AFRICAN PLUME

“Theological Significance of Refuting False Teachers” By Akin Ojumu Before proceeding with the discussion about the frequent-flying intergalactic travelers of the Myth and Mystery Church, I must of necessity take a detour, again, to address those of you who, through 3rd parties and back channels, are sending distress signals to me to express your frustration and displeasure with the topics and tone of my commentaries. I know some folks who read these commentaries would like nothing more than to have me tickle their ears with titillating posts such as, “How to move the hand of God in the place of prayers” or “Unlocking financial blessings from the heavenly realms” or “Defeating the enemies standing in the way of your progress” or “I decree and declare your thousand-fold miracle is on the way, say Amen!” If this is what you are looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place…simply pass and go. Of course, I know that’s the sort of thing that draws massive crowds. You get a lot of likes when ...

“Myth & Mystery Churches of Nigeria” By Akin Ojumu This commentary series remonstrates the spiritual abuse and the misuse of spiritual authority that have come to characterize the horror houses, called Churches, in Nigeria. We’ve said that Churches in Nigeria fall into different broad categories. While the grouping may be somewhat loose and undefined, the specific category a particular denomination belongs can be determined by the type of sermon they preach, beliefs they hold, customs they emphasize, and the practices for which they are best known. So far in the commentary series, we’ve discussed the Motivational Churches as well as the Buying and Selling Churches. Motivational Churches, we said, are supposedly “Christian” religious denominations where the preaching of the true Gospel has been subjugated by motivational sermonizing. The latest trend among the leaders of the motivation-centered Churches – many of whom are proficient in the use of intelligent sounding catchphrases an...

“Selling Souls for Shining Stones” By Akin Ojumu Secular music is not my thing. I detest them. I shun them. I steer clear of them. Their impurity corrupts the mind, and their lewdness torments a righteous soul. Sadly, though, as long as you voyage in the world wide web, and inasmuch as you wade in the waters of social media, sooner or later, you are bound to encounter a secular song. And that was exactly what happened to me while I was researching the subject of this commentary. As I was thinking through the contours of the topic, I stumbled upon the song titled “Wolves” written and performed by an English singer named Rory Charles Graham, whose professional name, Rag’n’Bone Man, tells you everything you need to know about the man. As I listened to the song, I couldn’t help but notice how aptly the lyrics capture the very essence of the evil and corruption that have taken hold of the Church in Nigeria. Here’s how the song goes: I don’t wanna drown no more Sick of the same old people Th...

“Buying & Selling Churches in Nigeria” By Akin Ojumu Ignorance is the coin of the realm of charlatans. Impostors in the House of God feed off on the gullibility of the people of God. Just as scam artists exploit the trust and stupidity of their victims, the confidence of false teachers relies on the naivety of those who become their prey. As practiced today, Christianity in Nigeria bears no resemblance to the faith practiced and handed down to us by the early Church fathers and those who succeeded them. What many consider to be the Christian faith today is nothing more than a syncretic amalgamation of aberrant religious practices held up on the shaky pillars of twisted and mangled Scripture. Sadly enough, the vast majority of self-professed Christians, many of whom are good people who genuinely love the Lord and sincerely want to serve Him, are oblivious of the fact that what’s being sold to them as biblical-Christianity is neither biblical nor Christian. Because of their sincere d...