Following the third public claim of sexual predatory against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of COZA ministry, from now-unveiled Tunmise Oluyede, in the wake of #IstandwithBusolaDakolo bubble, the most reasonable thing would be to call time on his troubled calling. Despite the variability in the sex claims against the General Overseer; Ese Walter, consensual but soured, Busola, outright rape on two occasions and Tunmise, forcible but compromising (she said she decided not to shout for help), the running-through trend is Fatoyinbo, allegedly committing sin of the flesh, which God said in 1 Cor.6:18, is against the body of the culprit.
How sad can it get harming oneself! Without probes or pieces of evidence, the man of God (yes, because God hasn’t told anyone He had withdrawn His anointing from him, despite the storms), is on the way to his Golgotha, being dragged by public opinion court, with the mass and social media mob, hammer and nail-ready, and well-positioned, to drive the first nail in, though among those shouting crucify him, are cradle snatchers, pedophiles, baby rockers, sex-slaves, maniacs and unrepentant rapists yet to be caught.
FG, govs to recruit N-Power cadets, corps members for community policing
As an ombudsman, social media has creditably discharged itself, but the problem is the little sense that reigns in there and the propensity to always want to quickly dispense with sense, in favour of emotions. If slapping Senator Elisha Abbo could be detained for proven assault, police would be within law to investigate the man of God, though apart from Busola’s, the other two claims, like Walter said, didn’t sound like rape. Even from the horses’ accounts, Fatoyinbo appeared to have always been in the corner of their goo-goo eyes and were just waiting for him to fall, while helping with dangerous proximity and heart-razing seductive appearances. Even Busola’s case sef get as e be, but Yoruba would insist that the thief should be the one to be remonstrated with not the owner who was careless with his stuff.
Though a tough call, but is it possible to fantasise Fatoyinbo not being guilty and allow a little space to plead his case? I can imagine him trying to convince his wife to take her public play-act of defence for reality and be genuinely convinced he didn’t do it, even as an alleged cultist before the reported rustication from Unilorin.
It would take grace for his wife not to join his accusers at this point, to shout, haba paito!
But not all incredulous stories are fables. Prophet Jonah’s was and wasn’t. Though one of the most-told Bible stories, it is simply the most intriguing and fabulous, but not fallacious.
Though not much was told of Jonah’s wife, but imagine a today’s wife, whether a pastor’s wife or a pastor herself, being told by a prophet-husband who had been absent from home for three days, that he was all along holidaying in whale’s belly on God’s account! This would have been a truth no one, including the Mummy, would be ready to buy, even with photography evidence, which today’s technology has truly rendered unreliable.
If by any whiff of pleasant surprise, Pastor Biodun is truly clean, he should not be bothered the rest of us are placing the value of a moonlight tale on his innocence. He should be comforted by the message of Prophet Jonah to him, on this holy day. By divine help, his account of the encounter with God, trying to flee from divine assignment was and is still believed by generations. Maybe some day, a generation would come to venerate Fatoyinbo as holier-than-perceived.
Today, he is seen, due to his comely looks, dandy carriage and gangster holiness, as looking the part and therefore must have been playing the part and pattern of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Body of Christ must learn from the constancy of sexual impurity involving earthly shepherds, whether established, proven or not. Daddy G.O once famously said, don’t ask me what I will do if locked in a room with a lady, I will rather not be in such a position at all.”
The price of indiscretion is always bigger than its prize.
With his decision to abdicate the lectern for a while, Pastor Fatoyinbo is following in the footstep of famous American Pentecostal Evangelist, Jimmy Lee Swaggart, whose scandalous dalliances with prostitutes and other Delilahs in late 80s and early 90s, led to his defrocking by the Assemblies of God and his stepping down as President, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. He returned into mild prominence.
Not all in his situation returned in the real sense of it, despite the limitless compassion of God. From Jim Bakker who hushed Jessica Hahn with $270,000 to conceal forced sexual encounter and ended up in jail, to Lonnie Frisbee of Jesus Movement who died of AIDS having been found out to be a closet gay all through his anti-gay ministry, the church, has always been challenged, but the season we are in, belongs to the class of peculiar times.
I pray Pastor Fatoyinbo return from his wilderness, not as the old him, but like one of the Nineveh, which repented despite the desire of Jonah to have God descended on the city of wickedness.
I have no problem with Fatoyinbo doing the time, if he committed the crime, but the real concern should be for him to miss heaven and mislead many. Even for those who had convicted him in their minds, God still doesn’t want the death of any sinner, including the sinners baying for his blood.
and then