Chris Oyakhilome, a popular African preacher with questionable
credentials, is sparking international concern.
When I arrived in eastern Europe·a few days ago I learned that
Romanian Christians have quite a spiritual battle on their hands.
Believers here struggled for years under communism. But now
that they are free, they face an equally sinister struggle against
cults, New Age teachings and-worst of all-charlatans who
claim to be powerful Christian prophets.
One of the most controversial figures in Romania today is Chris
Oyakhilome, a Nigerian broadcaster and faith healer who lives in
South Africa. Although this smooth-talking preacher has never
been to Romania, his influence has grown through his TV programs
and books. Meanwhile, some gullible Romanian church leaders
have visited his ministry base in Johannesburg and then returned
to impart his miracle power to their congregations.
But Oyakhilome´s "power" is questionable-and it is spreading
not only in eastern Europe but in many other parts of the world,
including the United States.
You may have never heard of Oyakhilome, but don´t be surprised
if his programs soon appear on a Christian television station near
you. The founder of a movement called Christ Embassy, which
began in Lagos, Nigeria, Oyakhilome already has 16 churches
in the U.S., mostly attracting African immigrants in cities such
as Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He has 39
churches in the United Kingdom (where many Nigerians live) and
18 in Canada, and his daily devotional books called Rhapsody
of Realities are supposedly available in 70 languages.
Why is he so controversial? Consider a few facts:
Nigerian Christians have long complained that Christ Embassy is
a cult-mainly because members reportedly are forced to give
money in offerings and are pressured to marry only within their
church. Oyakhilome was accused of engineering a money laundering
scheme in Nigeria in 2010, and questions swirl around his finances
because of his glamorous lifestyle.
Theologians and cult-monitoring groups have documented their
concerns about Oyakhilome´s "New Creation" doctrine-a form
of gnosticism that says after a person becomes a Christian, any
sin they commit is only in the body and will not affect the spirit.
Oyakhilome mixes this doctrine with a hybrid version of the
American prosperity gospel, claiming that God wants all people
to be rich.
Oyakhilome´s reputation as a faith healer was tarnished badly in
2008 in Johannesburg when a man told a Soweto newspaper that
Christ Embassy offered him more than $1,200 (U.S.) to sit in a
wheelchair and pretend to be crippled until Oyakhilome prayed
for him. The man went to the media instead of taking the money,
sparking concerns that healings were being faked to impress
growing crowds.
Perhaps most disturbing is Oyakhilome´s connection with T.B.
Joshua, a Nigerian occult healer who leads a mysterious group
called The Synagogue, Church of All Nations. Joshua, who claims
his mother carried him in her womb for 15 months because he
was a special prophet, mixes Pentecostal fervor with pagan
spirituality. After coming under Joshua´s influence a few years
ago, Oyakhilome began copying some of his bizarre mannerisms.
When I came to Romania last week I was surprised to learn how
many Christians here had come under Oyakhilome´s influence.
But as I did further research I found that Oyakhilome´s popularity
is growing far beyond eastern Europe. Thanks to YouTube,
Internet TV channels and a public that is often biblically illiterate,
Christians today are as vulnerable as ever to religious impostors
and deceptive con-artists.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, warned us 2,000 years ago about such
false prophets. "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed ...
ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4, NASB).
Paul also warned that people will demand false teachers to fulfill
their lusts, and that those teachers will "turn away their ears from
the truth" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Those ancient words are painfully relevant today.
Some Romanian church leaders have sounded an alarm. One of
them, Ioan Peia, released a public warning in 2011 listing various
false doctrines promoted by Oyakhilome. Peia urged Romanian
church leaders to "repent and ask God´s forgiveness, and ask the
forgiveness of our brothers, because we allowed a part of these
teachings to be spread among us and through us."
I feel I must sound an alarm as well. As much as I want to see
healing miracles restored to the church today, I´m not willing to
fling open the door to deception. The devil can fake miracles, and
if we don´t apply discernment in this vulnerable hour, impostors
will sneak into the church and unleash their doctrines-with
deadly results. Please don´t be duped by counterfeits.