In Nigeria today, there are more than 50 powerful pastors in whose areas of specialty are
miracles, prophecy, healing, teaching, preaching, marriage counselling, and are attracting people with
such problems. Their influence have gone beyond the church walls to Politics, Education, business etc. In no particular Order, They include:
50 most powerful pastors in Nigeria
- 1.Pastor Enoch Adeboye: general overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Humble, the mathematician turned preacher has impacted on the lives of millions of Nigerians with his monthly Holy Ghost Night programme. The RCCG is one of the fastest growing churches in
Nigeria with branches all over the 36 states of the federation and in London and the United States . In
Lagos alone, nearly every street has a branch or fellowship centre of the church. It has been said that this is in line with Adeboye’s vision to spread the gospel.
- 2.Pastor David Oyedepo: general overseer of Living Faith Ministries aka Winners Chapel has grown to become
an oak tree in Christendom. His 50,000 capacity worship centre known as Cannanland in Otta, Ogun State.
Oyedepo’s motivational, faith-building teachings have also endeared him to many,Today, the church is said to exist in every state of Nigeria and in some other African countries. Oyedepo has more than 20 books published by his Dominion Publishing House to complement his soul- winning efforts.
- 3. Chris Oyakhilome is the founder and president of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, based in Lagos, Nigeria
His online programmes are said to draw around 5 billion viewers on record days. He is also very philanthropic with a number of initiatives under his foundation; the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International. His church also hosts a number of empowerment programmes annually.
- 4. Paul Adefarasin It’s amazing to think that this man’s ministry which is now a global movement with churches in Africa, Europe and North America, began in the humble stables of his mother’s living room with a mere seven members.
He is now known as the man who founded the popular House on the Rock Church(es) and Convener of World largest Concert, The Experience.
Despite the lock-down last year, he was still able to put together a virtual edition of the Gospel Concert which was every bit as impactful as the 14 preceding editions. To cap it, The Metropolitan and his team made the unprecedented move of making the concert a global edition, as artistes were featured from almost all continents of the world.
- 5. Johnson Suleman is a Nigerian televangelist and the senior pastor and general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, a church with its headquarters in Auchi, Edo State. After working as an assistant pastor in the Armor of God Church in Lagos from 1998, he started Omega Fire Ministries in 2004.
- 6. Pastor William Kumuyi: general overseer of Deeper Life Christian Ministry has also changed the lives of many
by teaching members to live a Christ-like life and praying ceaselessly. The church is also strong in house fellowship programmes as a way of encouraging spiritual growth. The thrust of the church is an emphasis on righteousness and holiness.
- 7.Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ede: founder of Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Elele, Rivers State, is
perhaps the first Catholic priest whose miracle works remain immensely popular. Ede has a penchant for breaking of curses and healing the sick through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The monthly miracle programme he organises at the Pilgrimage Centre, Elele attracts Christians from all parts of the country who desire breakthroughs in life.
- 8.Rev.Fr. Ejike Mbaka: another Roman Catholic reverend father in Enugu is known for his firebrand style of
preaching. Signs and wonders follow his ministrations. Mbaka’s weekly all-night adoration crusade at the GTC field, Enugu , has never ceased to inspire Catholic faithfuls to attend his programme,His miracles have checked the drift of Catholic faithfuls to other miracle-happening churches. It hasalso brought Pentecostals, Methodists, and Anglicans to swell the crowd: “People fly from abroad to come to our crusade and fly back,” Mbaka told Newswatch
- 9. Pastor Temitope Joshua: Another man of God who has continued to hold sway in the miracle arena is Pastor Temitope Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos . His miracle programmes which is aired on television stations have continued to elicit reactions from church leaders and the public. Scathing as the criticisms are, he has remained unperturbed and has continued to dazzle the public with his feats. Located at Ejigbo, the Synagogue has turned out to be Mecca of a sort for miracle seekers. Among them are Europeans and Americans, who flock to his ministry for miracles. It was this same
curiosity that compelled President Chiluba of Zambia to visit the Synagogue in 1999.
- 10. Pastor Mike Okonkwo: bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, is another leader no
Christian would forget in a hurry when it comes to preaching prosperity and prayers for deliverance.
- 11.Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo: founder of Kingsway International Christian Centre, KICC, London is one
of them. He has penetrated nearly every home in Nigeria through telerangelism. Guided by the motto, “Raising champions and taking territories,” Ashimolowo has continued to inspire many lost souls with his sound knowledge of the scriptures.
- 12.Pastor Chris Okotie: founder of Household of God, Oregun, Lagos , is another firebrand preacher that often
sends his audience into ecstasies. He is also known for televangelism but with bias for preaching the end times which he titles The Apocalypses. In his messages, Okotie reveals a knowledge of the book of revelations beyond the ordinary. Fondly called “Grace teacher” by the multitude of his followers, Okotie’s teaching tend to evoke reactions more than edifying his listeners. His latest book, The Last Outcast, which he claims are revelations from God attest to his controversial teachings. The book has raised a palpable degree of dust among Christians because of its spiritual explanations on cloning, polygamy, the church, the anti-Christ, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and more.
- 13.Pastor Tunde Bakare: pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Ogba, Lagos is in a class of his own when it comes to
political predictions. In the course of such predictions, Bakare has on one or two occasions
invited the wrath of government. In particular, the prophecy on “Hundred Days and Hundred Ways ” rattled the government so much that he was arrested and interrogated by the State Security Service.
- 14. Pastor Victor Onukogu: became born again in 1967 and changed his name to Hezekiah. Between then and
now, he has grown to become one of the leading miracle workers in Anambra State . Popularly known as Daddy Hezekiah, and founder of Living Christ Mission, Onitsha , Anambra State , he told Newswatch
that the first miracle that God performed through him was to raise from death a young girl at Inland Girls Secondary School , Onitsha , November 21, 1982 . Ever since, he said God has performed many other miracles and blessed a lot of people through him.
- 15.Pastor Francis Wale Oke: founder of Christ Life Church is another powerful preacher. He had carried his
crusade to even states that are sharia-based. He said he had taken his missionary exploits to 49 countries including the Soviet Union where Christianity was intolerable. Oke is the bishop and founder of Christ Life Church , aka Sword of Spirit Ministries.
- 16.Pastor Daniel Kayode Olukoya: Mountain of Fire and Miracles is big ministry
in Nigeria Founded by him. the church had gone a step further to establish a “ Prayer
City ” along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.Olukoya has been able to pull a large crowd of
worshipers because of his power in effective prayers and spiritual warfare.
- 17.Rev. Wilson Badejo: general overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church is also known for his powerful
sermons on holiness, righteousness and salvation.
- 18.Pastor Sam Amaga: founder of the Foundation Faith Chapel Incorporated preaches prosperity like many of
his peers. That is not unexpected from a man ordained as bishop by late Benson Idahosa. Amaga commands
large followership from his miracle exploits
- 19. Pastor Ken Ikpefua: Household Liberty Church is a Pentecostal church founded in 2015 by Pastor Ken Ikpefua, the reason the church was founded is to glorify God from the smallest act of obedience, to the most extravagant expression of worship or service. the church focus on Liberating the oppressed souls from satanic manipulations and total deliverance from any forms of bondage
- 20. Rev. Engr. Solomon Ani: Founder of Great Covenant Dimension Ministry (a.k.a Solution Ground) where prayers are made and solutions are granted, with the prophetic gift of his wife Rev. Mrs. Angela Ani the church is
widely known for Atmosphere for Miracles, Deliverance and healings. The ministry which was established in 2016 with the headquarter at 92 ajoke okunsunya Street, grandmate bus/stop, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
21.Pastor Emmanuel Nuhu Kure: pastor of the Throne Room (Trust) Ministry has taken the gospel of
Jesus Christ to Islamic enclaves in the North. An uphill task no doubt, Kure succeeded in training a lot
of northerners as pastors. With headquarters in Kafanchan, Kaduna State , membership of the non-denominational ministry is estimated to be more than 10,000.
22.Pastor David Ibiyeomie He is the Senior Pastor at Salvation Ministries. Interestingly, he was one of the pastors who was able to coerce controversial radio broadcaster, Ifedayo Olarinde popularly known as Daddy Freeze into tendering an apology to Bishop Oyedepo (Papa) whom Freeze had insulted.
The Pastor famously quoted that he cannot be alive and watch Freeze insult Papa, but he is only one of three most popular pastors referred to as the Sons of the Prophet (referring to Papa). They are honorary members pertaining to any event put together by Living Faith Church.
He also runs an NGO; David Ibiyeomie Foundation and the Salvation Ministries is currently undertaking a 130,000 seater Auditorium known as the “Finger of God.”
23.Pastor Margaret Idahosa: the presiding bishop of Church of God Mission International , her strength
could be best appreciated in her effectively managingmore than 3,000 branches of the church worldwide. Added to this was the extra burden of overseeing thenumerous investments on education of her late husband, Archbishop Benson Idahosa.
24.Pastor Nkechi Anayo-Iloputaife: general overseer of the Victory Christian Church, Badagry Expressway,
Lagos , is another female pastor who assumed headship after the demise of her husband, in 1995. The gruesome murder of her husband affected the strength of the church but the strong-willed woman resolved to forge ahead with painstaking efforts and dedication.
25.Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor: Founder of the World of Life Bible Church at Warri, another protege of the late Benson Idahosa. Described as flamboyant and a forceful preacher, Oritsejafor is gifted with teaching the word.
His fearless style of preaching has earned him several invitations to several countries including Germany ,Great Britain , America and France , among others
26. Apostle Joshua Selman He is the Founder of the Koinonia Eternity Network International (ENI), a congregation that has been experiencing a meteoric growth for a few years now.
Over the past year he has grown in popularity, and has been adding to his extensive portfolio by releasing over 2 dozen books. This feat comes as no surprise seeing as the Pastor is known to have been an avid student of the bible since his teenage years.
Koinonia which translates to Christian fellowship in Greek was founded early too, while he was in the university searching for meaning to his life.
27. Sola Osunmakinde Pastor Sola is the Senior Pastor at Household of David; a church whose ultimate goal is to spread the love of GOD to all corners of the globe.
Sola Osunmakinde is the convener of the popular annual Mercy Conference with high profile Speakers and Worship Ministers, and he also hosts an interesting and insightful Q&A program all year round called “Ask Pastor Sola” where he answers his members’ most troubling and nagging spirituality related questions.
He was the President of the Vessel of Honour Foundation for about 3 years at the University of Ibadan, and later became the President for the Assembly of Uni-Ibadan Christian Student Fellowship (AUCSF).
28.Pastor Lawrence Osagie: the founder of Powerline Bible Church is known for his umbrage against
government, public institutions and religious bodies,He is also known for his trendy dressing. Osagie preaches holiness to fight against social injustice.
29. Emmanuel Iren and Laju Iren is the founder of Celebration Church International, a fairly young church that has now spread its reach across five cities, including in Canada and the United Kingdom.
This church amasses a crowd of young people and as such, his evangelism is geared towards the realities of the young Nigerian. His wife is no different from the demography which she also has an influence amongst. A bestselling author and also a writing coach who in 2020 alone, helped about a dozen of her clients publish their books. She is also a filmmaker, debuting her first movie, “Love is a Star” in April 2020.
Together they have built a congregation that is both fervent and very optimistic.
30.Pastor Samson Ayorinde: prophet of the World Evangelism Bible Church , Ogudu, is said to have a special anointing on problem of barenness. He is known as “barenness bulldozer.” Ayorinde has drawn wide membership within a short period of his ministry.
31. Pastor Jude Osobase is an anointed prolific preacher in Nigeria and he is also the lead Pastor of Zion world Christian Center, which is headquartered @ Zion world Christian Center Waterparks 31/37 toyin street Ikeja-Lagos by dominos pizza.
32. Kingsley Okonkwo: He is the Lead Pastor of David’s Christian Centre Lagos and the founder of Love, Dating and Marriage Ministries. As usual, he created a series of teachings last year on his YouTube page, where he spoke on how to nurture a successful relationship.
From the controversy over his hanging out with Grammy award-winning artiste, Burnaboy, who described him as his uncle, to churning out insightful perspectives on dating and marriage, it seemed like every time you opened any social media platform in the year under review (including your aunt’s WhatsApp story), this minister’s face pops up.
Together with his wife, they provide faith-based relationship counselling to their congregation and to a massive audience in the country.
33.Rev. O. Ezekiel: the general overseer of Christian Pentecostal Mission, CPM, Ajao Estate, Lagos , one of the fastest growing churches in Nigeria is a powerful man of God. With branches all over
Nigeria , CPM lays much emphasis on prayer and personal consecration
34.Pastor Felix Omobude: the founder of New Covenant Ministry based in Benin . A protege
of the late prosperity preacher, Benson Idahosa, Omobude stands out as one of the present day popular pentecostal pastors and a strong advocate of exemplary leadership even among the men of God
35.Pastor Poju Oyemade: is the Senior Pastor of The Covenant Nation, Lagos and Convener of the West African Faith Believers Convention (WAFBEC). A lot of his philosophy centers around faith and the power of the tongue. This year he launched 6 new centres for his church across Lagos and Ogun State.
Using his social media, he writes passionately on issues of doctrines and controversies in Christianity, described by many as timely interventions and hosts several online programmes with fellow ministers and Church leaders.
He was very consistent with this online series in 2020, and its videos can be found on YouTube. Other initiatives under his leadership at TCN include, International Conference for Pastors, Ministers, Leaders and Workers (ICPLMW), The Platform (a National Development conference) and Project WRAP (providing assistance to widows and families of deceased service personnel) amongst others.
36.Dr. Tony Rapu is a pastor with a burning passion for social reforms. A medical doctor, filmmaker, life coach and the Senior Pastor of the House of Freedom.
He believes in making the world a better place through positive actions regardless of how small, and he continues to exemplify this ideology using his foundation; Freedom Foundation, a faith based, non-profit organisation with a focus on tackling drug addiction and urban poverty.
Last year the progress he made with Michael, a street urchin who he took from the streets in a terribly destructive situation and gave a future, surfaced and the heartwarming recount gleaned a little bit of hope for those in similar situations. The video which trended all over social media reminded people that a little act of kindness can go a long way
37. Lazarus Mouka He is the head of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, one of the largest and most devout congregations in the country.
Chosen members are some of the most eccentric and religious Christians in Nigeria, and it’s thanks to this man’s style of ministry. He was born into a Catholic family, but branched out, after receiving a series of visions.
He founded the church in the mid-90s and since then this church has expanded rapidly.
38.Pastor Anselm Madubuko: general overseer of Revival Assembly, Ikeja, travels all over the world. Though,
he has no branch elsewhere, he has an apostolic ministry all over the world where he preaches. “What
God has done for me is to give me a stable base,” he said.
39.Pastor Alexander Ekewuba:founder of Overcomers Christian Mission, Owerri, is another powerful man of
God in Nigeria. Ekewuba is known for his miracles and demolition of demon-infested institutions in and
around Owerri.
40. Apostle Arome Osayi is the founder of Remnant Christian Network. This pastor’s life changed for the better at the young age of 7 when he attended a Sunday school class and afterwards, decided to give his life to Christ.
He heads a constantly growing ministry with a 3,000-capacity auditorium, a hospital, TV Station, and hostel facilities for just Christians to come to pray to God.
His refusal to leave Makurdi to chase after a larger congregation is truly admirable, as he has stated his dedication to the people of that state. He hosts a number of online programs, readily available on the Church’s site and on YouTube.
41.Pastor Umoh Ekwo:founder of Bible Standard Christian
Ministry with headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State,
is a holiness preacher who is popular for his work in
rural envangelisation.
42.Pastor Stephen Akinola:of the Redemption
Ministries, Port Harcourt is noted for his prowess in
the area of televangelism. His church commands a
large population of worshippers who admire his
emphasis on practical Christianity.
43.Primate Theophilus Olabayo: founder of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh Worldwide has
equally been named in such fashion for his predictions. Although, he has not been visible of late,
Olabayo was one prophet whom the nation looked up to for his prediction of the nation at the beginning of a
new year. His predictions on political matters and leaders were profound, His predictions were published in his book: The Book of Revelations for Today and Tomorrow. Some of his major predictions, however, created bad press for him because they didn’t come true.
44. Pastor Tunde Joda: pastor of Christ Chapel, Lagos has consistently engaged members of
his congregation every December in fasting. An astute preacher who always sermonises the need for
exemplary political leadership among lawless leaders in the country believes that it is the only way to create
sanity in the country. pastor of Greater Evangelism World Crusade is a chip off the old block.
A one-time chairman of the Rivers State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Numbere lays much emphasis on prayers and evangelism.
45.Pastor Nicholas Eze:founder and general overseer of Christ
for the World Mission Incorporated with headquarters
in Calabar, is another pragmatic preacher. Eze
founded the church in the late 1970s with the main
objective of reaching the younger generation with the
gospel.
46.Pastor Eugene Ogu:pastor of the Abundant Life Ministry,
Port Harcourt , is a preacher and teacher of faith. His
commitment to the ministry has affected the lives of
thousands of people in Rivers and Bayelsa states, who
have been abundantly blessed by his spiritual power.
47.Pastor Yomi Isijola:of the Logos Ministry, Port
Harcourt . He is a flamboyant man of God who is
using the gift of oratory to do great exploits for the Almighty. He is also a prosperity preacher and
believes firmly that Christians who serve the Lord in
truth deserve to be rich.
49.Pastor Sam Adeyemi:whose velveteen voice on the
inspirational radio programme, Success Tips, has
continued to inspire the youths, is the founder of
Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun. The civil engineerturned
preacher is popular among his faithfuls with his
radio programme. He offers sound teachings of the
scriptures and the principles of success in life.
50.Pastor Samuel Abiara:founder, Agbala Itura World-
Wide, faction of Christ Apostolic Church is known for
his healing services, evangelism and prophecies.
Conclusion:Yet, more powerful pastors are emerging to continue
the great exploits in Christendom. And as long as
there are miracles, signs and wonders, crusade
grounds would continue to attract new faithfuls and
testimonies.
Originally Compiled by Bhide Williams (Newswatch)
Summarized for lazy readers