When Pastor's Sell Theirs Soul's
The alarming infiltration of occultism, marine spirits, and fake miracles in modern pulpits is no longer an isolated issue—it has become a continental crisis.
The modern pulpit is facing an unprecedented spiritual crisis, masked by grand church buildings, large crowds, and dramatic displays of power. Behind the scenes, however, a dark and dangerous reality is unfolding.
This profound exposé comes to light through a deeply personal and tragic confession written by Pastor Chidubem Okwu, a Nigerian minister who sought supernatural church growth through occult means. Recognizing the growing web of deception within modern religious spaces, Pastor Chidubem chose to mail his harrowing account directly to Pastor Ronnie, a known voice against spiritual manipulation and the author of Overcoming the Queen of the Coast.
When Pastor Ronnie attempted to reach out by phone to discuss the letter further, he was met with heartbreaking news from the pastor's wife: Pastor Chidubem had tragically lost his life in a car crash just a day prior.
Recognizing the urgent need to warn the body of Christ against the quiet infiltration of marine spirits, fake miracles, and hidden altars, Pastor Ronnie published the account.
This vital warning has been compiled and brought to readers by Evang. Paulinus Paul on www.eternityrace.com to awaken believers to the reality of the times.
Across Africa, the quest for quick wealth, massive crowds, and supernatural power has led many self-proclaimed ministers down a dark path. The following shocking confession exposes the grim reality of how deep this darkness goes.
The shocking confession of a Nigerian pastor who turned to marine spirits for church growth—and the horrifying consequences that followed
CONFESSION OF A FALLEN PASTOR
My name is Pastor Chidubem Okwu. I once stood on the altar, but now I carry a deep wound in my soul. I don’t even know how to begin this confession.
I must be honest—I don’t know if I was truly called by God. For nine years, I served faithfully as a Sunday School teacher in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria.
In 1999, I believed I was led to start a church. But looking back, I can no longer say for certain if it was truly the Holy Spirit who led me.
By 2008, I was facing stagnation. Both spiritually and financially, I was making no progress.
I saw newer ministries growing rapidly while mine was stuck in a cycle—rising to 200 members and crashing back to 40 or 50. I was tired and confused.
After discussing with my wife, I reached out to the general overseer of a fast-growing church.
He started his ministry seven years after mine but had already grown to 11,000 members in just six years. He drove luxurious cars and lived in abundance. I told him I needed help.
He looked at me and said, “You need to be empowered.” But he warned it would cost money and required a strong heart.
When he asked if I had a strong heart, I told him, “Yes—as long as it doesn’t involve killing anyone.” He asked again—three times. I stood firm.
He then gave me two options: single or double empowerment. I asked which was better. “Double,” he said, “but more expensive.” It would also require maintenance and renewal.
I grew uneasy and asked if rituals were involved. He assured me that it was nothing unusual—just “normal things” I was already doing.
He told me to bring ₦350,000. I borrowed it from my wife. The next day, we flew from Abuja to Lagos. That night, we visited the Bar Beach.
MY ENCOUNTER WITH A MARINE SPIRIT (MAMI-WATA)
Around 11:30 p.m., we drove to the shore. The general overseer spoke in a strange language and said, “A woman will rise from the water. Do whatever she says.”
Suddenly, the water began to tremble. A mermaid appeared. Her lower body was like a fish but transformed into human form as she approached me.
She asked me to sleep with her. In fear and confusion—and in the presence of the general overseer—I obeyed.
After the act, she made a sign of the cross on my forehead and palms using her fingers from her private part. “You are now empowered,” she said.
She then turned to the general overseer, brought out a golden cross and chain from her stomach, and placed it on his neck. He gave her money, and she disappeared into the water.
Later that night, we attended a night vigil at the ministry where we lodged. I was given the microphone to minister.
As I raised my hands, people began to fall under the anointing, rolling and crying out. I was shocked—the marine power was already working.
Back at the guesthouse, the general overseer smiled. “Are you impressed?” he asked. I said yes. But that night, I had a terrifying dream. The same marine spirit appeared and said, “To keep your power, you must sleep with a virgin every month.”
I rushed to the overseer’s room and shared my dream. He said, “That’s not a problem—I’ll help you find virgins, but you’ll pay me.”
I wanted to back out. But fear held me back.
At the Bar Beach, I saw many other pastors—senior ones bringing in younger ones. It seemed each senior pastor had their own mami-wata. I saw at least ten different marine spirits that night.
MY ENCOUNTER WITH EZE NWANYI
The next day, we flew to Port Harcourt. We stayed at the guesthouse of another ministry.
That night, we visited a large compound owned by a woman called Eze Nwanyi. The compound was filled with pastors—some even from orthodox churches.
When it was my turn, the general overseer paid her and listed what was needed. I was shocked to find myself in a room, on a bed, sleeping with this strange woman. I couldn’t remember how I got there. I sucked her breasts and slept with her.
After the act, she cried like an animal and rubbed something in my eyes. Suddenly, I could see the spirit world. I saw beings and communicated with them.
She gave me bottles of oils with strange names:
“Do as I say” – to make church members obey
“All-seeing oil” – to reveal secrets
“Slaying oil” – to knock people down
“Crowd-pulling oil” – to attract multitudes
“Touch and follow” – to seduce women, especially virgins and married women, for renewal of power
She warned me I could minister immediately after sex without bathing. Then she bound me by an oath of secrecy.
That night, we attended another vigil. I ministered, and to my surprise, I began prophesying like never before. In the morning, two virgins were sent to us. We took them to the guesthouse and slept with them.
The general overseer warned me to stop preaching salvation or holiness. He said my messages should now focus only on prosperity. He also demanded a portion of my tithes for himself and for Eze Nwanyi.
A NEW TRANSFORMATION... INTO DARKNESS
We returned to Kaduna. Immediately, things changed. Crowds poured into the church.
Money flowed. Prophecies, miracles, and healings followed. But I was now deep in darkness.
For six years, I continued sleeping with virgins and married women to renew my power. But then, I started seeing myself in hellfire.
The same dream came seven times. In one instance, the dream continued even after I woke and went back to sleep.
I lost two children under strange circumstances. For the past three months, I haven’t been able to find virgins—and now the powers are weakening.
The marine spirit now rapes me in my sleep, and I’m haunted by horrible manifestations.
I told the overseer I wanted out. He warned me: “It’s too late. If you try, you’ll die mysteriously.”
Three days later, two men threatened me, saying I must leave Kaduna immediately. I shut down the church and fled.
Today, I have nothing left but a desperate cry to God. I read your book, Overcoming the Queen of the Coast, and I know you’re one of the few voices exposing this evil.
I’m scared to go to other pastors—too many are already in this marine network.
I’ve transferred these spirits to so many people. I need to know how they can be set free. I need help. I need God’s forgiveness—even if I die afterward, I just want to make heaven.
I deeply regret selling my soul to marine spirits.
AUTHOR'S RESPONSE (Pastor Ronnie)
When I received this letter, I called the number several times. The next day, someone finally answered. A woman’s voice.
When I asked to speak to Pastor Chidubem, she replied in tears: “He died yesterday in a car crash. I’m his wife.”
I was dumbfounded. We spoke briefly. She told me she wanted to amend her life and thanked me for my books.
After I ended the call, I stood frozen for five minutes, staring into space until my son tapped me. It was painful. But the truth must be told.
This tragedy is a warning....
Desperation for success can lead to destruction.
If Pastor Chidubem had withdrawn earlier, perhaps he’d still be alive. Only God knows if he was forgiven before he died.
THE MARINE SPIRIT INVASION IN CHURCHES
There are three major categories of mami-wata-influenced pastors:
- Deliberate Agents – Pastors who intentionally seek marine spirits and use them to initiate their members.
- Inherited Powers – Pastors born into witchcraft, voodoo, or marine backgrounds who use these powers “for God.”
- Unaware Agents – Some pastors inherited powers unknowingly. They operate prophetically and spiritually but have never encountered true salvation. These pastors infect their members spiritually through their ministration.
Spiritually discerning believers often notice their lives become worse after joining such churches—because they are being initiated without their knowledge.
EXPOSING THE SECRET INVASION OF MAMI-WATA IN THE CHURCH
..... One of the most disturbing trends in today’s church is the silent yet strategic infiltration by agents of mami-wata spirits—particularly young girls who have been initiated into marine kingdoms and sent to seduce and destroy pastors, youth ministers, and choirs.
Many of them operate from within, wearing church uniforms, singing in the choir, leading youth fellowships, and appearing outwardly holy.
But underneath, they are spiritual assassins with dark assignments.
I recall a 15-year-old girl who boldly confessed during a counseling session:
..... “Sir, I am a princess of the kingdom of water. We are many—we live both on land and in water...... We have been sent to churches to destroy pastors through sex. My Ogbanje cult family operates from the Benue River, and I was initiated through a biscuit given to me in school.........When the spirit takes over me, I lose control and begin to desire pastors sexually. I’ve destroyed the Ministres of twelve pastors through sex... .... I have collected their manhoods. None of them will be able to give women children again.”
She revealed that she was the assistant choir mistress in her church and known for her beautiful singing voice. I told her the voice she used wasn’t her natural voice—it was powered by a marine spirit. She agreed with me.
When I asked her where she was initiated, she listed several rivers:
- Imo Mmiri
- Iyi Ocha
- Iyi Ntusi
- Iyi Afo
- Iyi Ogwe
- Otammiri
- Agbala Iyi Ogwe
This girl had been initiated in multiple rivers and yet had become a church leader without any form of deliverance.
She confessed to having already initiated over half of the church choir into the marine kingdom.
She said she had assigned incubi spirits to the girls and succubi spirits to the boys in the choir.
“Prof,” she told me, “I wear the choir uniform, but my heart is mami-wata. I use sex to initiate pastors into the marine cult.”
THE HIDDEN WORK OF MARRIED MARINE AGENTS
It doesn't end there...
Some married women within the church have also been secretly initiated.
Their assignment Are ?
.... To sexually pollute and spiritually enslave young boys in the congregation.
They spend lavishly on these boys to gain emotional and sexual access.
I have personally counseled pastors who are fully aware that such things are happening in their churches but feel helpless—because they themselves are not free.
This is why most churches don’t organize periodic deliverance programs. Many pastors are bound and afraid of being exposed by the very spirits they’ve entertained.
Marine-empowered pastors will go to any length to keep their members in bondage.
They exploit the spiritual ignorance, hunger, and desperation of their congregants.
One such pastor impregnated three women in his church at the same time—even though two other church members already had three children each for him.
In Ghana, one so-called pastor named Rev. Gordon of Holy Spirit Ministry Fellowship, Abisim was caught having sex with a sheep tied to a tree.
Residents were alerted by the sheep’s agonized bleating. They initially thought someone was trying to steal it, only to find the pastor in the act. He was arrested, handcuffed to the sheep, and paraded before the media.
Another pastor, Kofi Yire, known by his congregation as “Jesus Sharp Sharp” or “Jesus One Touch,” was known to rape his daughter before each church service.
The same handkerchief he used to wipe himself afterward was the one he waved during sermons, supposedly anointed.
QUESTIONABLE MIRACLES AND SATANIC DEMONSTRATIONS
These false pastors perform miracles, healings, and deliverances that are not of God. I have seen God move in my own ministry through simple prayer—no theatrics, no manipulation. But these men behave like magicians.
They shake violently, slash the air with their hands and feet, and perform strange rituals on stage.
I once watched a Nigerian “pastor” on YouTube. As he squatted, those he was “healing” squatted uncontrollably.
When he stood up, they stood too. This was clearly a manipulative spirit in action—not the Holy Spirit.
In another video, a self-proclaimed Ghanaian bishop walked over women lying on the floor during healing sessions, completely disregarding their dignity.
For a woman with a leg problem, he would stretch his own leg, rub it for several minutes, then command the woman to stand. When she did, the church erupted in applause. In some sessions, he would run around the church like a shaman seeking dark energy before performing “miracles.”
This same so-called bishop was later discovered to have used voodoo to scatter the congregation of another church. Yet sadly, many spiritually blind Christians still see him as a man of God.
On another occasion, a man came with head problems. The bishop began banging his own head against the wall repeatedly until the sick man suddenly stood up and declared healing. Again, people cheered.
MY ENCOUNTER WITH A BLOOD-BATHING PASTOR
On June 30, 1996—my last day working at the defunct Afribank Nigeria PLC—I was packing my belongings when a pastor walked in asking for “Pastor Ronnie.”
I told him I was the one. He said he wanted me to minister in his church during a three-day event tagged “Revival and Regeneration.”
I asked him to bow his head for prayer. As I began to pray, the Lord revealed to me that this man had bathed with the blood of a newborn baby.
I stopped praying and looked into his eyes.
“God just revealed to me that you once bathed with the blood of a day-old baby.”
Immediately, he slumped over my desk, weeping loudly.
I told him, “Weeping cannot solve this. You need repentance.”
He admitted it was true and said it happened ten years ago in his search for power.
I asked, “Power to serve God or Satan?” He couldn’t answer. I then asked if he would ever sacrifice his own child for power. He said, “Never.”
He picked up his Bible and promised to return. But I never saw him again, even up until I left the city three months later.
THE DANGER OF FOREIGN ENDORSEMENTS AND CHARISMATIC CORRUPTION
What’s shocking is how some Western pastors visit these kinds of ministers and even endorse them, mistaking theatrics for the move of God.
Let me be clear: I am charismatic—I believe in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit—but what is happening today in many African churches is not the Holy Spirit. It is syncretism.
The African religious worldview has been adopted rather than confronted. Ancient pagan rituals have been blended with Christianity.
Many of today’s charismatic pastors were not called by God. They see pastoring as a career and will go to any length to outperform one another—even if it means using Satanic power.
While some of them are first-generation Christians still wrestling with tribal and cultural strongholds, instead of seeking deliverance, they incorporate ancestral rituals into their ministries.
Not every charismatic pastor is guilty—but based on what I’ve seen, over 90% of them are involved in these dark practices.
Yes, healing and deliverance are vital to the African expression of Pentecostalism, but that is not a license to use demonic power to do God’s work. The true gospel is about the power of Jesus Christ—not theatrics, rituals, or marine spirits.
WHEN SEX IS CALLED DELIVERANCE
In 2014, a teenage girl in Abuja testified in court that her church’s General Overseer raped her in the name of “spiritual cleansing.”
She said:
“Papa said I needed deliverance, and it would be ongoing. He told me that sleeping with me was the only way to remove the evil inside me and cleanse my future. I agreed. He asked if I was on my period; I said no. He told me I had spiritual stains in my blood that only a husband could remove, and since I wasn’t married, he offered himself.”
He took her into his bedroom, laid a white handkerchief on her head, and she became weak. Then he raped her. Clearly, the handkerchief was a voodoo charm—but this man is still regarded by many as “a man of God.”
Many Nigerian pastors travel to Antoa Nyamaa, a mami-wata shrine in Ghana, to receive dark empowerment.
Likewise, Ghanaian pastors travel to Bar Beach in Lagos for the same purpose. Some even go as far as India, to temples in Bombay, seeking marine powers to “work for God.”
One comfort I hold is that everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give account.
MAMI-WATA AND RITUAL PASTORS: A GROWING HORROR
In 2008, Pastor Benjamin Ojo and his wife of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Asaba, were arrested in Delta State with a human head. He confessed to using human skulls to make prosperity and protection charms for his members.
During the day, he functioned as a pastor. At night, he operated as a native doctor.
He said:
“I got the head from a cemetery worker named John. He sold it to me for N3,000. Yes, I am a pastor. But this is my personal side job. I’ve helped many people this way. I use the skulls to make charms for prosperity, protection, and favor—and I give them to my church members and even outsiders.”
We are living in perilous times. The pulpit is no longer sacred in many places.
The name of Christ has been dragged into the mud by men seeking power at all costs. But the church must rise.
True believers must wake up and discern. The fact that miracles happen in a place does not prove that God is present.
We must test every spirit, examine every doctrine, and never trade the truth for sensation. Power belongs to God—not to the marine kingdom.
“By their fruits, you shall know them.”
THE CHURCH UNDER SIEGE — A CRY FOR CLEANSING
One of my former teachers at All Nations for Christ Bible Institute International, Benin City, Edo State, Archbishop Joseph Ojo of Calvary Kingdom Church, once made a sobering statement:
“The greatest challenge confronting Christendom today, especially Pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria, is the invasion of the pulpit by people who were never called by God. If I may use a blunt term, I would call them touts. These individuals have hijacked the sacred altar. They do not represent Christ—they represent their stomachs, their lusts, and their material desires. That’s the bitter truth.”
Shola Osunkeye, editor of The Spectator, captures the gravity of this deception even more forcefully:
“Many so-called preachers today are nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. They parade themselves as angels of light, but they are fathers of lies and mothers of hypocrisy....... As 1 Timothy 4 warns, their consciences are seared with a hot iron. These men are well-educated, eloquent, and persuasive....... With honeyed tongues, they pretend to listen and care—only to exploit their audiences. They manipulate supernatural powers sourced from realms outside the Scriptures and use pre-arranged, deceptive miracles to mesmerize innocent people and grow their mega churches.”
“To them, the church is not a path to heaven—it is a superhighway to wealth and fame. No trick is too dirty, no deception too vile. While many in their congregations struggle to eat one decent meal a day, these so-called pastors ferry tithe and offering collections in bullion vans to the bank. They build lavish cathedrals to rival the Vatican, drive luxury cars, and vacation in the most exotic locations across the globe. Few among them make any effort to alleviate the pain of their suffering members.”
While Nigerian pastors have become sophisticated in how they camouflage these dark practices—cloaking occultism in elegance and fashion—Ghanaian counterparts often still use crude forms.
For example, a Ghanaian charismatic bishop might wear a tiny brown thread around his neck, a symbol of occult allegiance. No Nigerian pastor would do the same so plainly.
Instead, they may wear a gold-plated chain or designer accessory, also dedicated to the same dark powers, but masked as “blessings.” I've even seen a Ghanaian bishop wear a brown leather anklet, something no Nigerian pastor would openly do.
Instead, they would wear a sleek anklet consecrated to the same spirit but masked in religious pretense.
MODERN-DAY OCCULTISM IN CHURCH GARMENTS
Today, many mami-wata (marine spirit) priests have evolved. In Nigeria, they now wear white suits and occupy church pulpits, while their Ghanaian counterparts still wear the traditional garments of their ancestors.
These cults have so refined their systems that they now appear to the common man as harmless social clubs.
Take, for example, the Ngene Ukwuenu cult of Ohaozara.
This is no ordinary society. After initiation, new members are given the addresses of nearby fellowships across various states for continued participation.
I once counseled a man who was a former member of this cult. In 1999, he and his wife traveled to Uburu for their initiation.
During the ritual, shrine mud was molded into a necklace and worn around his neck, while his wife was required to eat some of the same mud.
As they were leaving, they were handed the address of the nearest branch in Lagos.
Upon returning to Lagos, they began attending regular meetings.
However, a turning point came when the man—let’s call him Peter—received a call from God.
He stopped attending the meetings and discarded the mud necklace, though he never went through deliverance. His wife, however, continued in the cult.
Peter graduated from Bible school and entered full-time ministry.
Unknowingly, he was preaching and pastoring under the influence of the Ngene Ukwuenu spirit. It wasn’t until he came to us for counseling and deliverance that the truth came out.
During a session, we commanded the spirit to manifest. Peter collapsed to the floor, writhing like a snake. He had already pastored for five years under a demonic influence.
Sadly, many church leaders today are deeply involved in occultism, especially with marine spirits.
They know each other. Some even network among themselves.
A CRY FOR PURITY
The church in Africa is in desperate need of purification, and only God can perform this deep cleansing. I remember counseling an ex-freemason in late 2013. When I asked him about his current place of worship, he replied:
“Professor, I stopped attending church seven years ago. As a mason, I was once hired by three men who blindfolded me.
They assured me they wouldn’t kill me, so I remained silent. When they finally removed the blindfold, I found myself at an unknown location.”
He continued his story with trembling lips:
“Four young ladies had been hypnotized. I was instructed to push them into a large hole in the floor and seal it with cement. I resisted at first, but I was threatened with death.
I complied and was handed a huge sum of money. I couldn’t even spend the money—it was blood money.
The nightmares that followed showed me the faces of those girls over and over.
That’s what drove me to you for help. I had to leave Benin City because the event took place in a church. The altar under which those girls were buried became the site of miracles.”
After many prayers and sessions of confession and deliverance, the nightmares finally stopped. But he made one thing clear:
“I will never step into any church again.”
This man, a skilled artisan, had been traumatized by what he witnessed inside a so-called church.
When I asked him what he saw in the hole before burying the girls, he said he saw three Bibles already lying there. The ladies were placed on top of the Bibles.
Now, ask Yourself .. .
"What kind of god were those men serving?
Surely not the Almighty God of the Bible. No one truly called by God will ever engage in such demonic atrocities.
You cannot be anointed by God and then shed innocent blood in your quest for satanic power.
These evil men have dragged the name of Christ through the mud. I have met several people who vowed never again to trust any man who calls himself a pastor—because of the horrific stories and encounters they've had.
Sadly, many Christians today are driven by a hunger for miracles, signs, and wonders.
In their desperation, they fall into the deadly traps of fake pastors who operate with demonic spirits. These men are dangerous.
They twist Scripture, quote Bible verses, and lace their messages with just enough truth to deceive.
The deception is strong because most people do not ask questions. They don't care how a miracle happened—only that it did.
This ignorance has made the modern church a playground for agents of darkness.
There is a loud and urgent call for discernment in today’s church. The pursuit of signs without sound doctrine is dangerous.
Not every preacher who uses the name of Jesus is truly serving Him. Some are merchants of destruction, and others are high-ranking priests of demonic kingdoms disguised as pastors.
Let us return to God, seek purity, and pray that He purges His church once more..
EXPOSING THE IMMORALITY AND WITCHCRAFT BEHIND FALSE PROPHETS AND FAKE CHURCHES
One of Nigeria’s most popular deliverance pastors once claimed he cannot eat fish because he delivers marine-possessed people.
According to him, eating fish would render him powerless.
He said, “I deliver over a thousand witches, ogbanjes, and marine spirit carriers weekly. Some of them are half human, half fish. If I eat fish, I cannot deliver them.”
But this statement exposes his ignorance and deception.
I have been in deliverance ministry for years, and I eat fish.
My anointing is not tied to food. The power of deliverance comes from Christ, not diet.
Sadly, many of these self-proclaimed “prophets” and “deliverance specialists” are not concerned about the eternal destination of their followers. They care nothing about salvation.
Their focus is on power, influence, and manipulation.
They intimidate their congregants with cheap spiritual gimmicks. Some use demonic powers to reveal house addresses, car plate numbers, underwear colors, and even account balances.
In many cases, junior pastors are secretly sent ahead to gather personal information from newcomers.
These details are then fed to the senior prophet through hidden earpieces during service, fooling the crowd into thinking the prophet hears directly from God.
This deception is spreading like wildfire across Africa. Unless God sends a revival, these agents of darkness will continue to hold His house hostage.
Consider the case of a pastor who invites women for midnight prayers only to rape them. His sermons are void of repentance or holiness.
Everything is about breakthrough, success, and destiny. Salvation is dead in such churches. Some members are discouraged from visiting hospitals and end up dying, all in the name of “faith.”
Many of these pastors are just stage performers, using strange rituals to conduct “miracles.” I have personally ministered deliverance to several of them.
After receiving true deliverance, many confessed, “Prof, I’ve lost my power. I can’t see visions or perform anymore.”
And my response remains the same:
“Then that power was never from God.”
Some admitted they had received powers from witch doctors, mami-wata temples, or voodoo priests.
Others got it from occult sources. Yet, they present themselves as “men of God.”
Even worse, some general overseers abuse their positions by calling their wives, relatives, housemaids, drivers, and cooks into ministry roles — people with no spiritual calling or training.
To maintain power, they secretly visit shrines and altars for demonic reinforcement. Some of these uncalled relatives are now regional overseers and area pastors.
This is why many sincere Christians have been deeply hurt and now distrust pastors.
A few years ago, I introduced myself as a pastor to an immigration officer, and he hissed, “All these pastors.”
I calmly replied, “All these immigration officers.”
I reminded him that every profession has its bad eggs.
The difference is that when a pastor fails, the whole gospel suffers reproach.
One mami-wata priest I know relocated from Onitsha to Lagos and started a massive church.
All his female workers are virgins, and he is the one who defiles them under the guise of “spiritual service.”
The day the son of his former landlord visited the church and recognized him, the man quickly changed his sermon and said,
“Somebody can be a witch doctor today and be called by God tomorrow.”
But I ask, “Who called him? And what god did the calling?”
These former shrine priests know how to fast, invoke spirits, and perform rituals — all repackaged as “church.” Sadly, many blind Christians fall for it, believing long fasts or strange “power demonstrations” equal divine calling.
In 1996, I was preaching in a church when the Holy Spirit revealed that the entire choir was under marine influence.
When I mentioned it to the pastor, he rejected the idea.
So I turned toward the choir and declared, “Spirit of mami-wata, move!”
Immediately, the whole choir fell to the ground, writhing like serpents.
I continued, “Spirit of oral sex, move!” — and shockingly, the pastor and several church elders hit the floor too.
The entire church needed deliverance.
I also know a self-proclaimed apostle in Edo State. He parades with fake doctorate titles and is known for calling out car numbers and house addresses. But in truth, he gains his power from mami-wata covenants at the Cameroonian border.
To maintain his powers, he sleeps with married women. One of his victims’ husbands, ashamed and heartbroken, left Nigeria for the UK, vowing never to allow his future wife have private contact with any pastor.
This is just one example out of thousands.
Of the pastors I have ministered to in deliverance, over 90% confessed to sleeping with married women, and 70% admitted having sexual relations with their sisters-in-law or their wives' sisters. Many of these immoral encounters happened under the guise of “night vigil” or “private counseling.”
A pastor in Delta State raped both a mother and her teenage daughter under the pretext of deliverance. Both fell sick, and doctors discovered they were pregnant.
The man fled, locking his church behind him.
Another pastor impregnated his own daughter — twice. His wife had died during childbirth, and instead of mourning, he began defiling their daughter.
She gave birth to two children for her father before the law caught up with him.
How can such men say they are working for God?
These pastors are not only sexually immoral, but many are also deeply ritualistic.
A self-confessed witch doctor once told me he buried a cow under the altar of his church.
The lizards, wall geckos, and other creatures that “manifested” during his deliverance sessions were actually spiritual implants he had placed in the people beforehand. “I wanted crowd,” he confessed.
“So I brought traditional religion into Christianity.”
In Sunday Sun, March 23, 2014, Scripture Union Nigeria raised concern about rising child sexual abuse by pastors.
Their spokesperson rightly said: “The church must speak louder. Discipline should be enforced. The silence or inaction appears like complicity.”
But what Mr. Ayodele didn’t realize is that most of these abuses are not ordinary — they are ritual sex acts. The pastors involved are spiritually possessed.
They use sex to renew power, to initiate, to manipulate. This is why the problem is widespread.
In 1975, a Nigerian bishop was deported for sleeping with church members' wives.
He later started a private ministry where he continued sexually abusing underage girls, including my own kid sister, who thankfully escaped.
The question remains: Why are so many pastors obsessed with sexual sin?
Sexual morality is the foundation of holiness. God does not tolerate sexual perversion.
When pastors live in constant sexual sin, it shows they have lost the fear of God and are walking in darkness — not light.
The wages of sin has not changed. It is still death. And for every false prophet, there is a day of reckoning.
Some pastors today are homosexuals, bisexuals, ritualists, or outright satanists.
They are crowd-hungry, fame-seeking, and power-obsessed. They care nothing for righteousness or sanctification.
They minister with seductive words and demonic powers, drawing people to themselves instead of to Christ.
Dr. E. E. Carrier once said, “Only the ministry demands character. People will go to a dishonest lawyer or a drunk barber, but they will never follow a corrupt preacher.”
The truth must be told. Marine powers, voodoo spirits, ancestral covenants, and sexual rituals have hijacked many pulpits in Africa and beyond.
Even in Western churches, some African-heritage ministers never went through true deliverance.
They once served in voodoo, Palo Mayombe, Santeria, and marine worship — but now wear cassocks, holding microphones without ever renouncing or casting out the spirits they once served.
The Church must wake up.
We must stop chasing signs and start discerning spirits.
The fire of revival must come — and it must be a cleansing fire....
LET THE CHURCH RETURN TO CHRIST
The stories, testimonies, confessions, and disturbing accounts presented in this article should not be read merely as frightening stories about pastors, occultism, marine spirits, sexual abuse, or counterfeit miracles.
They should serve as a solemn call for the Church to examine itself. Whether every individual account can be independently verified or not, the central warning remains undeniable: whenever the pursuit of power, money, fame, crowds, and influence becomes more important than holiness, truth, character, and obedience to Jesus Christ, the sacredness of the pulpit is endangered.
The greatest tragedy is not that some people may have entered ministry with wrong motives. The greater tragedy is that desperate believers can become so hungry for miracles, prophecy, prosperity, deliverance, and instant breakthroughs that they stop examining the source of what they are receiving.
A miracle alone is not proof of divine approval.
A large congregation is not proof of a genuine calling.
A prophetic word is not automatically a word from God.
Falling under an alleged anointing is not evidence that the Holy Spirit is present.
The Church must return to the Scriptures and learn again to test everything.
Jesus Christ must remain the centre of Christian ministry. The genuine servant of God does not need sexual immorality, manipulation, occult rituals, intimidation, secret ceremonies, deception, or spiritual exploitation to demonstrate God's power. The Holy Spirit does not need counterfeit methods to accomplish the work of God. Where Christ is truly honoured, repentance matters, holiness matters, truth matters, the dignity of people matters, and the eternal salvation of souls matters.
The Church must also stop protecting ministers simply because they occupy respected positions. Sexual abuse, financial exploitation, manipulation, ritual practices, and other forms of wrongdoing must never be covered in the name of protecting the reputation of Christianity. When credible allegations of abuse or criminal conduct arise, they should be handled responsibly, with protection for victims and appropriate involvement of lawful authorities. Accountability is not an attack on the Church; it is part of protecting the Church.
At the same time, believers must be careful not to allow this warning to produce hatred or suspicion toward every pastor, prophet, evangelist, or Pentecostal ministry.
There are sincere men and women who genuinely serve Jesus Christ, sacrifice for others, preach the Gospel, care for the poor, pray for the sick, teach God's Word, and live lives of integrity. The existence of false ministers does not make every minister false. Jesus Himself warned about wolves in sheep's clothing, which means discernment—not blanket condemnation—is required.
The answer to a corrupted pulpit is not to abandon Christ. It is to return more deeply to Christ.
Return to the Word.
Return to prayer.
Return to genuine repentance.
Return to holiness.
Return to sound doctrine.
Return to accountability.
Return to the fear of God.
And above everything else, return to Jesus.
The Church does not need more spectacular performances. It needs more transformed lives. It does not need ministers who can attract crowds while destroying souls. It needs shepherds who will faithfully lead people toward Christ. It does not need supernatural experiences at any cost. It needs the truth of the Gospel, accompanied by the character that reflects the One being preached.
Paul warned believers to test spiritual manifestations rather than accept everything blindly, while John instructed Christians to “test the spirits” to determine whether they are from God. The Bereans were also commended because they examined the Scriptures to determine whether what they were being taught was true. This must become the attitude of the modern believer.
Do not follow a minister simply because of miracles.
Do not follow a church simply because of crowds.
Do not surrender your conscience because someone carries a title.
Do not accept every prophecy without examination.
Do not allow anyone to use the name of God to manipulate, exploit, or abuse you.
Test everything against the Word of God.
The greatest evidence of genuine ministry is not how loudly a preacher can demonstrate power, but whether that ministry consistently points people to Jesus Christ, produces repentance, encourages holiness, upholds truth, and bears good fruit.
The Church needs cleansing, but that cleansing must begin with each one of us. Before pointing fingers at corrupt ministers, believers must ask themselves: Am I genuinely following Christ, or am I also chasing miracles, prosperity, recognition, and spiritual experiences without seeking holiness?
There is still hope.
God has not abandoned His Church. The answer is not found in another secret altar, another mysterious empowerment, another sensational prophet, or another counterfeit miracle. The answer is Jesus Christ.
Let every false altar be rejected. Let every deceptive practice be exposed responsibly. Let every victim receive protection and justice. Let every genuine minister remain faithful. Let every believer recover spiritual discernment. And let the Church once again become a people whose greatest desire is not simply to experience God's power, but to know God, obey Him, and live for His glory.
The pulpit belongs to Christ.
The Church belongs to Christ.
And the glory must belong to Christ alone.
“By their fruits you will know them.” — Matthew 7:20
May God purify His Church, strengthen His true servants, expose deception, restore the wounded, protect the vulnerable, and bring genuine revival—not a revival of noise and spectacle, but a revival of repentance, holiness, truth, love, righteousness, and the unmistakable presence of Jesus Christ.
The Church must wake up. The hour is late. Let us return to Christ.
The Entire Article Was Written By Pastor Ronnie And Compiled By Evang Paulinus Paul for www.eternityrace.com
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