This article examines a new dimension in the Nigerian Pentecostal understanding of sexuality, which is influenced by the security gospel emanating from Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Nigeria. This new dimension is noted in how Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries intricately connects sexuality with destiny. This article shows how Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries promotes a conservative understanding of sexuality as the key to securing believers’ destinies. Understanding sexuality from the security gospel perspective is an indication that the Pentecostal theology of sex is dynamic and ambivalent, especially when the theology is spiced with African traditional beliefs. This is demonstrated through a content analysis of the teachings and messages of Pastor Daniel Olukoya, the founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, which are available in print, audio and video clips. It is argued that the persuasive manner in which these teachings are presented tends to create a phobia of sex in the minds of listeners.
The influence of the Pentecostal movements in Nigeria cannot be undercut, because Pentecostals have permeated every nook and cranny of the Nigerian religious and political landscape. Pentecostal spirituality was initially attacked, condemned and rejected by main-line Protestant churches as abnormal, excessive and an aberration. However, it has now been embraced by leading Nigerian main-line Protestant churches like the Anglican, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches to the extent that it is difficult to differentiate between a Pentecostal church and a main-line Protestant church (Ojo
The indelible influence of Pentecostalism extends to the understanding of sexuality among Christians in Nigeria. Pentecostal leaders are at the forefront of promoting ‘Christian sexuality’. They have preached and written a lot on sexual issues such as marriage, sex, dating and sexual behaviour. One of the leading Pentecostal churches in Nigeria is Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM, as it is popularly known), which was founded in the 1990s by Dr Daniel K. Olukoya. Whereas most Pentecostal churches in Nigeria are known for their emphasis on prosperity and their leaders are branded ‘prosperity gospel preachers’, MFM’s brand of gospel has been recently tagged as ‘security gospel’ due to the church’s teachings, which are drawn from a combination of biblical thoughts and Yoruba cosmological beliefs about the activities of witches and evil spirits in hampering humans’ progress. MFM believes that Christians can be secured from the activities of evil spirits by obeying biblical instructions and saying some ‘violent prayers’.
Understanding sexuality from the security gospel perspective, which is the goal of this article, is different from the focus of existing literature on the understanding of sexuality among religious adherents in Nigeria. Ojo (
MFM was founded by Daniel K. Olukoya. Olukoya was born in Ondo town on 15 July 1956 to Mr and Mrs Amos Olukoya, who were members of Christ Apostolic Church (Ajani
The church’s emphasis on deliverance from evil powers categorises in the rubric of churches referred to as ‘Deliverance churches’ (Ojo
MFM does not have a clear and specific definition of destiny, but it is understood from the prosperity point of view. A believer’s destiny is to prosper in whatever he or she does. Prosperity is seen as the purpose of God for Christians. No believer is supposed to be poor or experience failure in life. Barrenness, failure, sickness, accidents and other misfortunes are not part of God’s plan for believers. The biblical basis for this belief is rooted in their interpretation of 3 John 2. The proponent of the prosperity gospel in Nigeria was Benson Idahosa, who was mentored by US televangelists such as T.L. Osborn, Oral Roberts, Gloria and Kenneth Copeland, and Gordon Lindsay (Ojo
This is reiterated in a message titled ‘Dancers at the Gate of Death’, where it is stated that ‘… access to your body is a sacred thing and once you make it loosed, you lose your destiny as well’ (Olukoya
Two areas of sexuality that attract MFM’s attention are marriage and sexual behaviour. The church believes that the decision to marry is an important decision in one’s life. Olukoya teaches that ‘outside your decision to become a Christian, the next decision is your marriage partner’ (Olukoya
MFM, in agreement with orthodox Christian belief about marriage, teaches that marriage was instituted by God; therefore instructions for it must come from God. Likewise, one should not be influenced by the flesh in choosing a marriage partner. Marriage should be between a man and a woman, not a man and a man, nor a woman and a woman. The church also teaches that marriage is meant for those who are physically, materially and spiritually mature. The minimum age for marriage is 21 for a man and 18 for a woman (Olukoya
Marriage is recommended as a way out of lust and sexual sins, especially for those who are mature enough to get married. The church believes that the unmarried should pray before choosing their partners, as this will help them to avoid marrying witches or destiny destroyers. Women are not supposed to find or look for husbands; it is men who should be looking for them (Olukoya
Polygamy is totally prohibited in MFM and no known polygamist can become a pastor or worker in the church. Even if a polygamist were to divorce all his wives except the first one he would not be allowed to be a worker in the church, contrary to practice in denominations like the Deeper Life Christian Ministries and the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Olukoya
Polygamy is also regarded as a manifestation of marine spirits. It is the first source of marine bondage. In Olukoya’s (
Polygamy is a common African practice, especially among riverine communities. Hardly can you find a man who practices monogamy among those who come from riverine areas. For people from those areas, monogamy is an abomination rather than the norm. What do you expect from a man who has six wives? You can be sure that at least one of them is a member of the marine kingdom. If you visit their homes, you will see that all the wives are sharing everything in common. Their children also share everything in common. Such a situation is a breeding ground for multiple demonic bondages. As they share everything, they also become initiated. (pp. 58–59)
Olukoya also believes that people from riverine areas do not always have settled homes because the sexual organs of most of their men contain ‘demonic deposits’ that make it difficult for them to stay with one woman (Olukoya
MFM further teaches that sex was designed by God. Just like every other thing God created, sex was very good and is still very good as long as one follows God’s commandments on it. God created sex for procreation and companionship in marriage. Sexual intercourse in the confines of marriage attracts God’s blessings, but when done outside marriage, it brings plenty of problems, woes, tragedy and even death to those involved (Olukoya
Immediately you complete the act of sexual intercourse with someone, you have a bonding with the person: whether you know him or her or not, like him or her or not; it does not really matter. There is a bond already in existence and it can cause the transfer and exchange of both curses and blessings … It can bring barriers, death, and prevent marriage. (p. 21)
He gives about 100 reasons youths must abstain from premarital sex. Some of those reasons are highlighted here. The first reason is that God, the designer of sex, reserves it for marriage. The second reason is that sex with a person creates emotional and spiritual bonding. When one has sex with another person, there is a transfer between the two parties: all the good and bad luck will be transferred. There is also a soul-tie with the person (Olukoya
Furthermore, in the message titled
Sexual sins are also linked with marine spirits, which the church strongly believes are common in the riverine areas. It is a common belief in southern Nigeria that there are marine spirits in the riverine areas. Marine spirits are believed to be spiritual powers that reside in the water, ocean and sea. They have interactions with human beings and can cause havoc in the lives of their acquaintances. Traditionally, it is believed the spirits appear in human form, especially as women. The spirits are called ‘mummy water’ spirits (or
Survey the entire complete range of calamities, e.g. accidents, deaths, failure, bankruptcy, divorce, sicknesses, misfortunes, sudden loss of valuable properties, unexplainable attacks and other embarrassing life situations, you will discover that most of them are planned and executed by marine spirits. (p. 4)
Apart from this, it is alleged that some of the people on the streets today are partly human and partly fish, especially if they are exceptionally beautiful. Such women have serpentine spirits inside their reproductive organs (Olukoya
many of the women from riverine areas who are extremely beautiful find it difficult to get married while their counterparts who are ugly easily find husbands. Such women wonder why they have such strange experiences. (Olukoya
Some of the signs exhibited by people who have been inflicted by marine spirits include seeing dead people in a dream, returning to one’s village or town in a dream or dreaming about one’s former house or school (Olukoya
Sexuality and destiny are inseparable. Success in life depends on how people handle their sexuality. For those who have committed any sexual sins that have damaged their destinies, MFM has special prayers they can say to be delivered from misfortunes. They must first of all confess their sins before they proceed in their prayers. Samples of the prayer points are as follows:
Blood of Jesus, correct my past, in the name of Jesus; in any way that my past is attacking my star, my Father, manifest your power and deliver me, in the name of Jesus; I break loose from the yoke of marital failure in the name of Jesus.
Every witchcraft of infirmity planted in my body to prevent me from getting married, be ejected by the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.
Anything planted in my body by the spirit husband or wife, die, in the name of Jesus.
I receive my healing by fire (
Curses and covenants of satanic delay, issued against my marriage, break, in the name of Jesus (Olukoya
These prayers are meant to be said violently. Olukoya notes that waging war against the forces of marital delay, for example, can only be done through aggressive and violent warfare prayers. The prayers must also be accompanied by fasting (Olukoya
As noted above, MFM’s connection of sexuality with destiny is informed by the church’s emphasis on deliverance and the security gospel. Deliverance churches believe that there are evil spirits armed to destroy people’s destinies. The spirits manifest in various ways and one can only be set free from them through deliverance ministration by a deliverance minister. Deliverance churches get their beliefs about evil spirits hampering believers from Yoruba cosmology (Ayegboyin
Similarly, the concept of marine spirits is foreign to Christian theology. There is no single reference to such a concept in the Bible. Likewise, there is no biblical or scientific evidence to support the claims that beautiful women are marine spirits or that marine spirits are responsible for mishaps in society (Akintunde & Ayantayo
That having sex is more spiritual than physical is a belief commonly held among Christians in Nigeria and this is based on an interpretation of 1 Corinthians 6:16. Arising from the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 6:16, Olukoya concludes that sexual intercourse brings two people together into a spiritual union. This is a misinterpretation of the text, in which Paul talks about a conjugal union and not a spiritual union (1 Cor 6:12–20). Paul and other New Testament writers believe that sexual immorality is morally wrong and believers who engage in it need repentance and not deliverance ministration (cf. Rm 1:24–32; 1 Cor 6:9–20). Keener (
As noted above, MFM’s view on sexuality is deeply rooted in traditional African beliefs and practices. In traditional African society it was believed that misfortunes were caused by evil spirits. Hence, sacrifices were offered to the gods to attract their favour and security against malevolent spirits (Awolalu
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.
The term ‘pentecostalised’ is used by W.J. Hollenweger (
The term ‘violent prayers’ is derived from Matthew 11:12, which says that the violent take the kingdom of God with violence. MFM and other Pentecostals believe that Christians have to offer some prayers violently. This involves shouting and jerking of hands and legs.
This is the claim of the church on its website, in the section ‘Our History’:
‘Deliverance Sessions’ refers to a special prayer common among Pentecostals wherein demons are cast out with loud prayers and speaking in tongues. It is believed to be efficacious in exorcism.