Renowned evangelist and founder of the World Assembly Ministries, Rev. Isaac Omolehin, has again accused the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) of persecuting him.
In a viral video, Omolehin recounted how some unnamed leaders of the PFN, the umbrella body of the country’s Pentecostal Christians, prevented him from preaching in a church in Canada, despite keeping the appointment.
He said that he spent $8,000, which he said was equivalent to N16 million of personal funds, to make the round-trip, based on a promise made to him that it would be refunded after ministration.
According to him, upon arrival, the said church refused to grant him an audience, claiming they had received a directive from Nigeria not to allow him to preach at the event. The cleric said incurred travel expenses were never refunded, leaving him dejected.
He did not mention the name of the church in Canada and did not mention the names of the people allegedly persecuting him.
Omolehin also recounted a similar experience, which almost unfolded during a subsequent invitation to Cape Town. He said his host there confirmed receiving instructions from the PFN leadership not to allow him to preach, but insisted that he (Omolehin) must minister.
“Those who are saying the truth are being persecuted, but those who are making money from the present rot, those who have made a name, bought aeroplanes and commercialised Christianity do not want to hear anybody speak against that.. We are in a long-drawn battle. I’m not going to keep quiet,” the cleric added.
In the same video, the popular cleric said he discussed his persecution with Pastor Arome Attah, who said he (Arome) had suffered similar persecution from fellow pastors.
He did not mention the church in Canada throughout the message and did not give specific names of the people who were allegedly witch-hunting him.
Since the video went viral, netizens have been expressing their opinions, with many seizing the opportunity to criticize the PFN’s alleged internal politics and actions.
PFN denies allegations
However, the PFN has denied the allegations and challenged him to name its officials witch-hunting him.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Pastor Sylvanus Ukafia, the Christian body expressed great concern about the allegations.
“At no time in Canada, Cape Town, or anywhere in the world did the PFN issue any directive, formal or informal, to stop Pastor Omolehin or any other minister from preaching the gospel. We are completely unaware of such an event and categorically deny any involvement or complicity,” he said.
It stated that it has high regard for Rev. Omolehin and wished him well in his ministerial endeavours. It also urged him to follow the Biblical pattern for airing grievances, noting that he never approached the PFN leadership to seek clarification on the matter.
PFN further reaffirmed its policy of encouraging open doors for the gospel, urging churches to keep their pulpits open to sincere ministers, promote unity, and continue to advance the gospel of salvation.
“The PFN categorically rejects any suggestion that it has acted to hinder the preaching of the gospel by Rev. Isaac Omolehin or any other minister,” it insisted.
Apostle Suleman speaks
Also speaking on the allegations, the founder of Omega Fire Ministries (OFM), Apostle Johnson Suleman, said as an elder, Omolehin did not need to complain, adding that it was not necessary.
“Somebody showed me the clip of a man attacking PFN, that PFN is fighting him; they stopped him. Is that necessary as an elder? Do you know what I have been through? Are we talking? Why are you saying that as an elder? It is not necessary. That they are fighting you? Nobody is fighting you. Your presentation is wrong.
“You can’t come out with a holier-than-thou attitude; everybody is a sinner except you. It depends on the kind of ministers you meet. There are 7,000 that have not bowed their knees to Baal. You can’t keep meeting wrong people and think everybody is wrong. Are you following what I am talking about? God is not looking for an activist.
“Calling out the church is different from calling out the government. You don’t call out the church like you call out the government. The church is not a political system. How can you just come out and be saying certain things? It’s not right. They should refund you because you flew Business Class. You are insulting those that have a private jet, and you are flying Business Class. Why didn’t you fly economy? Stop all the gimmicks. Who are you deceiving? Stop all these things.
“You bought a ticket $8,000 and they should refund you 16 million. With all due respect, $8000 has never been N16 million at any time. That is a lie. Even in the height of inflation, $10,000 was N17 million. $8,000 has never been N16 million at any time. With all due respect to your age, you just lied.
“I don’t like this colouration we are giving the church. You see why the five foolish virgins missed the bridegroom was because they depended on their virginity in the absence of oil. Overdependent on you, walking with God, and making exclusively feel you are the only one is already an indictment on your intimacy. People are going through encounters. There are people who are running passionately from sin; they are turning down money. There are people that, anytime God gives to them, they give to the poor. There are ministers that, when God blesses them they think of the poor.
“The church is not as filthy as you think. It depends on who you meet. There are people who love Jesus, who are sold out to Jesus, who cannot find themselves in any form of contamination, who are preparing for his second coming. Stop that. You are slighting the church. Stop it. The bible says in Ephesians 4:15, Speak the truth in love.
“There is a way. I don’t like self-righteousness. That is part of what Jesus came to die for. Let your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. When you are very critical, critical, critical, no, you are starting a movement. All the people applauding you are bitter people, rebels of different extraction.
“When the devil wants to keep a genuine man of God permanently in error, he gives him bitter people as his audience. How can you say people called and said you should not minister there? It is not Nigeria. Nobody in Nigeria will be as wicked. I understand their people; there are limitations, there are politics going on. Sir, focus on the positive and ignore the negatives
“Sir, focus on the positive and ignore the negatives. Know that the system. The way this thing works is on our knees. We are not activists, we are intercessors. Calling out people, that is for politics, not for the church. We are on our knees.”