ABOMINABLE PRACTICES IN THE CHURCH (PART IV)

“Apprentices of Witches & Sorcerers in the African Church”

By Akin Ojumu

I wouldn’t be surprised if my African brothers and sisters who read this commentary series conveniently assume the posture of the proverbial ostrich. It is not inconceivable to imagine that they will try and convince themselves that the open and enthusiastic embrace of New Age occult practices is limited only to Churches in the Western World. 

To entertain such a thought, that this is “Oyinbo” people’s problem and not a global phenomenon, can only mean one thing; you’ve not been paying attention. You don’t have to be a seer, or peer into the wizard’s orb, to see what’s staring you in the face. Just take a look around you. Evaluate the practices of your own denomination or parish. Examine the teachings of the preachers you trust and look up to. Probe the customs and rituals promoted by the powerfully anointed men and women of God you revered. Compare what they teach with what the Bible actually teaches. Do you not see the similarities between them and the New Age occult practices that we have talked about in this commentary?

Deuteronomy 18:9-14

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.”

For those of you still in denial, here are just a couple of the preachers you idolize and the things they teach. These are young, influential, “Christian” leaders in Nigeria. Yet they are blatantly teaching and promoting New Age occult practices. These are individuals many of you believe are genuine men of God in Nigeria.

1) Sola Fola-Alade’s Interview with Lawrence Oyor | YouTube, June 2, 2025

Sola Fola-Alade: “I come from a background…a medical doctor. I have never seen witchcraft before. I didn’t believe it. My dad didn’t believe it. But I’m exposed to this dimension. So…but it just seemed like as though God said, “Stay with this and teach this to this generation,” Even though I wanted to preach something else and teach this to this generation…It seems like there is something that might be lost somewhere…It seems like we are losing something you know. how can we make sure that there’s a mantle shift within generational shifts.”

Lawrence Oyor: “There’s the act of the apostles, but there’s the way of the apostles too, that powers the act. Um…yes…if I look like a millennial in the field, but my exposures and my influences…nothing compared to what we are being exposed to right now. My influences from 2012, 2013 were the Watchman Nees, the Brother Lawrence, Thomas à Kempis…some of those names that influence people like Kenneth Hagin, E.W. Kenyon…So, I saw, as I was reading, I saw that John Lake saw taking medication as a sin. Literally. I had to read it in church one day, that…see how these people…I’m just curious to know how their mind is working. They are weird…This was not even Bible days. This is about 100, 200 years ago. And this thing was tangible. This thing was real. Even in Babalola’s generation, people will be worshiping and they start levitating.”

Lawrence Oyor now recounts the story about Sophia Odunlami’s teleportation prowess:

Lawrence Oyor: “See Madam Sophia (i.e., Sophia Odunlami) of the CAC revival too…that was called the transporter. She will hold people and say, “So wipe, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu,” (i.e., say, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.)”” And when they say it, they will disappear to Benin. She will keep them there and say, “I’ll be back by 5:00 p.m. She will come back again to pick somebody else…”

Lawrence concluded by bragging about the time he teleported himself from Nigeria to the United Kingdom.

Lawrence Oyor: “So, imagine such power dimensions and you are reading that, you are exposed to that. By 2013, we had like a move of God on campus…and we started seeing those manifestations. My first experience [at teleportation] was to Swansea, Wales. I was in final year, lying on the bed. I closed my eyes. I translocated to Swansea, Wales, physically. I was holding myself like this…It happened for a few minutes. I became afraid. That’s when I also learned that fear short circuits the power of God.”

You heard that right. Lawrence Oyor was teleported from Nigeria to Swansea, Wales. For what purpose? He didn’t say, you’d have to ask him. Now, don’t you all understand that this is sorcery? Yet, clueless Sola Fola-Alade was wowed by what he heard!

2) Michael Orokpo’s Sermon titled, Chronicles of God

Michael Orokpo brags about using his mind to manipulate people and events.

“Can I show you something, so that you understand how intensity works? See, look…look up to me here. I will stretch my hand up. I wouldn’t need to say, “Lord, touch.” Hear this. Any number of fingers I lift up, the hand of God will touch that number. I’m not talking, I’m using my mind. Because my mind is also a channel of power. And this is not manipulation. This is not mind game. I’m just showing how the power works. Why you need to…When you are intense, you are like a naked wire. Any side of you that is touched, something happens. And that’s the Christian life. And what I want to show you here, if you know it, you will apply it to anything in life.”

Using the mind to manipulate or influence people and events is witchcraft and sorcery. These are the abominations of Deuteronomy 18. And that’s exactly what Michael has just described himself doing. But the sorcerer is not done yet. He is going to acknowledge that he is a witchdoctor:

“Do you know why we come for service and we say, “In the name of Jesus?” It’s to help you understand. Because if we start doing some things you will say we are witch doctors. So, in order not to create argument, we do what you know. So, we lay hands on people, we say, “In the name of Jesus, take.” We don't need to do that. Anything we do is supposed to work. That’s why some people become a bit rascal. They do like this, people fall. Because when you are…you are…on fire…when there is intensity, anything you do will work…anything. If you think it, it will start happening. As I’m looking at you now, if I start thinking that pain should leave people, pain will start leaving people. As I’m looking at you now, if I start thinking that growth…growth should melt… Why do you think…I was teaching you the other time, I told you, “Why do you think camera men don’t fall?” It’s because we…we shield them off with our mind. They are working with us. We are not transferring to them. That’s how it works. That’s the Christian life.”

Again, what Michael Orokpo is describing here is what the Bible describes as witchcraft and sorcery, pure and simple. Yet he is unabashed about it.

You see, people like Sola Fola-Alade, Lawrence Oyor, Michael Orokpo, Joshua Selman, Arome Osayi, Jerry Eze, and their kind are deceived deceivers who have corrupted their soul with the abominations the LORD condemns in Deuteronomy 18. The millions of people who consume the poison they teach and are inundated with New Age occult practices they promote and are, wittingly or unwittingly, getting themselves initiated into sorcery and witchcraft.

To the followers of Sola Fola-Alade, Lawrence Oyor, Michael Orokpo, Jerry Eze, Joshua Selman, Arome Osayi who, by divine providence, come across this commentary, be very afraid. Do not imperil your soul. You must mark and avoid these people and any denomination where the abominable practices described here are taught or promoted.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Dear friends, my conscience is clear. I have not withheld the truth from you. It’s now up to you to pick up your Bible and study it on your own. I pray that the Almighty God will open your eyes to see the truth.