TRENDING: ‘Happy birthday is language of devil’- Apostle Helen Ukpabio

Helen Ukpabio, the founder of Liberty Gospel Church in Cross Rivers State, has cautioned Christians against changing birthday pleasantries and songs, claiming the act is ‘modern-day idolatry’.

The controversial preacher, based in Calabar, made this known in a Facebook post titled ‘Be careful not to use the language of the world!’ She said that her birthday songs are unscriptural and represent the ‘language of the devil.’

While making her claim in the sermon video, the actress, renowned for her witch-themed movies from the late 90s and early 2000s, said, “I am not someone who celebrates birthdays every year like zombies. And I don’t sell out my soul to Satan; I don’t use the language of the devil. You won’t see ‘birthday’ there; you will see ‘thanking God at 60’. It’s you people who are saying ‘happy birthday’.

“Those are pleasantries people exchange, this is modern day idolatry, so if you are not careful, you will buy it, you will even see a Christian singing ‘happy birthday’ song on the pulpit, God’s altar. They will say, ‘it does not mean’. Don’t say energy you do not vet spiritually,’’ she cautioned.

Ukpabio, who claims to have been a teenage witch “betrothed to Satan” before her conversion, also claimed the act of serial birthday celebration is unscriptural and further lamented the difficulty she faces in restraining Christians from the acts.

She lamented, “When pastors and top church founders call to sing for me on my birthday, I correct them to say ‘happy Thanksgiving’ instead. That is all they know, and it is difficult to correct them because they think they have attained the age. All these things are idolatry, Satan giving us a language.

“And the Bible says, ‘don’t speak their language, don’t mention the name of their god, don’t share in their ceremonies’. So if you are not careful, some people will turn your good intent of Thanksgiving into the intent of worshipping days; nobody has the right to the day, every day belongs to Jesus,” she explained.

The pastor’s claim, however, sparked criticism from a substantial majority of internet users, who jointly claimed the celebration is about birth, not the day as the preacher claimed.

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Controversies

Her horrific roles in ‘End of the Wicked’ (1999),‘ Married to a Witch’ (2001), and ‘The Coven’ (2003) contributed not only to her fame but also to anti-witch criticism before she switched to building churches and evangelical activities.
Since then, the cleric has not stayed far from public discussion and controversies. On September 14, 2023, during a wedding ceremony live-streamed on Facebook at her church, she disagreed with the bride’s father over who had the authority to declare the couple husband and wife.

On 1 September 2014, the preacher accused and filed a libel case against two UK human rights groups, British Humanist Association, BHA, and the Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network, WHRIN, who she claimed misinterpreted and defamed her with a “risk to youngsters” statement.

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Her lawsuit came after the UK-based human rights organisation countered Ukpabio’s anti-witchcraft teaching against children, and campaigned that the government should ban and deport Mrs Ukpabio, who had flown into the country at the time.

Similarly, the founder of Liberty Gospel Church also threatened legal action against Nigerian singer Emoseh Khamofu, known as Bloody Civilian, over alleged defamation. In a letter dated 25 November, Ukpabio demanded N200 billion in damages, claiming emotional distress and reputational harm.

Ms Emoseh’s comment further sparked a reaction from Ukpabio’s daughter, who claimed she was traumatised by the constant attack on her mother over her movies and demanded the deletion of the post within five hours of its publication.