A recent sermon by Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) has stirred controversy within Nigeria’s Christian community following remarks he made about the late Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the first General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church.
In a viral video clip, Fatoyinbo acknowledged Babalola’s extraordinary anointing, describing him as “so anointed,” but suggested that his spiritual impact diminished because he “had no money.”
He also recounted a story in which a python reportedly shriveled up after crawling across Babalola’s leg.
Reflecting on Babalola’s life, Fatoyinbo said: “I was recently studying the works of Apostle Babalola. I stand to be corrected, but if the remarkable acts God performed through him had been properly documented—comparable to what God did through Smith Wigglesworth—people would visit Nigeria for pilgrimage. He was truly anointed. So anointed.”
Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo’s remark that Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola was an “anointed man” with “heavy-duty grace, but no money” — and that “all the grace just went like that” — has drawn a strong rebuke from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).
In a statement released Thursday and signed by its Director of Publicity, Pastor Ade Alawode, the CAC accused Fatoyinbo of wrongly suggesting a link between spiritual success and material wealth. The church said it typically avoids responding to online controversies but felt compelled to address his comments, which also included a sarcastic question: “Where are his children?” The CAC described this as both “insensitive and ill-informed.”
Quoting Luke 12:15, the statement stressed that equating ministerial success with riches is “biblically flawed” and warned against covetousness.
Seeking to “set the record straight,” the CAC said Babalola was far from poor, lived in a comfortable home, owned one of the best Ford Jeeps of his time, and supported many people beyond his own family. The church noted that he was among the dignitaries honored during Queen Elizabeth II’s 1956 visit to Nigeria — a privilege unlikely to be granted to “a man in rags.”
It further stated that Babalola’s two surviving children are “blessed, fulfilled, and quietly serving the Lord” without ostentation or greed.
Punchnews
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