Once Revered, Now Reviled: How Nigerian pastors lost their untouchable status

Nigerian pastors, once revered with unquestioned authority, are facing increasing public scrutiny due to scandals involving financial mismanagement, moral failings, and questionable doctrines. The rise of social media has now given the public a louder voice, challenging the long-held belief that criticising a "man of God" could incur divine punishment. As trust in religious institutions erodes, many wonder if this marks the end of blind reverence or a necessary reckoning for pastors in Nigeria.

“Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm” used to be a sacred mantra in Nigeria. The biblical words shielded pastors from criticism and cemented their status as untouchable figures of respect and authority.

For generations, pastors in Nigeria had enjoyed the security that this saying afforded them. Though these words may not have been uttered often, they became an unspoken law that many lived by. A law so sacred that speaking against a pastor or man of God was believed to invite a divine curse. 

Beyond the fear of breaking this sacred law, pastors were generally seen as the cornerstone of faith and morality, commanding immense respect from their congregation and society at large. 

They were shepherds of the flock, guiding people through life’s challenges with divine wisdom and an unwavering sense of righteousness. To many, their words were sacred and their actions above reproach. 

Families looked up to them, communities sought their counsel, and their influence stretched far beyond the pulpit and the four walls of churches.

Controversies became the kryptonite of Christian clerics

But in recent years, this reverence has come under intense scrutiny. The rise of social media, particularly, has raucously exposed the once-unquestionable lives of pastors in the public space. Scandals involving financial impropriety, moral failings, and questionable doctrines have stirred widespread outrage. 

Allegations of exploitation, misconduct, and hypocrisy dominate online conversations, with Nigerians no longer hesitating to air their grievances. Once-sacred titles like “Man of God” are now met with scepticism, and the trust that pastors once enjoyed seems to be slipping away.

For instance, some pastors have been accused of amassing wealth through the exploitation of their congregation, living extravagant lifestyles while many of their members struggle financially. 

Stories of pastors owning private jets, luxury cars, and mansions have fuelled accusations of financial exploitation. 

Speaking on his experience, Tolu Adeleye narrated that he abandoned his previous church because of the pastor’s greed. 

“I left my former church the day my Pastor with 5 cars told us in church, “Mummy does not have her own car. Let’s get her one.” I knew I was in the wrong place,” Adeleye recounted on X.

Omote had a more personal experience. A pastor messaged her privately to ask for money.

“I’ve been consistently commenting on this popular pastors instagram page. One of the church Pastors reached out to me and said he felt led to ask me for 3.5million,” she shared online.

Similarly, accusations of miracle staging, where supposed healings and deliverance are orchestrated for public spectacle, have also eroded the faith people have in many religious leaders. 

Another controversy that dominated trends in late 2024 was the retirement of Pastor David Abioye and Thomas Aremu by Bishop David Oyedepo, the general overseer of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel. The church’s ‘Mandate’ that mandated the retirement of Abioye and Aremu was reportedly amended in the same 2024. Under the new policy, leaders of the church are to retire at age 55. 

As of October 2024, Aremu was 67 while Abioye was 63. Meanwhile, only David Oyedepo, the founder of the church, who can serve for life. The respect wasn’t accorded any of his co-founders.

This, unsurprisingly, gave room for opinions to fly, as it became a controversial move by the church, as many alleged that the amendment was a targeted one. 

The retirement of David Abioye by David Oyedepo's church caused an uproar among Christians and critics

One Ufuoma Bernard opined on Facebook that the retirement of Abioye was to make way for the emergence of Oyedepo Jr.

“The Living Faith Church is about to enter its Golden Age with the dedication of the biggest worship center in the world christened THE ARK. 

“The runway project has already been approved by the Federal Government to commence making the take-off and landings of propeller planes, light aircrafts and private jets possible, hence the idea is to avoid any form of co-ownership with Bishop David Abioye to sole-ownership.  

The Three Trustees of the church hitherto were Bishop David Oyedepo, Mrs Faith Oyedepo and Bishop David Abioye. Bishop David Abioye having been retired as First Vice President has consequently relinquished his position as Trustee…

“So, Bishop David Abioye can now be replaced on the Board of Trustees with Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr who presently is the Resident Pastor of the church headquarters and who will be ordained a Bishop during the commissioning of THE ARK in December and appointed Vice President of The Living Faith Church and heir apparent to the church presidency,” Bernard concluded. 

A former pastor of the church, Unegbu Victor-Wallace, also had this to say about the controversial retirement:

“Oyedepo decided [sic] to hand over the church to Pastor David Jnr to concentrate on tutoring the young man by himself in Ota and creating an enabling environment for the young man to command influence and respect among pastors.

“[However], these will not be possible if some of the old war horses who were with Papa were not shown the exit door, from the greatest to the least hence the retirement age strategy.

Well, before now it was believed that LFC Goshen Abuja was built by papa as a parting gift for Bishop Abioye. So the plan was to make him life resident pastor of LFC Goshen Abuja. However, it was discovered that if Abioye was still in the system and David Jnr takes over, the young man would not enjoy the sovereignty to do as occasion serves him as the president of LFC Worldwide,” added Victor-Wallace, who told Church Times Nigeria that he planted about 20 branches for Winners’ Chapel between 2003 and 2011 as a resident pastor. 

As a plethora of positions were taken regarding the controversy, it was difficult to shake the feeling that the move was ruthlessly political, with the leadership of the church being passed down by hereditary succession, which is not so different from a typical business empire. 

The man who commissioned the ministry of David Oyedepo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, also isn’t spared from the controversies. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) general overseer also faced backlash over his comments on tithing. 

Adeboye had once warned that failing to pay tithes meant missing heaven, a statement that sparked widespread debate, particularly on social media. Critics challenged his claims, accusing him of using fear to compel members to give. 

After some time, he issued a public apology, saying the Bible never said so. He added that believers should not be limited to paying 10 per cent of their earnings, but rather pay 20, 30 or 40 per cent. It was courageous of him to admit his wrong, especially for someone of his stature but it opened him up to more criticism, with even neutrals forced to admit that being Adeboye didn’t make him infallible. 

Then came his comments that Nigeria’s economy would have been in a more dire situation if not for prayers. Adeboye specifically said that the naira-to-dollar exchange rate would have been $1 to N10,000 if not for him and some persons entering into a prayer session for the country. 

Rants of economists filled the air, as they didn’t care to not ‘do my prophet no harm’ with their ill words towards the cleric. 

Even though many jumped to Adeboye’s defence, the writing was on the wall - nobody was above being dragged, not even heralded men of God. They do not seem untouchable again. Church members and people, in general, seem to be realising that their religious leaders are as likely to err as them, seeming to say, “Even Adeboye admitted to misinterpreting the Bible, who am I then?” 

A subordinate of Adeboye, Idowu Iluyomade, made the headlines for the wrong reasons after his wife threw a birthday party when the nation was mourning the demise of their church member and CEO of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe. 

Despite Nigerians branding the situation as the height of insensitivity from a pastor to his church member, Iluyomade did not seem remorseful after he was suspended and went ahead to start his own church. 

Away from RCCG, another pastor embroiled in controversy is Pastor Abel Damina, known for his bold and often unconventional sermons. Damina has challenged traditional Christian doctrines, including those on tithing and the concept of hell and procreation, which he claims is misinterpreted. 

While his teachings have garnered a loyal following, they have also drawn criticism from more conservative Christians, who accuse him of distorting the Scriptures. 

These controversies, which are a few among many that have rocked religious leaders in recent years, pose a dilemma: is society right to hold pastors to higher standards, or are we witnessing a wave of tearing down of spiritual authority? 

It is equally important to ask whether controversy has now become a mainstay for pastors and what this means for the supposed sacrosanctity of the Nigerian body of Christ.

What pastors think about how they are perceived 

The current perception of pastors is a complex mix of doubt and criticism, as many question the authenticity of those who once stood as the pillars of the community. 

To better understand the projected shift in perception, TheRadar spoke with pastors to gain insight into why this change has occurred. 

Pastors Joseph Ojo, Gbola Bello and Gbenga Ayejuyole proffered the way forward for Christian clerics

Pastor Gbola Bello of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the secretary of the conference at Oke Bola, Ibadan, Oyo State, expressed that the trend is a worry but not a surprise, as pastors have turned church building into politics and business. 

“Many men of God have forgotten the reason for the pastoral call. In the olden days, God called ministers to direct people to him and to reproof people for their errors. God called pastors to bring people into righteousness. 

“But the moment pastors started putting their eyes into politics and building businesses, that was not the calling. Those are the areas where pastors started losing it. When pastors started making the church look like a business centre, they lost it. When the standard for a church to know you are following Christ is the amount of money you have, the church has lost it. 

The status quo now is what can I earn from establishing a church,” Gbola-Bello added. 

Pastor Gbenga Ayejuyole of Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT) Magodo, Lagos, does not believe that pastors have lost their respect. Rather, he thinks social media has done a lot of harm, especially with help from people who left the church. 

“As an insider, I believe that many of the pastors are still well respected. Social media has done a lot of harm not just to pastors but to every sector of the country. For pastors, I know a lot of things have happened. These are some of the things that pastors in the past will not do. 

“When a person is a pastor, we believe that one, you are called; two, that you know why you are called and you will know the limit as you must have been taught in the school of theology. But today, a lot of people who are not even born again are pastors. Pastoring today is more like a career or profession that people go into when there are no other things to do. 

“Also, social media is not being controlled the way it should be. A person can wake up today and publish anything. Another thing is most of these critics are people who left the church. “Some of the things deemed controversial may be the policies of another denomination. In our church, when a pastor is 70, he has to retire. There are some policies that are new to some people because they are not in the system. When it comes to doctrines, ideologies and teachings by popular men of God. They are also human beings and sometimes, if they’re not careful, they will give their opinion rather than what God is saying. Sometimes, they allow their opinions to override what the bible is saying,” Ayejuyole further stated. 

Pastor Joseph Ojo, an independent minister, attributes the whole religious kerfuffle to the end time that was predicted in the Bible. 

“The current perception of pastors is not so good because we are in the end time that the Bible predicted. The Scriptures say people will be boasters and disrespectful to leaders and there will be an increase in false pastors and teachers. 

“This is one of the major reasons people are losing respect for pastors. We now have an influx of fake pastors. Being a pastor is not a profession although some people make it seem so. It is a calling. Many lives have been destroyed by the so-called sons of Belial. 

“Nonetheless, there are still genuine men that God truly sent to do His work. When these men were making sacrifices for God’s work and suffering, people didn’t notice them then. This generation now sees these blessings and suddenly has a lot to say. 

“Some people won’t remember that in 1986, Bishop Oyedepo said he couldn’t afford eggs for their family, or the time that he gave the food that was meant for his children to church members. People lose respect for them because they don’t know their beginning. 

“The devil knows what he’s doing. He is setting up many people who are dragging pastors for destruction because when he visits them, the anointing that should bail them out will not be available. 

“What you don’t respect, you can’t attract and you can’t receive from. But there are still genuine men of God. If one doctor does something bad, will we say there are no other good doctors?” Ojo quizzed.

The sun of social media on religious rubble

The impact of social media on the deconstruction of religious figures in the country cannot be overemphasised and Gbola-Bello agrees with this.

“Social media has done a lot. I will boldly agree that God has used that means to open many people’s eyes. Though these things have been there before social media as most of their statements are usually transmitted on air, social media has really helped us to know who many of them are. 

“Many of these people came here to get what they would eat. The Bible says in John 10:14 ‘I know my sheep and my sheep knows me. Many of them are not making disciples for Christ. Social media is helping us see who they really are. 

“Some pastors have presented themselves so cheaply so social media has no regard for them anymore. The problem is not social media, the problem is the pastors, presenting themselves so cheaply. 

“When a big pastor argues over trivial things that are not necessary. It is a terrible thing when you see a king eating in the boardroom. That’s exactly what happened to the pastors, they started eating in the boardroom.” 

The Seventh-Day Adventist shepherd further highlighted how political participation degrades clerics, particularly when it comes to spiritually endorsing candidates. He categorises election outcome predictors as criminals. 

“When we were about to elect a president, somebody said this is the person I saw, those things are irritating. God doesn’t give visions like that. The vision that God gives the leaders of the church is to steer the community to righteousness, doing righteousness and no evil. So, if a pastor says I saw in my vision, this is who Nigerians voted for, that pastor is a criminal.”

To corroborate, Ojo shares that social media has its pros and cons but it is largely the fulfilment of prophecies. 

“With social media, the world has become a global village, people are more wise. What a person does in secret can be exposed even without their consent. 

“So, people now make money off pastors. Any little thing, bloggers tend to get attention, if a pastor is attacked, people are going to feast on it because they are disgruntled not knowing that they are fulfilling a negative prophecy. Prophecies will not go unfulfilled, you will either be on the positive or negative side.” 

How can pastors rebuild trust, regain respect?

To arrest the growing infamy of pastors in the country, Ayejuyole tells TheRadar that the responsibility lies with the churches themselves as they have to put structures in place to check ministers and how they are recruited. 

“Churches should be able to oversee their pastors. It is not everybody that must be a pastor. The way we recruit pastors should be controlled. There should be monitoring and putting structures in place to know what is happening. 

“Some of these things happen in branches. In our church, there are inspectorate pastors who go around inspecting what happens, looking at records, and all that. 

“We should be able to do a self-check, have self-discipline and not wait for others to judge us. If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. If anything happens, we should not just sweep it under the carpet but expose it. When the first offender is not punished, others are encouraged to do the same.”  

Gbola Bello adds that returning to the path of righteousness is the only way pastors can regain their lost reverence. He also submits that pastors are humans - not demigods - who should not be above being queried.

“If the congregation sees that their pastor is wrong, it should query the sermon. This is what these ministers hate, you dare not query their sermon. We are all human, we are fallible. 

“They see themselves as demigods to their members, it’s terrible. Pastors have their faults and members have their faults too. If pastors tell you something, please check your Scriptures to prove the standard of your pastors. Don’t just swallow everything your pastors say. 

“People don’t read the bible anymore, they listen to their pastors. If members challenge their pastors constantly, they will sit up and do their research well before they give another sermon.  

“If pastors want to get back their respect, they need to go back to the origin of the calling, which is righteousness. Righteousness in the sense that the pastors become the righteous role model to people, not political, not business, and nothing else. It is righteousness and righteousness alone, not using the pulpit to promote business.”

Ojo opines that leading a life free of blame is the only way forward. 

“If you have been called, you must live blamelessly in the presence of God and man, such that people that you are leading will respect you. It is a man that is refined that can live a blameless life among men. People don’t even have to be there before you do what is right, if you are a genuine child of God.”

Additional reporting by Olayode Oyo.  

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