“Nigerian Christianity Has No Father”: Rev. Omolehin Sparks Debate Over Church Leadership

​ILORIN — Rev. Isaac Omolehin, the founder of The Word Assembly Churches, has ignited a theological firestorm across Nigeria’s religious landscape by declaring that the nation’s Christianity lacks a unifying paternal figure. In a blunt critique of contemporary church leadership, the cleric argued that prominent figures like Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Pastor William Kumuyi are “denominational heads” rather than fathers of the universal Body of Christ in Nigeria.

​The sermon, which was recently uploaded to the church’s official YouTube channel and has since gone viral, challenges the long-held tradition of referring to veteran General Overseers as “Fathers of the Faith.”

​Denominationalism vs. Paternalism

​Speaking with intense conviction, Rev. Omolehin questioned the scope of influence held by top Pentecostal leaders. He suggested that true fatherhood in the church requires a leader to transcend the interests of their specific brand or organization.

​”I hear ‘fathers’ and I ask myself, which father?” Omolehin remarked. “Without sounding disrespectful, these are denominational leaders. A father would be somebody who looks after us all, not just promoting a denominational agenda or the competition of how I’m building a one-mile auditorium while another tries to build two.”

​He further lamented the “rivalry and competition” within the church, citing the acquisition of private jets as evidence of a pursuit that lacks spiritual depth. “One has one aircraft, another wants to have three. This competition has no spiritual content,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

​The Critique of Isolation

​While acknowledging the success and respect accorded to Pastor Adeboye (RCCG), Pastor Kumuyi (Deeper Life), and Dr. Daniel Olukoya (MFM), Omolehin argued that their oversight is confined to their respective followers. He raised the question of whether these leaders are truly aware of the struggles faced by Christians in other sects, such as Seventh-day Adventists or the orthodox denominations.

​”A person who will be our father cannot be a denominational person,” Omolehin insisted. “He must derobe himself of denominational doggedness and extremism. Our father must be the father of those in the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, and Apostolic churches.”

​A Call for Universal Leadership

​The cleric attributed the perceived silence of church leaders on national issues affecting Christians to this lack of a singular, authoritative voice. He argued that as long as leadership remains fragmented by “denominational fathers,” the church will struggle to speak with a unified power.

​Closing his sermon with a theological appeal, Omolehin reminded his congregation that the sectarian walls built on earth—Catholic, Pentecostal, or Anglican—will be non-existent in eternity. “We are going to the same heaven,” he concluded, urging a shift toward a more inclusive and less competitive Christian identity in Nigeria.