The Lead Visionary of Homosexuality Growth Prevention Advocacy and Control HOPAC, Funmilola Ayotade has observed that the fashion disposition of the newly appointed Senior Pastor of Fountain of Life Church, Jimmy Odukoya will attract men and women from the gay community to the church.
Ayotade who was a lesbian for 28 years before Jesus delivered her told Church Times that Pastor Odukoya should be getting ready to receive more people from the gay community in his church because he dresses the way those in the community dress.
She however noted that Odukoya could use his fashion sense as an evangelical tool if he is missionary-minded
“My first reaction is that his dressing will attract the gay community to the church. But the danger is that if he maintains the way he dresses and he is not vocal against homosexual and other immoral lifestyles, the people from the gay community will see the church as a safe haven” she said.
Gays are known by their look
According to her, those in the gay community identify themselves by their look and fashion disposition. “The Lord has set me free from the lifestyles several years ago. But occasionally I dress to get the attention of those who are still living that lifestyle so I could reach them with the gospel. I don’t dress like that regularly. It is an occasional thing.
“My concern for Odukoya is that he has made the wearing of earrings, the tattoo on his body, and the braided hair as a lifestyle which I think should not be for a leader of a church. It can only be good if he is doing it for missions. And that will be once in a while.
“In that case, it will be an occasional thing and he would have to mix with the public and take public transportation at times so he could attract them and subsequently reach them with the gospel. But I don’t think that is his intention. He feels cool with the dressing and he has even used scriptures to defend it. But there is a downside to it as leader of a church.”
Reason homosexuals thrive
Ayotade noted that the reason homosexuality is thriving despite the law against it is because the church is failing in its assignment to reach the lost with the undiluted truth of God’s word.
“Many churches today want crowd, they want people to flood their churches. Because of that, they lower the standard of God’s word and fail to tell people the raw truth. Our messages don’t enter the hearts of people. We accommodate all kinds of events and programmes just to bring the crowd and we end up pampering them instead of telling them the truth.” she said.
She said further that a church where the roles of men and women are not well defined also runs the risk of attracting lesbians and making them comfortable.
Read also: “” My life as a lesbian for 28 years, how Jesus rescued me”: https://churchtimesnigeria.net/lesbian-jesus-saves/
Stop gender equality
“Gender equality in the church should be stopped. There is no such thing from the Bible’s perspective. There is a defined role for the male and a defined role for the female. The woman is not allowed by scriptures to lord over the man. Even when a woman is a pastor of a church, she should know her limit. It is the lifestyle of lesbians that encourages equality. The woman should be submissive to the man and should not try to usurp authority”
She also warned that churches must not demonstrate phobia for people who are going through the challenge of homosexuality. “We should show love to them and try to understand where they are coming from. But we must tell them the truth. Truth and love must go together. Let them know that it is a challenge and that there is an avenue for redemption.”
Pastors according to her should also be able to manage information about those who live such a lifestyle. “If someone going through the challenge confides in a pastor, that pastor should not make it a subject of discussion in the public space. The pastor should be able to manage the information and prayerfully help the person out of that lifestyle.”
Still talking about the fashion sense of Pastor Odukoya, he said, “There are some fashion styles that should not be encouraged. Pastor Jimmy Odukoya did not take a Nazirite vow and so should not be going about in dreadlock. He is a leader of a church that has people with different dispositions. He should set himself as an example, especially for the sake of the weak.”