A recent sermon by Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) has ignited controversy within Nigeria’s Christian community following remarks about the late Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the first General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).
In a now-viral video, Fatoyinbo described Babalola as “anointed… so anointed” but claimed that “all the grace just went like that” because he “had no money.” He also shared an anecdote of a python allegedly drying up after crossing Babalola’s leg.
“Anointed man. Heavy-duty grace, but no money. So all the grace just went like that,” Fatoyinbo said, adding a rhetorical, “Where are his children?”
In a strongly worded statement signed by CAC Director of Publicity Pastor Ade Alawode, the church accused Fatoyinbo of promoting a “misleading” and “biblically flawed” link between ministerial success and material wealth.
Quoting Luke 12:15, Alawode stressed:
“One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
The CAC also moved to “set the record straight,” stating that Babalola was not poor, lived in a befitting home, owned one of the best Ford Jeeps of his era, and cared for many beyond his biological children.
The statement highlighted that when Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in February 1956, Babalola was among the honoured guests — a recognition, they argued, inconsistent with the image of poverty.
It further noted that Babalola’s two surviving children are “blessed, fulfilled, and quietly serving the Lord,” rejecting Fatoyinbo’s implication that they had been left destitute.
The controversy has sparked wider debate about the intersection of faith, anointing, and wealth — and whether ministerial legacy should be measured by spiritual impact or material success.
