The more I try to avoid commenting on Pastor Chris Okafor, founder of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry, the more I am confronted with images and stories that make it compelling for me to speak.
Indeed, addressing the issue of church leaders accused of moral laxity is a tricky assignment. This is not because they are superhuman beings who should not be touched, but because it is often uncertain if their accusers are playing the “Shimei-David” game or are sincere in their outbursts.
Shimei was that strange fellow in the Bible who poured invectives on King David for no reason. History shows that those at the top attract all kinds of accusations, and it is often difficult to situate the truth within the plethora of stories bandied around them.
And then, their followers are often agitated when they see their “papas” scrutinized in the public glare. They find it difficult to believe that the people they look up to could be in the mud.
However, for those who get uncomfortable when church leaders are put under the spotlight, please be informed: this is not a verdict thesis.
That, however, does not invalidate the truth that those who bear the name of God and sit in the driver’s seat of the church must eschew all forms of evil.
They are the moral compass for the people; they should be seen as above board. If they are not living according to their calling, the most noble thing to do is to quit their leadership role and take a back seat.
But that is usually not the case in Africa. There is no record of church leaders bowing to pressure when their integrity is questioned. Rather, they wriggle around it. When they do repent, it is usually with a candor that leaves many wondering if their repentance is genuine or that they are merely grandstanding.
For Okafor, the allegations are grave. His purported public repentance opens a “can of worms” and makes him a pitiable sight. If the video clips on the internet are anything to go by, one should feel for him rather than “drag” him, lest he be driven into a hole of perdition.
Did you listen to him say he was becoming suicidal? Did you hear him say it was only when “fathers of faith” came into his life that he had a rethink and made amends? Those two sentences informed this piece. I think it would be great if we, for once, look at the issue from the point of view of a man in the “pit of pity.”
I won’t bore you with the details of the scandal; they are all over the internet. The long and short of it is that he lived a reckless life despite being a pastor. It is too messy. But it is not surprising, for that is what happens when a church is driven by crowds and charisma.
Many churches in Nigeria have that tendency. We are talking about Okafor today because the lid has been blown off, but there are too many other cases hidden under the assumed “integrity cloak” of other leaders.
In some churches, atrocities go unmentioned because they have been so branded and packaged that evil has assumed an official status. However, that should not worry any believer sure of their calling. It is good to note that there are a thousand and one churches doing great work.
The church is a reformation ground. It is a place where lives are turned around. The reason there is such a hue and cry about these leaders is that they are supposed to carry out the cleansing, yet they are enmeshed in the very mess they are meant to clean.
The Corinthian Church
The case of Pastor Okafor and his followers brings to mind the Corinthian Church. Apostle Paul was so disturbed by the immorality there that he took a hardline position.
He told the believers to avoid anyone who called himself a “brother” but was a fornicator (1 Corinthians 5). He scolded the church for their arrogance and lack of grief, noting that even unbelievers found such behavior repulsive.
Paul’s goal was not cruelty, but to allow the individual to face the consequences of his actions so that his spirit might eventually be saved. He warned that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” indicating that if a church allows one person to live openly in sin, the infection spreads.
Navigating the moral bend
But how should the situation be handled when the man meant to disciple others is found in the mess he is meant to correct? This is what makes the Okafor issue complicated. As it stands, both the laity and the pulpit of that church are in deep moral trouble.
How will Okafor navigate this bend? His repentance is a starting point, but the words he employed are still steeped in self-conceitedness. True repentance does not consider suicide; that is the Judas alternative. True repentance is ready to face shame irrespective of who is watching.
He stated he was not ready to “join issues” with his traducers, yet he went ahead to claim not all allegations were true. While he was humble enough to go on his knees, he then called out his daughter to ask if he had ever “touched” her as alleged.
Her one-word response to absolve him of the crime threw up more questions than answers. It was unnecessary. Since he agreed he made mistakes, he should have rested his case. By saying “not all allegations are true,” he only makes people want to know which ones are true.
A good follow-up would be to relinquish his position as the overseer for now and seek God afresh. The trouble he finds himself in is not peculiar; many have grappled with this. Some were consumed by it, while others “bulldozed” their way through.
Pastor Okafor has started on a path of repentance that is quite unprecedented for an African church leader, but he needs to be bold enough to embrace it fully. The crowd in his church may be silent for now, but it is only a matter of time. When the chips are down, he may be left alone to sulk.
The “Chris-gate” scandal is a template of how not to be a church leader. The Bible is clear: the man in the driver’s seat must be above board (1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9). He must be a model of self-discipline, a “one-woman man,” and well-respected by those outside the church so that his conduct doesn’t bring shame to the faith.
While the church is a place for transformation, those at the vanguard cannot afford a compromised moral life. It is like a sick doctor attending to sick patients. The outcome is rarely palatable.
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