I write today not merely as a minister, but as one appointed by the Lord to speak once more to the conscience of the Church, particularly its leadership. The silence of our elders in the face of evil is no longer golden. Heaven is grieved by the Church’s compromising silence amid a spiritual war that is quietly eroding the dignity and moral authority of the Body of Christ in Nigeria.
“Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:9.
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Scripture is clear: “The righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). Yet, when unrighteousness infiltrates the Church, our ability to speak truth to power is diminished. Among the many forces weakening the Church, the love of money, mammon, stands as the most destructive. At a time when evil men and corrupt leaders dominate our institutions, the prophetic voice of the Church has been muted. The voice of wealth now speaks louder than the voice of truth. The applause of crowds has replaced the conviction of the Spirit.
The prevalence of corruption and moral compromise within the Church has rendered many of its leaders’ incapable of serving as credible voices of truth in the face of political injustice. Their silence in the presence of tyranny is not neutrality, it is complicity. Silence, in fact, is the breeding ground of evil. When good people remain quiet, indifferent, or disengaged, wickedness flourishes unchecked.
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“Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent.” — Acts 18:9
To understand our present, we must confront our past. Why has the love of money so thoroughly captured the hearts of many church leaders in Nigeria? Consider the following:
1. A growing number of church leaders have tragically turned away from the Lord, becoming entangled in various forms of spiritual compromise.
2. Some are actively involved in occult practices, witchcraft, and syncretism, activities known to their closest associates and ministry staff. Others operate covertly with corrupt politicians, receiving tax exemptions, lavish donations, land, vehicles, and other incentives in exchange for silence and complicity.
3. Many have joined pseudo-occultic networks disguised as mentorship alliances or prophetic fellowships, where they are bound by lifetime oaths of allegiance to influential figures they regard as spiritual fathers. Some leaders even finance political campaigns and manipulate electoral outcomes to secure personal and ministerial advantages.
4. Additionally, there are those engaged in unethical business ventures, ranging from smuggling and money laundering to illegal mining and fraudulent real estate schemes, using the proceeds to fund extravagant church projects. Disturbingly, cases of sexual misconduct are also widespread, involving inappropriate relationships with congregants, mentees, and even guests during counseling sessions.
5. In some instances, senior leaders have initiated junior pastors into occultic rituals masked as spiritual ceremonies, binding them through symbolic acts such as communion or anointing oils. These practices ensure loyalty under threat of spiritual or personal ruin should they attempt to break free.
All of this points to one thing: the relentless pursuit of wealth at any cost. In essence, many elders and leaders within the Church have succumbed to the deceptive allure of mammon, the false belief that the accumulation of wealth, regardless of its source, is a legitimate means to build God’s kingdom, save lives, achieve ministerial success, and influence national transformation.
However, the current state of Nigeria offers overwhelming empirical evidence that this theology is fundamentally flawed and spiritually bankrupt. Author Stephen King once said, “We come in naked and broke. We may be dressed when we go out, but we’re just as broke.” Wealth cannot preserve the soul, nor can it sustain the Gospel.
The moral authority of many church leaders has been compromised. Their silence in the face of tyranny is not neutrality, it is complicity. Evil thrives when good men remain silent.
“If we refuse to pray for iron gates to fall, we will be forced to pray inside them.” — Dr. Erwin Lutzer
History honours those who stood for truth: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller in Nazi Germany, Martin Luther King Jr. In America, John MacArthur, and Billy Graham. They spoke truth to power, regardless of the cost.
Consider the Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople. Once a symbol of Christian dominance, it now stands as a mosque in a nation where Christians are a 2 per cent minority. In 537 AD, Emperor Justinian declared, “Solomon, I have outdone you.” Yet, centuries later, the church was desecrated, its worshippers slaughtered, and its treasures destroyed. Why? Because the elders were silent.
Values outlast buildings. The Church in Nigeria must awaken. Wealth may build cathedrals, schools, and infrastructure, but it cannot build or sustain the Gospel. The Gospel is built on integrity, righteousness, holiness, and truth, nurtured through discipleship and spiritual formation.
“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And he said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.’” — Isaiah 40:6
Twelve disciples once turned the world upside down, not with wealth, but with unwavering commitment to righteousness.
“Go through the midst of the city… and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” — Ezekiel 9:4
To our fathers in the faith: the window of mercy remains open. Now is the time to repent, to return what was taken unjustly, to renounce occultic affiliations, to abandon immoral lifestyles, and to reclaim your prophetic voice. Let your silence in the face of evil come to an end.
“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.” — Proverbs 31:9
May God have mercy on His Church in Nigeria.
Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]
