The Political Dimension To Church Succession: The Odukoya Scenario -By Emmanuel Aziken

When the leaders of the Fountain of Life Church in Lagos announced Jimmy Odukoya, the son of the deceased founders of the ministry, Pastors Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya as the new Senior Pastor of the ministry, it understandably raised some hairs among some given his professional background as a Nollywood actor.

The unveiling did not depart from the pattern of the political class. In Delta State for example, all former governors of the state in the Fourth Republic have appointed their offsprings in one position of ascendancy or the other to perpetuate their legacies.

However, unlike the political arena where men build structures and empires for self-glory, the church of God is no man’s heritage. The church we are told is God’s heritage.

The appointment of Pastor Jimmy Odukoya to replace his father as senior pastor would not have caused much contention despite the adornment he came along with to the pulpit. His tattoos, braided hair and earrings were particularly offensive to some in the Chrisitan community but many out of fear of the Biblical injunction “touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm,” pulled back from reacting.

Indeed, ordinarily one should not have commented until Pastor Odukoya went to the public space to justify his adornment. I believe from there the narrative changed and he has become an object for discourse.

Indeed, if left unchallenged, the cheekiness would send a new narrative that could inspire more impudence and erosion of our common faith in Christ.

First, the culture of Nigerian church ‘founders’ handing over the church to their spouses or children at death or retirement has no biblical basis and emits a business culture of a man handing over a business enterprise to family members. But for a pastor at the point of death to focus his transition plans to only family members is replete with nepotism and beclouds the true essence of the Church of God.

One of the greatest servants of God in the last century was Bro Reinhard Bonke. The German evangelist’s ministry was evidenced by the immense depopulation of souls destined for hell and redirection of same to heaven.

At the point of his death, he was married to Anni Suelze, a lady he met as a young man during Christian activities.

Despite the fact that the widow was also a Christian minister and some of their three children also went into ministry, Bonke at his last crusade in Lagos, Nigeria announced fellow worker, Daneil Kolenda as president of Christ for All Nations, CfAN.

Looking beyond Bonke to, Jesus, the Christ, at the point of His death He did not circumscribe His succession to his family members. He looked beyond them towards his disciples. Indeed, Peter and John became rallying points for the church.

It is simply ludicrous that some of the disciples of the late Odukoya who were with him when the ministry was started and who would have helped in nurturing the young Jimmy even before he went into Nollywood would now come kowtow to him because of the ‘anointing’.

One will not use Paul’s reference of 1 Timothy 3:2 in putting the appointment of Pastor Jimmy Odukoya in perspective.

Of course, the appointment was said to have been authorized by the father and the elders of the church. As such one may not publicly contend with them after all we may not all accept one thing.

However, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya changed the perspective with his defence of his adornments.

In his self defence of his dreadlocks, he cited Samson, the man called to rule Israel during the era of the judges who rather gave his power to women.

It is incredulous that Pastor Odukoya would reduce biblical revelation to that ludicrous perspective as he beclouds the fact that Samson was called a Nazarite from his birth with an instruction to the parents not to cut his hair.

From every indication, Pastor Odukoya was not shaped in that direction as his long hair and dreadlocks were adornments he took from Nollywood.

In fact, the bible cautions that long hair is the glory of the woman but not to the man.

In justifying his wearing of ear rings, he cites the case of the church in the wilderness when Aaron made the Israelites to put off the earrings they wore to make the idolatrous golden calf. It is shocking that Pastor has taken his justification for such from such an idolatrous background. Is he then about to lead the people into idolatry?

Your correspondent has seen pictures of Pastor Odukoya with tattoo. Incidentally he did not defend the practice, but I refer him to Leviticus 19:28 where the bible says “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the LORD.”

It is perhaps remarkable for some to forgive and say that the assertions of Pastor Odukoya should be seen as a reflection of contemporary times. But certainly not. The bible is unchanging and the question Christians must always ask at the point of such dissensions is to bring in that difficult question that God asked Adam at the point of the fall.

As God questioned Adam on why he hid from Him, Adam said that he fled because he was naked. That brought God to ask that question we must always ask ourselves in the ascension of faith.

God asked Adam, Who Told You that you were naked.

That is the question we must always ask ourselves in whatever action we take. It is either God speaking to us or the devil.

May God help His Church from the internal conflicts of self-glorification that is the allure of the political class and prevent such from entrenching in His Church.