Top five most
controversial pastors in Nigeria
Soonest Nathaniel 4 months ago 215752
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If being caught-up in controversies is one test of the real man-of-God,
then these ones will qualify on this criterion.
Either for some unbelievable miracles, certain biblical principles which
they preach or their romance with politics, these pastors have in one
way or the other found a way to always be in the news; sometimes with
great scandals.
I must say though that the controversies do not necessarily make these
ones the most popular pastors in Nigeria; however, it leaves them at
certain spots in which they cannot be overlooked as long as Nigeria is
concerned.
Below is a list of the most controversial men-of-God in Nigeria.
5. Reverend King
From the moment he stepped into the scene, the dynamics of the game
seemed to change. Looking all a bit strange with his sakura- head and
beard, Rev King drew a lot of attention to himself in a very short
while.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Reverend-King
Reverend-King
At the beginning there were tales of how members of his church were made
to sit in one place from beginning to the end of service, mostly due to
the fear that if they as much as stand to take a leak, they will be
severely flogged.
Afterwards there were tales, of women whose husbands came raging,
claiming that he (Rev King) was sleeping with their wives in the name of
deliverance.
Then the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the murder case in
which Rev King killed a member of his church called Ann Uzoh. He killed
her by setting her on fire alongside 6 other members of his church;
accusing them of fornication, a crime for which he has been sentenced to
death.
Only recently, one miss Susan Chizoba, a former maid of the
self-professed messiah, revealed how she served the general overseer of
the Christ Praying Assembly stark naked. She explained how her parents
took her to Rev King’s home in 2000, believing it to be a Christian
home.
Rev King is currently on death row and though the due date for execution
remains somewhat unknown, still his followers believe that like Jesus
Christ, their spiritual leader is being persecuted, and a great miracle
to save him from death is still likely.
4. Pastor Chris Okotie
Former pop music rave, classic crooner of his time, Chris Okotie came
into the scene with his bamboozling grammar, such that his followers
began to carry dictionaries to church in order to decipher what exactly
the man of God is saying.
For him it was first the palpable show-down between him and his namesake
Chris Oyakhilome, then the ministry graduated to his vision of being
the leader of Nigeria as directed by God. It turned out that his failure
to clinch the coveted seat was as a result of Nigerians refusing God’s
mandate.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
chris-okotie
Pastor Chris-Okotie
From the elections and then came the case of affairs upon affairs. The
televangelist has married twice and announced he had separated from his
second wife on June 24, 2012.
In 2013, a security guard who worked for Chris Okotie, accused the
man-of-God of snatching his wife, one Stephnora Nwamaka Boniface who
also was a former staff of Okotie.
There were claims of Pastor Okotie buying Stephnora some clothes and
asking her to come try them in church; where the security guard claims
the mother of his daughter told him pastor Okotie has a bed.
Stories of the suave, rich overseer having a love-child after 3
abortions also exist. A certain Remi Odutola emerged in 2013, alleging
that she has a 9-year-old girl for Pastor Okotie. She further claimed
that she is his secret wife.
Following his separation with the widow, Stephanie Henshaw, there have
been speculation about whether or not the debonair overseer of the
Household of God Church will remarry.
Reports have it that many smitten women have continued endlessly to win
Okotie’s heart, including singles, divorced and widowed women in his
church, so much that there is an alleged royal rumble to win the
singer-preacher’s heart.
Most recently rumored was the fling between Pastor Chris Okotie and one
Delphine Onyii Okoronkwo, as well as the speculated romance between him
and Naomi Hoffman.
It remains somewhat unclear what Pastor Chris Okotie is up to these
days.
3. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
If there is a man-of-God who has meddled into Nigerian politics the
most, then it must be Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the founding and senior
pastor of Word of Life church.
Fondly called Papa Ayo, it is fabled that there is no Nigerian president
who has not been to his church; he is highly political.
It is in that light that he earns his spot on this most controversial
list. To a great extent he has been able to maintain his integrity even
with mighty waves of scandal he has been involved in.
In 2014, a Nigerian-owned jet was found loaded with millions of dollars
and that was in the process of procuring arms and a fighter helicopter
for the Nigerian military and security agencies. The jet was linked to
Papa Ayo; the matter stirred great uproar across the nation.
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oritsejafor
Papa Ayo Oritsejafor
Pastor Ayo who was the then president of Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN), was in Fani Kayode’s words “vilified, maligned and
treated with utmost disdain and contempt”. He was labeled an arms
smuggler, a money launderer and worst of all a sponsor of the Boko Haram
sect.
However, Pastor Oritsejafor who agreed that he was the owner of the
plane pointed out that he had leased it out to a company on a long term
basis. The company themselves were also said to have been subleasing the
aircraft out to other companies for regular trips. He said he had no
idea about who the company was subleasing too, nor knows where they are
flying it to or who or what they were carrying in it in any of their
operations.
The former national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
(PFN) was again in the eye of the storm, as he was accused of
mismanaging the body’s funds while in office.
He said he left about N600m in the PFN’s coffers and almost completed a
secretariat for the association during his tenure in office.
Further denying the allegations, Oritsejafor said he secured a land and
built a 4-star hotel for CAN.
Following the various financial scandals in which he has been fingered,
pastor Oritsejafor has come under severe criticism, with many asking him
to resign, while some has aske him to stay away from the church if he
wants to play politics.
2. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
Arguably one of the most polished, handsome and charismatic preacher in
Nigeria. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome distinguished himself in style, making a
great mark in a very short time.
As with many within his realm, there have been many scandals in his
ministry. First for him was the issue of miracles; some which were
totally unbelievable. Many Nigerians went in troves to his crusades
most of which had healing and deliverance as their main focus.
After a while, issues began to crop up, with some persons coming out to
testify that they were actually paid to stage-manage the miracles. Some
people claim that it was because of him that national television
stations were banned from airing miracle-oriented programmes. He was
also accused of using African-magic to wrought certain miracles at his
healing school in Lagos.
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Pastor Chris Oyakhilome & Rev. Anita
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Reverend Anita
From the saga of false miracles, which were really never confirmed, the
next controversy arose regarding life style and church doctrines.
The founder of Believers Loveworld aka Christ Embassy, was rumored to be
the only Nigerian pastor who does not wear one suit twice a year. The
alleged lavish life which the pastor enjoys was said to be taking its
toll on his members, as some were arrested for stealing from their
places of work and they said it was Pastor Chris who asked them to bring
the money.
READ ALSO: 10 popular Nigerian pastors who refrain from political
statements (photos)
His hairstyle went down well with many of the young people, but many of
the older generation frowned at the idea; especially when other pastors
and members of his congregation began to keep the same hair style.
A highly controversial statement was sometime ascribed to very outspoken
pastor. It was said that Oyakhilome told his congregation that
masturbation is not a scene, there are also speculation that with the
allegedly lax nature of the his church’s doctrine, Pastor Chris might
also permit gay marriages to thrive among his congregation.
Most recently is his marriage scandal. Following failed attempts by
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his wife to quell the storm in their
marriage, the two chose to call it quits, with Pastor Anita filing a
divorce at a London court, seeking among others control of the church in
the UK.
Anita called her marriage to Chris Oyakhilome, an Abusive relationship.
Pastor Chris was accused of adultery and unreasonable behavior,
accusations which he has continued to deny.
Following his divorce, there hasn’t been much said about him in recent
times.
1. Prophet TB Joshua
Ever waxing strong, Prophet Temitope Babalola Joshua rose to fame with
his ministry which is mostly miracle based. From healing the sick,
raising the dead, down to people turning to animals at deliverance
service and eventually facing Lucifer himself; there is no greater
pastor akin to controversy as TB Joshua.
First it was the fact that his church was located close to a swamp,
people said that the prophet who as of that time could not speak proper
English, was operating with marine spirits.
It was rumored that he was the cause of certain plane crashes in Lagos
state.
TB Joshua is practically worshiped by his congregation as the call him
Emmanuel which translates to “God with us”.
The greatest controversy surrounding his ministry stems from the fact
that many still doubt his source of power.
Some pastors of his Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) have in the
recent past, confessed to the fact that he (Joshua) operates with
demonic powers.
He is revered for certain prophesies which have been reported to have
come to pass, including the latest terrorist attacks on Brussels.
Regarding the potency of his powers, a juju-priest recently claimed that
TB Joshua cannot deny the fact that he (the witch-doctor) supplies him
powers.
TB Joshua’s case is so peculiar that only a few men of God want to be
identified with him. In a 2009 interview, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is quoted as to have said that
he will not worship in TB Joshua’s church.
He went further to explain that “If he (Joshua) wants me to come and
minister in his church, we will sit down ; we will discuss the issue of
salvation the way I understand it, according to the scriptures. If we
agree on that and he now wants me to come and preach the same message of
salvation in his church, then I will go”.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
tb_joshua_on_the_floor.jpg
Prophet T B Joshua
Former PFN president, Rev Oritsejafor is quoted to have said that before
Joshua could even qualify to be a PFN member, he should show who
tutored him as a pastor. Prophet Joshua is reputed to have said that he
was converted in his mother’s womb.
The most recent controversies involving Joshua’s SCOAN, is the collapse
of the guest house which claimed the lives of many people, especially
South Africans. There is also a current case of the prophet being linked
to the Panama Papers which was leaked by a Panamanian law firm, Mossack
Fonseca.
Though prophet Joshua has denied links to a shell company called Chillon
Consultancy Limited in the British Virgin Islands, still investigations
are on into the scandal.
One can be sure that these men will continue to make major headlines,
either for the course of God’s work, or for the many controversies that
emerge along the way.
Read more: https://www.naij.com/789285-top-five-most-controversial-nigerian-pastors-photos.html
Read more: https://www.naij.com/789285-top-five-most-controversial-nigerian-pastors-photos.html
Top five most
controversial pastors in Nigeria
Soonest Nathaniel 4 months ago 215752
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Send email
If being caught-up in controversies is one test of the real man-of-God,
then these ones will qualify on this criterion.
Either for some unbelievable miracles, certain biblical principles which
they preach or their romance with politics, these pastors have in one
way or the other found a way to always be in the news; sometimes with
great scandals.
I must say though that the controversies do not necessarily make these
ones the most popular pastors in Nigeria; however, it leaves them at
certain spots in which they cannot be overlooked as long as Nigeria is
concerned.
Below is a list of the most controversial men-of-God in Nigeria.
5. Reverend King
From the moment he stepped into the scene, the dynamics of the game
seemed to change. Looking all a bit strange with his sakura- head and
beard, Rev King drew a lot of attention to himself in a very short
while.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Reverend-King
Reverend-King
At the beginning there were tales of how members of his church were made
to sit in one place from beginning to the end of service, mostly due to
the fear that if they as much as stand to take a leak, they will be
severely flogged.
Afterwards there were tales, of women whose husbands came raging,
claiming that he (Rev King) was sleeping with their wives in the name of
deliverance.
Then the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the murder case in
which Rev King killed a member of his church called Ann Uzoh. He killed
her by setting her on fire alongside 6 other members of his church;
accusing them of fornication, a crime for which he has been sentenced to
death.
Only recently, one miss Susan Chizoba, a former maid of the
self-professed messiah, revealed how she served the general overseer of
the Christ Praying Assembly stark naked. She explained how her parents
took her to Rev King’s home in 2000, believing it to be a Christian
home.
Rev King is currently on death row and though the due date for execution
remains somewhat unknown, still his followers believe that like Jesus
Christ, their spiritual leader is being persecuted, and a great miracle
to save him from death is still likely.
4. Pastor Chris Okotie
Former pop music rave, classic crooner of his time, Chris Okotie came
into the scene with his bamboozling grammar, such that his followers
began to carry dictionaries to church in order to decipher what exactly
the man of God is saying.
For him it was first the palpable show-down between him and his namesake
Chris Oyakhilome, then the ministry graduated to his vision of being
the leader of Nigeria as directed by God. It turned out that his failure
to clinch the coveted seat was as a result of Nigerians refusing God’s
mandate.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
chris-okotie
Pastor Chris-Okotie
From the elections and then came the case of affairs upon affairs. The
televangelist has married twice and announced he had separated from his
second wife on June 24, 2012.
In 2013, a security guard who worked for Chris Okotie, accused the
man-of-God of snatching his wife, one Stephnora Nwamaka Boniface who
also was a former staff of Okotie.
There were claims of Pastor Okotie buying Stephnora some clothes and
asking her to come try them in church; where the security guard claims
the mother of his daughter told him pastor Okotie has a bed.
Stories of the suave, rich overseer having a love-child after 3
abortions also exist. A certain Remi Odutola emerged in 2013, alleging
that she has a 9-year-old girl for Pastor Okotie. She further claimed
that she is his secret wife.
Following his separation with the widow, Stephanie Henshaw, there have
been speculation about whether or not the debonair overseer of the
Household of God Church will remarry.
Reports have it that many smitten women have continued endlessly to win
Okotie’s heart, including singles, divorced and widowed women in his
church, so much that there is an alleged royal rumble to win the
singer-preacher’s heart.
Most recently rumored was the fling between Pastor Chris Okotie and one
Delphine Onyii Okoronkwo, as well as the speculated romance between him
and Naomi Hoffman.
It remains somewhat unclear what Pastor Chris Okotie is up to these
days.
3. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
If there is a man-of-God who has meddled into Nigerian politics the
most, then it must be Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the founding and senior
pastor of Word of Life church.
Fondly called Papa Ayo, it is fabled that there is no Nigerian president
who has not been to his church; he is highly political.
It is in that light that he earns his spot on this most controversial
list. To a great extent he has been able to maintain his integrity even
with mighty waves of scandal he has been involved in.
In 2014, a Nigerian-owned jet was found loaded with millions of dollars
and that was in the process of procuring arms and a fighter helicopter
for the Nigerian military and security agencies. The jet was linked to
Papa Ayo; the matter stirred great uproar across the nation.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
oritsejafor
Papa Ayo Oritsejafor
Pastor Ayo who was the then president of Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN), was in Fani Kayode’s words “vilified, maligned and
treated with utmost disdain and contempt”. He was labeled an arms
smuggler, a money launderer and worst of all a sponsor of the Boko Haram
sect.
However, Pastor Oritsejafor who agreed that he was the owner of the
plane pointed out that he had leased it out to a company on a long term
basis. The company themselves were also said to have been subleasing the
aircraft out to other companies for regular trips. He said he had no
idea about who the company was subleasing too, nor knows where they are
flying it to or who or what they were carrying in it in any of their
operations.
The former national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
(PFN) was again in the eye of the storm, as he was accused of
mismanaging the body’s funds while in office.
He said he left about N600m in the PFN’s coffers and almost completed a
secretariat for the association during his tenure in office.
Further denying the allegations, Oritsejafor said he secured a land and
built a 4-star hotel for CAN.
Following the various financial scandals in which he has been fingered,
pastor Oritsejafor has come under severe criticism, with many asking him
to resign, while some has aske him to stay away from the church if he
wants to play politics.
2. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
Arguably one of the most polished, handsome and charismatic preacher in
Nigeria. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome distinguished himself in style, making a
great mark in a very short time.
As with many within his realm, there have been many scandals in his
ministry. First for him was the issue of miracles; some which were
totally unbelievable. Many Nigerians went in troves to his crusades
most of which had healing and deliverance as their main focus.
After a while, issues began to crop up, with some persons coming out to
testify that they were actually paid to stage-manage the miracles. Some
people claim that it was because of him that national television
stations were banned from airing miracle-oriented programmes. He was
also accused of using African-magic to wrought certain miracles at his
healing school in Lagos.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome & Rev. Anita
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Reverend Anita
From the saga of false miracles, which were really never confirmed, the
next controversy arose regarding life style and church doctrines.
The founder of Believers Loveworld aka Christ Embassy, was rumored to be
the only Nigerian pastor who does not wear one suit twice a year. The
alleged lavish life which the pastor enjoys was said to be taking its
toll on his members, as some were arrested for stealing from their
places of work and they said it was Pastor Chris who asked them to bring
the money.
READ ALSO: 10 popular Nigerian pastors who refrain from political
statements (photos)
His hairstyle went down well with many of the young people, but many of
the older generation frowned at the idea; especially when other pastors
and members of his congregation began to keep the same hair style.
A highly controversial statement was sometime ascribed to very outspoken
pastor. It was said that Oyakhilome told his congregation that
masturbation is not a scene, there are also speculation that with the
allegedly lax nature of the his church’s doctrine, Pastor Chris might
also permit gay marriages to thrive among his congregation.
Most recently is his marriage scandal. Following failed attempts by
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his wife to quell the storm in their
marriage, the two chose to call it quits, with Pastor Anita filing a
divorce at a London court, seeking among others control of the church in
the UK.
Anita called her marriage to Chris Oyakhilome, an Abusive relationship.
Pastor Chris was accused of adultery and unreasonable behavior,
accusations which he has continued to deny.
Following his divorce, there hasn’t been much said about him in recent
times.
1. Prophet TB Joshua
Ever waxing strong, Prophet Temitope Babalola Joshua rose to fame with
his ministry which is mostly miracle based. From healing the sick,
raising the dead, down to people turning to animals at deliverance
service and eventually facing Lucifer himself; there is no greater
pastor akin to controversy as TB Joshua.
First it was the fact that his church was located close to a swamp,
people said that the prophet who as of that time could not speak proper
English, was operating with marine spirits.
It was rumored that he was the cause of certain plane crashes in Lagos
state.
TB Joshua is practically worshiped by his congregation as the call him
Emmanuel which translates to “God with us”.
The greatest controversy surrounding his ministry stems from the fact
that many still doubt his source of power.
Some pastors of his Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) have in the
recent past, confessed to the fact that he (Joshua) operates with
demonic powers.
He is revered for certain prophesies which have been reported to have
come to pass, including the latest terrorist attacks on Brussels.
Regarding the potency of his powers, a juju-priest recently claimed that
TB Joshua cannot deny the fact that he (the witch-doctor) supplies him
powers.
TB Joshua’s case is so peculiar that only a few men of God want to be
identified with him. In a 2009 interview, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is quoted as to have said that
he will not worship in TB Joshua’s church.
He went further to explain that “If he (Joshua) wants me to come and
minister in his church, we will sit down ; we will discuss the issue of
salvation the way I understand it, according to the scriptures. If we
agree on that and he now wants me to come and preach the same message of
salvation in his church, then I will go”.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
tb_joshua_on_the_floor.jpg
Prophet T B Joshua
Former PFN president, Rev Oritsejafor is quoted to have said that before
Joshua could even qualify to be a PFN member, he should show who
tutored him as a pastor. Prophet Joshua is reputed to have said that he
was converted in his mother’s womb.
The most recent controversies involving Joshua’s SCOAN, is the collapse
of the guest house which claimed the lives of many people, especially
South Africans. There is also a current case of the prophet being linked
to the Panama Papers which was leaked by a Panamanian law firm, Mossack
Fonseca.
Though prophet Joshua has denied links to a shell company called Chillon
Consultancy Limited in the British Virgin Islands, still investigations
are on into the scandal.
One can be sure that these men will continue to make major headlines,
either for the course of God’s work, or for the many controversies that
emerge along the way.
Read more: https://www.naij.com/789285-top-five-most-controversial-nigerian-pastors-photos.html
Read more: https://www.naij.com/789285-top-five-most-controversial-nigerian-pastors-photos.html
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