Pastor Jerry Eze has apologised to thousands of worshippers who were unable to enter his prayer conference at Old Trafford in Manchester, United Kingdom, after the massive turnout exceeded the stadium’s capacity.
The Streams of Joy founder addressed the controversy in an emotional video shared on Instagram on Monday, September 28, 2026, where he was seen kneeling as he appealed to those affected.
Jerry Eze apologises to worshippers
The prayer event, held on Saturday, September 26, attracted worshippers from different parts of the world.
Many attendees reportedly travelled long distances to Manchester for the programme, but a large number were unable to gain access after the crowd became too large for the venue to accommodate.
Speaking about the situation, Eze expressed regret over what happened and acknowledged the disappointment experienced by those who had travelled for the event.
“I want to sincerely, from the depth of my heart, apologize. Apologize to the tens of thousands of people who were turned back. Some people traveled very far from Australia, from North Macedonia, from Sweden, from different parts of the world to come. I felt so sorry,” he said.
Pastor explains why people were turned away
While addressing the incident, the pastor said the decision that prevented some attendees from entering was outside his control.
According to Eze, the responsibility for managing entry into the stadium rested with the venue’s management, rather than him or the Streams of Joy ministry.
“Of course, you know me. It was beyond my control. If it was something I could influence, and you know it wasn’t something that streams of joy people could influence. It was the stadium people that did what they had to do,” he said.
The cleric also revealed that he had been monitoring the reactions from worshippers on social media and was aware of the frustration expressed by those who could not enter.
Jerry Eze asks affected worshippers for forgiveness
Eze said he felt compelled to personally address the people who had been affected by the incident and assure them that their concerns had been heard.
He apologised once again and promised that a similar situation would not happen again.
“People of God, I want to say, I’m sorry. It will not happen again. I see your pain as you post about it on social media and you talk about it wherever you go to. I want to say I’m sorry. Please forgive us. I’m sorry,” he concluded.
Watch the video below:
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