Jimmy Odukoya, the first son of the late Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of Fountain of Life Church, was recently announced as the General Overseer of the church.
Jimmy, who is also a Nollywood actor, follows in the footsteps of his father and mother. The latter was a televangelist who died in 2005 in the ill-fated Sosoliso Air crash.
Given the polar disparity in lifestyle between the church ministry and the filmmaking industry, Ikejabird spoke with veteran Nollywood actor Emmanuel Ayalogu to get his two cents on the matter.
The interview unfolds below:
READ: Nollywood Actor, Jimmy Odukoya Succeeds Father As Fountain Of Life Church General Overseer
How would you justify going into full-time ministry for a Nollywood actor knowing what obtains in both worlds?
If you are a true believer, the Bible says to let your moderation be known to all men for the coming of Christ is at hand. (Philippians 4:5). Nollywood is your place of work and your evangelism field at the same time.
The question now becomes: how do you represent Christ at your place of work, how many souls have you won for Him? So, even being an actor in Nollywood is a ministry for a true believer and it can’t stop him or her from going into full-time ministry.
READ: I was called into ministry by God: Pastor Jimmy Odukoya reveals in interview
Jimmy Odukoya was recently declared the senior pastor of Fountain of Life Church; do you have any misgivings about this?
Why should I have any misgivings? John 6:37 affirms that whoever comes to Christ will not be cast away. If he serves God with sincerity and truth, he will receive his rewards. Otherwise, Jeremiah 23 lays a curse on him already.
Where is the line between the film industry and ministry?
Obedience and discipline rule the saints all over the universe. John 17 affirms that true believers are not of the world and 1 Thessalonians 5:22 encourages true believers to abstain from all appearance of evil. So, every true believer in Nollywood knows the forces at play under Leviathan and should not be influenced by the ungodliness.
Do the lifestyle and appearance of a pastor matter or affect the effectiveness of his sermons?
Yes. The Bible admonishes in 1 Timothy 3 what a pastor/Bishop should be like.
Emmanuel Ayalogu is a Nigerian actor, scriptwriter, and movie producer who is one of the pioneers in the Nollywood industry. He hails from Onitsha, Anambra state, and studied French at the University of France.
Ayalogu started acting while in school and has starred in lots of movies such as Living in Bondage, Taboo, Lean on Me, Ripples, Royal Family, and Games Men play, to mention a few.
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