The Hypocrisy of Some Nigerian Pentecostals

THE ALTERNATIVE

By Reno Omokri

Perhaps, the most dictatorial institutions in Nigeria are Pentecostal churches. I know, because I have been intimately associated with them. Too often, it is a one-man show. The founder or overseer runs the church, with his family, and there is very little, if any, corporate governance.

And the sad thing is that these men have often used, or allowed to be used, emotional manipulation (which many of them, but not all of them) pass off as a move of God.

You see, man is a fallen being. That is a fact. Being born again does not change that in the physical, though it may change it in the spiritual.

Thus, the quote by Lord Acton that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is as true in these churches, as it is in any other human institution.

The abuse of Psalm 105:15 “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm”, has seen many Pentecostal preachers transform into demigods and their churches are now places where people go to consume religious opium that keeps them mystified and in a state where they are open to manipulation by the power of suggestion.

This explains why these churches and their pastors, or founders, are becoming so much like the politicians we criticise.

It is almost, if not exactly as George Orwell described in his book, Animal Farm:

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

If Africans would only read Scripture for themselves instead of depending on what their church denominations or pastors tell them, Africa would be a less religious continent and a most faithful continent, and where there is faith, there will be mental emancipation!

I draw the attention of my readers to Acts 17:11:

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Nigerian Pentecostal churches have a horrible internal governance structure that is a breeding ground for tyranny and dictatorship, or even worse, hero worshiping and personality cults.

There are very few mechanisms in their structures to call the founder, or overseer, or GO to order when he goes against church doctrine, his or her own previous pronouncements, or even Scripture.

But let an ordinary member try to imitate him or his family in such malfeasance, and the hammer comes thundering down.

Let me give an example. I do not celebrate or even acknowledge Christmas. Nothing will make me associate myself with such an unscriptural and occult festival. However, I do not begrudge those who choose to participate in it. Doing so leads to arguments, because many people are emotionally tied to Christmas from childhood.

I grew up being a great admirer of Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, because, like me, he considers Christmas “idolatry and unscriptural”. His exact words.

So, imagine my shock on December 14, 2021, when Pastor Kumuyi attended the Aso Rock Christmas Praise Concert, hosted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, commemorating the Christmas season.

That is a clear violation of his own pronouncements and instruction to his congregation not to have anything to do with Christmas.

If there was a functional governance structure at the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor Kumuyi ought to have faced a panel, and should have stepped down from his position as General Superintendent for flouting the church’s rules.

But nothing happened to him, because he is the governance structure.

In Nigeria, our President and the 36 state Governors can be impeached. But a Pentecostal church founder and overseer cannot be impeached. He cannot even be rebuked or reprimanded. Therefore, his “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Sadly, many of such contraptions respect persons, when even Scripture tells us that “God is no respecter of persons:”-Acts 10:34.

I chased Buhari from a London hospital back to Nigeria, and Nigerians clapped for me. But if I chase Kumuyi from a Christmas concert, Nigerian Christians will stone me!

And it is very difficult to bring such men and women to account. Because, even when you point out to them that their current behaviour contradicts their previous pronouncements, they often claim that the Holy Spirit gave them a new revelation.

I remember that a very famous Port Harcourt-based pastor publicly called Daddy Freeze a b*****d when he criticised pastors.

I cringed when I watched that pastor. He even said worse things. He used language that I would not have even expected from a motor park tout, or a thug. People often criticise MC Oluomo, but I have never heard him speak as crudely as that pastor did.

So, I was expecting that either that same pastor, or another pastor would do the same to Leke Adeboye, who called pastors goats. After all, Daddy Freeze criticised only one pastor. Leke insulted a whole class of pastors.

Strangely, none of them said anything. What did Daddy Freeze say before that pastor slut shamed his mother, by asking ‘does he even know his father’? Now, here is Leke Adeboye doing worse. And silence. Yes, he apologised. But after how long?

Are pastors respecters of persons in Nigeria?

For decades, Deeper Life ministries made couples marry without make-up, fancy hairstyles, or any flashy wedding outfits. But when Kumuyi’s son was getting married, guess what? His wife was made up, and her hair was permed and coiffed, and both she and her husband wore finery.

You see, it did not start with Leke Adeboye. Too often, Nigerian Pentecostal churches have one rule for ordinary members and another for their GO’s family.

Of course, after public outrage, they will ‘discipline’ the children in question. However, would such discipline have come without the public umbrage?

Pastor Kumuyi attended his son’s wedding, which was a society wedding that took place in Jamaica at a Deeper Life Church. The couple arrived in a limousine. Pastor Kumuyi saw the couple before they went to church. He was with them as they entered the church. If he was truly outraged, he would have told them to go home and change.

Similarly, Leke Adeboye’s comments did not cause an uproar in RCCG. It was outsiders who were outraged.

I can see worshippers of “men of God” getting agitated and attacking me. But are you saying no member of Leke Adeboye’s family saw that ‘’goat’ post on the first day?

How different are Nigerian Pentecostals from our politicians?

Nuhu Ribadu is not a Muslim cleric. He is a politician. But look at how the media tore his daughter apart over her wedding dress.

Muslims did not say satan was behind the media attack. To their credit, they led it.

For such people, I quote what Paul said in Galatians 2:11-13:

“When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”

May God bless the structures in the Holy Roman Catholic Church and in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I do not see such double standard operating in these two institutions.

If you want to provoke reactions from most Black African Muslims, just say something unflattering about Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, or prophet Mohammed, Sallallahu Aaihi Wasallam.

However, if you want to provoke reactions from most Black African Christians, don’t waste your time saying something unflattering about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or His Son, Yeshua Hamashiach. They will hardly be provoked enough to take action.

However, if you say something unflattering, though true, about their pastor, Daddy GO, founder, overseer, or “man of God”, then you will see and hear red.

Nasir El-Rufai once insulted Christ by alleging an adulterous relationship between Him and Mary Magdalene in a tweet. What did we do?

But the day Daddy Freeze criticised a “man of God”, the Pentecostal and evangelical arena stood up. One pastor called him a b*****d. He insulted his mother and said Freeze does not know his father. He labelled him a Somalian (as if Somalians are not human beings).

Freeze got death threats. He lost work. He had to go underground for a while.

Two similar scenarios. Two different reactions.

At the end, you may start wondering if they are actually worshiping the Creator or His creation.

For as Romans 1:25 says:

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”

Let me end with this: To me, the big story from last week is not that the Academy Awards have banned Will Smith for 10 years. Rather, I am more focused on Chris Rock’s behaviour.

Chris Rock has taught me a lot about Christlikeness. I used to see him as a foul-mouthed comedian. To be honest, I thought he was crass. And then Will Smith slapped him. He did not retaliate. He did not sue.

I thought to myself, how many clean-mouthed Christians can be that forgiving? Can I myself be that forgiving? We as Christians must understand that love is the true sign of Christlikeness! That is why Christ said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another”-John 13:35.

Would we in the Body of Christ display such self-control and forgiveness if we were placed in exactly the same condition as Chris Rock? Would we turn the other cheek, as Christ said in Matthew 5:39?

I have seen a pastor call his mentor’s critic a b*****d. Church founders have sued and been sued. When a founder dies, we have seen the church leadership fight each other, even physically, to take over the church. We have witnessed slapping on the altar. Overseers and their estranged wives have washed dirty linen in public.

We must all take to heart the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:2:

 “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Let us remember that ‘Love is the greatest gift of all’. Chris Rock is certainly not religious. But, in my opinion, he displayed a high level of love!

Reno’s Nuggets

Dear youths,

When you graduate and get a job, don’t immediately leave your parents’ house to rent a place. If possible, stay with your parents. Endure any discomfort. Then save what you’d have spent on rent and use it as capital to start a business or buy a home. Don’t be in a hurry to run when you have not learnt to crawl. If your parents live far from where you work, then move in with your siblings or any other close family member. Be humble. Respect who you live with. Accept nonsense. It is the price you pay to access much sense!

#RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu