He claims that what people personally consider to be sinful differs from what the Bible considers to be sinful.
Actor and senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, has addressed the complaints about his outward appearance.
He stated that his appearance has nothing to do with his calling as a minister in a recent interview with BBC Pidgin. He continued by emphasizing that nothing he does is done on a whim and that everything he does has a spiritual basis.
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Simply put by Odukoya: “God called me the way I am, just as I am. As for my dreads, the story behind it is long but the thing is everything I do is backed up by scriptures. If you tell me something, I’d tell you ‘Let’s check the scriptures’. If someone says that long hair is wrong, I’d tell you to check the Bible where the Lord told Samson not to cut his hair.”
Speaking of his facial hair, he defended it by pointing out that Jesus had a beard that was removed after his crucifixion, therefore it is impossible for him to have sinful hair.
He continued, “Remember the Bible says that when Jesus was tortured, his beard was ripped from his face. So when people remark, ‘Oh he’s a pastor and he has a beard,’ remember that. Was the hair they removed from his face—if he didn’t have a beard?
Because personal preferences and ideas do not always entail sin, Odukoya urged people to discriminate between the two.
“Personal opinion is different from sin, If you like short hair or long hair no problem, but if you tell me that I can’t have long hair because, ‘It’s a sin,’ my brother that’s where we won’t agree,” he said
This follows the criticism he received when he was named the new senior pastor after the passing of his father, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, in August 2023. Many used the chance to criticize his appearance, saying he was unqualified to serve as a pastor.
