The new lead pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Jimmy Odukoya says he will continue his acting career even as the new leader of the church.
Recall Vanguard reported that Jimmy was named the new lead pastor and chairman of the Board of Trustees, following the passing of his father and founder of the church, Pastor Taiwo OOdukoya, on August 7.
Speaking with BBC News Pidgin, Jimmy stated he has no plan to dump his acting career.
His words: “When I started, people said I couldn’t be a pastor and an actor together. They said the church and the world wouldn’t accept me. If God sends you somewhere, he will clear the path for you.
“I was there for six years in an industry that is hard to break into. From Nollywood, I moved to Hollywood. God has shown that with him, nothing is impossible.
“Now, he has asked me to do this (as a pastor). Whether it’s production, behind the scenes, or in front of the camera, God will figure it out.
“Although I’m focused on the church now, that doesn’t mean I cannot act. Once an actor, always an actor.
“The question I ask myself is: What will people learn when I act like this character? The idea people have is that as a pastor, I should only play good roles, but good and bad exist. It doesn’t matter if it’s a good or bad role; the motive is to teach people lessons. In the end, good is good, and bad is bad.”
Odukoya also stated that while he’s prepared for the new task, his preparation is to hold on to God.
“There’s no amount of preparation that can help you; you can only rely on God. This position forces you to be humble, and you have to pray for God’s help every day. You have to ask God for direction. My preparation is to hold onto God always.
Some of the movies Jimmy has acted in include The Woman King, The Wait, Love Cooked Up, and others.
I have scriptural backing to my appearance – Jimmy Odukoya
Meanwhile, Jimmy Odukoya, has said he has a scriptural backing to his appearance.
Recall Jimmy’s announcement as the new lead pastor generated mixed reactions from social media users, with some questioning his appearance (with dreads) as a pastor.
In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Odukoya stated that he has scriptural backing for his appearance and the things he does.
He said, “God has called me into this new season of my life. This new position is a big responsibility. All of my focus is here (on the church). As for my dreads, most people don’t know I can back up everything I do with scripture.
“If you say I’m wrong to keep my hair as a pastor, I can tell you that God told Samson not to cut his hair in the Bible. That means long hair is not a bad thing. Also, if you say the pastor is keeping beard, I can tell you that the Bible says that when Jesus was tortured, they pulled hair from his face.
“If you say this pastor is putting on earrings, I can tell you that in the book of Exodus, when the children of Israel got out of Egypt and wanted to do golden calf, they collected jewelry, rings, and earrings from their sons and daughters.
“Anybody can do what they want. A personal opinion is different from saying something is sinful. You should not use your own personal opinion to judge me.”
He also stated that, contrary to popular belief, he was ordained as a pastor in the church in 2012.
His words: “I was ordained as a minister in 2009 and became a pastor in the church in 2012. I was the lead pastor of the youth church until 2020 or 2021.
He also said he’s unfazed due to the challenges he has faced in life.
“With the things I’ve witnessed in life, there’s nothing that can shake me. I’ve lost two of the closest people to me—my father and mother—and, to an extent, some members of my family, including my aunt and grandparents. When the thing you feared most happens, then there’s nothing again,” Jimmy said.
“In all of this, my father was a strong man. He was full of life and energy.”
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