Founder of The Word Assembly Churches, Rev. Isaac Omolehin, has stirred debate after declaring that Nigeria’s Christian community lacks a unifying spiritual father, insisting that leading pastors are only heads of their denominations.
Omolehin made the statement in a sermon uploaded on the church’s official YouTube channel on Wednesday, with clips gaining traction on social media by Saturday.
“I would hear fathers and I ask myself, which father? Nigerian Christianity has no father. Nigerian Christianity has no father. One young man was speaking so intensely recently about our fathers and mentioning that our fathers should speak out. Our fathers should speak out. What is happening? Yeah, I think our fathers should speak out. That Baba Adeboye should speak out.
“He was mentioning fathers. And I was asking myself, are these fathers of Christianity in Nigeria? Without sounding disrespectful? These are denominational leaders. Christianity in Nigeria has no father.”
The cleric criticised what he described as rivalry among church leaders, arguing that such competition lacks spiritual depth.
“A father would be somebody who looks after us all. Not just promoting the denominational agenda and the competition of how I’m building one mile auditorium. Then another one is trying to build two miles.
“One has one aircraft, another one wants to have three. The rivalry, the competition has no spiritual content,” he said.
Omolehin, however, acknowledged the influence of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, but maintained that his authority is limited to his denomination.
“Don’t get me wrong. Baba Adeboye is a very successful, respected man of God. But he’s in Redeemed. Kumuyi is in Deeper Life. Olukoya is in MFM. Does Olukoya know what is happening to a certain brother that is in Seventh-day Adventist? Does Kumuyi know what is happening to a person that is in Jehovah’s Witness? But these are also christains.”
He argued that anyone deserving of the title “father of Nigerian Christianity” must rise above denominational boundaries.
“A person that will be our father cannot be a denominational person. He has to derobe himself of denominational doggedness and denominational extremism. Our father must be the father of all — the father of those who are in Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Apostolic.”
According to him, the absence of such a figure explains why no single leader has spoken authoritatively on issues affecting Christians across board.
“Right now, Christianity in Nigeria has no father. And that’s why nobody is coming up to say anything. We have denominational fathers. They are not fathers of all.
“They are not father of all. Who will be our father must be the father of those who are in Roman Catholic. Be the father of those who are in Methodist.
“Be the father of those who are in Anglican. Be the father of those who are in Apostolic. Be the father of everybody because we are going to the same heaven,” he said.