating that the pastor had stopped breathing.
He was subsequently rushed to the nearest hospital in the ambulance that had earlier been hired to convey the remains of the deceased to the burial venue.
He was reportedly pronounced dead at the hospital and his body taken to the mortuary.
The incident left mourners and other attendees shocked, particularly because of the subject of the pastor’s final sermon.
Before his collapse, Eyo had reportedly told the gathering that the burial was a reminder that death was not the end, as judgment comes after death. He urged those present to “number their days” and live wisely.
His final words, according to witnesses, were: “Number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime.”
Moments later, he collapsed, with the microphone reportedly falling to the ground with a loud sound.
The sudden death of the pastor during a sermon on death has left those who witnessed the incident describing the episode as surreal and difficult to comprehend.