Chris Oyakhilome
| Chris Oyakhilome | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nigeria |
| Occupation | Pastor, Teacher, Healing Minister, Television Host and Author |
| Net worth | $30–50 million (2011, Forbes)[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Pastor Anita Oyakhilome |
| Website | |
| http://www.pastorchrisonline.org | |
Chris Oyakhilome (known popularly as "Pastor Chris") is a Nigerian minister who is the founding president of Believers' LoveWorld Incorporated also known as "Christ Embassy", a Bible-based Christian ministry headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.
His ministry runs several arms including the Healing School, Rhapsody of Realities (a daily devotional with global reach), and an N.G.O called the Innercity Missions for Children as well as three Christian television channels: LoveWorld TV, LoveWorld SAT and LoveWorld Plus. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's television programs feature his faith healings, miracles and large meetings which his ministry organises around the world, with gatherings of over 2.5 million people in a single night's event. He has been the target of the Nigerian government's scrutiny for his meetings and miracles.[2] Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has also been a target of criticism by the Treatment Action Campaign for his support of faith healing to cure HIV.[3]
Pastor Chris' ministry has expanded rapidly beyond the coasts of Nigeria and South Africa, and he now holds large meetings in the United States and has Healing school sessions in Canada. Pastor Chris has a strong following especially among youths and is notable for organizing the Night of Bliss South Africa at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.[4]
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome runs a global prayer network using social network platforms to send messages to Christians around the world regularly. He currently has over 1.2 million followers on Twitter,[5] as well as his own social networking website called Yookos. Pastor Chris is also the author of the daily devotional "Rhapsody of Realities". It is currently available in 552 languages[6] and distributed in all countries of the world. Pastor Chris also hosts Higher Life conferences in Nigeria and South Africa.
Criticism
Charisma Magazine former editor J. Lee Grady published in his personal blog 27 June 2012 "False Prophets, Foreign Charlatans, and Global Deception", in which he criticized Oyakhilome. The article reports that Oyakhilome lives a lavish lifestyle, teaches a "new creation" doctrine which states that all sins committed after becoming a Christian only affect the body and not the soul, and is preaching a prosperity gospel by telling people that God wants everyone to be rich.[7] Many of the assertions in this article are unsubstantiated.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome describes himself as a man of God – rather than a preacher. He says, "To speak against the man of God is to bring a curse on yourself and your children. When you hear people speaking against a man of God, move away from there. Men of God don’t just talk. When they speak, God is forced to move".
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/06/07/the-five-richest-pastors-in-nigeria/
- ↑ "Televangelists told to verify miracles or pull the plug". The Times (South Africa).
- ↑ Treatment Action Campaign (2 August 2010). "ETV promoting AIDS quackery". Politicsweb.
- ↑ We attend Pastor Chris’ Night of Bliss on Drum.co.za
- ↑ "Stats and Ranking for Pastor Chris". Twitaholic. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑
- ↑ "False Prophets, Foreign Charlatans, and Global Deception". Charisma Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2014.