The Idolatry of Pastor Chris Oyakilome 62 birthday Celebrations- Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies
A critique exploring the idolatrous nature of the celebration of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s 60th birthday (and again at 62) against the backdrop of the ongoing violence and killing of Christians in Nigeria.
This essay examines theological, ethical, sociocultural, and contextual dimensions—drawing on recent events and widely reported facts.
Introduction
In December 2023, and again in recent celebrations around Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s milestone birthdays, widespread attention focused on the grandeur and spectacle surrounding one of Nigeria’s most influential Christian leaders.
These celebrations have featured extravagant imagery, royal themes, and exuberant tributes from followers, public figures, and state leaders. At the same time, Nigeria continues to grapple with deep-seated violence affecting Christian communities, including kidnappings, massacres, and daily insecurity across the Middle Belt and northern regions. This contrast raises urgent questions about Christian discipleship, priorities, worship, leadership accountability, and public witness in the face of real suffering.
Who is Pastor Chris Oyakhilome?
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is the founder and leader of LoveWorld Incorporated (Christ Embassy), a globally prominent Nigerian ministry with millions of adherents worldwide. He is known for the devotional Rhapsody of Realities, media ministries, and a powerful pulpit presence. Various leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, have publicly congratulated and praised his ministry’s global influence and charitable work.
The Birthday Celebrations: Spectacle or Spiritual Celebration?
Extravagance, Royal Imagery, and Public Adulation
Recent celebrations included viral footage of Pastor Chris arriving in ornate robes, wearing a crown, and being greeted with lavish ceremony—images that many Christians found unsettling or idolatrous. Videos of the event spread rapidly online, prompting debate about the appropriateness of such displays and whether they resemble honoring a human leader rather than God.
Social commentators and believers have noted that equating a pastor with royal status or treating him as a figure of awe can cross a boundary into personality cults and celebrity idolatry. Comments from observers highlighted biblical warnings against exalting human leaders: honor for God’s servants is distinct from worship and leaders are called to servanthood, not kingship. A number of Christians explicitly labeled elements of the celebration as “idol worship” or “blasphemous,” arguing that such spectacles distract from Christ and promote personality-centered faith.
Church and State: Political Endorsements
The response from political leaders has further blurred lines between church and state. For instance, President Tinubu publicly extolled Pastor Chris’s contributions on his birthday, highlighting his charity and spiritual leadership. While such messages aim at national unity or recognition of service, they also risk reinforcing a public image of pastors as civic royalty, potentially encouraging followers to see them as ultimate authorities rather than servants of Christ.
Theological and Ethical Critique: Honor vs. Idolatry
Biblical Perspective on Leadership and Humility
The New Testament consistently presents leadership in terms of service and humility: “whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:42-45). The danger of idolatry in Christian practice lies not only in explicit worship of statues or images but in transferring reverence due to God alone onto human figures.
When celebrations elevate a pastor into symbolic royalty—with robes, crowns, and processions—critics argue this does more than honor him; it risks creating a religious personality cult that overshadows Christ. For a disciple, honoring spiritual mentors must always be bounded by Scripture’s call to singular loyalty to Jesus and active rejection of idolatry.
Nigeria’s Christian Suffering: A Stark Contrast
Violence, Kidnappings, and Ongoing Insecurity
While some Christians engage in elaborate celebrations, others in Nigeria face violence, abduction, and death. Around the country, armed groups, insurgents, and bandits have attacked Christian communities, churches, and schools:
In 2025, mass abductions, such as the kidnapping of over 300 schoolchildren and educators from a Catholic school in Niger State, shocked the nation and highlighted the fragility of Christian safety in parts of Nigeria.
Attacks on Christian villages and farming communities, often blamed on armed herders or extremist campaigns, have led to dozens of deaths and displacement.
The Guardian
Broader analyses show a pattern of sustained violence against Christians, with thousands killed annually and tens of thousands displaced or affected by these conflicts.
Chris Smith in the US
Standing alongside those who suffer is a biblical mandate for compassion, justice, and solidarity. James 1:27 challenges believers to care for “orphans and widows in their distress,” and Isaiah 1:17 calls God’s people to seek justice. The sheer scale of Christian suffering in Nigeria, especially among vulnerable communities, demands attention and theological reflection.
Why the Contrast Matters
One of the central tensions here is where the church places its energy and public imagination:
Spectacle and personality-focused celebrations risk turning faith into consumer religion—about experiences rather than sacrifice.
Violence-ridden contexts show the cost of discipleship and the urgent need for a Gospel-centered focus on vulnerability and justice.
When Christian leaders and communities emphasize style, glitz, and spectacle over solidarity with the hurting, the church’s witness can be compromised. The early church celebrated endurance, sacrificial love, and unity with the oppressed—even unto death (e.g., Hebrews 13:3).
Balancing Honor and Accountability.
It is not inherently ungodly to honor a pastor or thank God for a life of service. Scripture encourages respect for elders (1 Timothy 5:17). But respect must be balanced with discernment, humility, and accountability. When celebration slips into worship of a personality or an excessive display that mirrors worldly kingship, the church must pause, repent, and reevaluate.
Leadership accountability must also include consideration of how wealth, influence, and public imagery impact the vulnerable. Followers—especially in areas of suffering—need practical support, prophetic voice, and humble shepherding more than grandiose spectacles.
Conclusion
The contrast between Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s celebrated birthdays and the ongoing violence faced by Christians in Nigeria is not just a sociological curiosity—it is a theological challenge. At its core:
Christianity is a faith of the Cross, not a religion of celebrity and spectacle.
Jesus calls His followers to lay down lives in service, not to exalt human leaders above Him.
The church must stand with the afflicted, advocate for justice, and place Christ—not personalities—at the center of worship.
True celebration of Christian leadership should focus on faithful service, sacrificial love, and enduring hardship with Christ. Nigeria’s church faces deep trials; its leaders and congregations must reflect deeply on how they honor God, resist idolatry, and minister to those who suffer most.
Bishop Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies
Secretary Elders’ Council
Nigeria Supreme Council for Ecclesiastical Affairs (NSCEA)
Abuja, Nigeria
