BEHIND THE PULPIT WARS

In the last few days, the internet has been on a spiritual pilgrimage of its own, courtesy of the now-viral videos of Apostle Isaac Omolehin’s… let’s call it holy expository. Clips making the rounds have left many Nigerians scratching their heads and asking, with genuine confusion: Who exactly is PFN? And who, for heaven’s sake, is “THE NIGERIAN CHURCH”?

Earlier this year, Apostle Omolehin stepped into the public square with the boldness of a man who had nothing to lose and everything to say. He lamented the state of the nation, our beloved Nigeria, juxtaposing its struggles with the glittering, almost celestial lifestyles of some of our revered General

Overseers. According to him, something just wasn’t adding up, and honestly, many Nigerians silently agreed. In a message that went viral, he said: “Out of the 10 richest pastors in the world, five are Nigerians. But out of the 10 richest churches in the world, no Nigerian church is listed.”

As the usual, in true Naija fashion, speaking the truth (or one’s truth) can sometimes feel like poking a very large, very well-fed lion. Since that moment of outspoken clarity, rumour has it that the Apostle has been suffering some resistance though someone somewhere pressed the “spiritual warfare: ON” button.

According to the video in circulation, Apostle Omolehin claims that while in Canada for a preaching invitation, the host church refused to allow him preach, allegedly because they’d “received a directive from the Churches in Nigeria” and from Penticostal Fellowship Network (PFN) leadership to do so. He claims he spent US$8,000 on the trip (for himself and his wife), expecting a refund, that never came.

Now, the nation watches this unfolds, because in Nigeria, even church issues come with season plots and a waiting audience.