The newly appointed lead pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Jimmy Odukoya, has addressed controversies trailing his appearance as a clergyman.
OsunDailyNG recalls that the announcement of Jimmy as the lead pastor after his father’s death, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, generated controversy on social media, with many critics questioning his dreads, tattoos and movie roles.
Speaking during an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Jimmy stated that he has scriptural backing for his appearance, adding that people should avoid using their opinions to judge him.
He said, “God has called me into this new season of my life. All my focus is on the church. This new position is a big responsibility. As for my dreads, most people don’t know I can back up everything I do with scripture.
“As a pastor, I can tell you that God told Samson in the Bible not to cut his hair, that means long hair is never a bad thing. If you also say the pastor is keeping a beard, I can tell you that the Bible says that when Jesus was tortured, they pulled hair from his face.
“If you say I am putting on earrings, I can tell you that when the children of Israel left Egypt and wanted to make a golden calf, they collected jewelry, earrings and rings from their sons and daughters.
“You should not use your personal opinion to judge me. A personal opinion is different from saying something is sinful. Anybody can do what they want.
“In 2009, I was ordained as a minister and became a pastor in 2012. I was the lead pastor of the youth church until 2021.”
