Olabanjo Felix, Ondo State-based pastor, who renounced Christianity and embraced Isese, an indigenous Yoruba spiritual tradition, has explained that the “deceit in Christianity” prompted him to abandon the faith to become an Ifa priest.
According to Sunday Punch, Felix alleged that there was “no true pastor of the Bible in Nigeria”, adding that many pastors in the country had turned Christianity into personal and family businesses.
Felix, who previously founded the Image of God Evangelical and Prophetic Ministries (IGEPM) in Ibaka, Oka Akoko area of the state, renounced Christianity and declared his allegiance to Isese in a video which went viral on Thursday.
He said: “I became fed up of Christianity because there is no true pastor of the Bible in Nigeria aside from Pastor Gbile Akanni. I’m a Bible student and I understand the Bible very well, but I was arrested by Ifa. I did not just change my religion overnight.
“I changed from Christianity to Ifa worshipping two years ago when I was on a soul-searching journey. I was very disturbed with the confusion in the Bible and the deceit in Christianity. Before taking my decision, I tried consulting with other pastors to check myself because I thought maybe I was not truly born again, but I still could not continue with Christianity even with their attempts to change my mind.
“I even tried converting to Islam because I consulted a cleric who advised me to go and study the Quran. I downloaded the Yoruba version of the Quran and I read, but I discovered that it is the same deceit.
“After this, I made up my mind to learn Ifa and become an Ifa priest and I started looking for genuine Ifa priests to mentor and lead me. My conviction was further rooted in the potency of herbs and roots.
“I found Araba of Isararemọ, Oluṣẹgun Latunji Aifuwapẹ on Facebook and I told him of my intention to learn Ifa. And since I joined him, I have never engaged in any fetish act. We have only been praying and doing supplications.
“There is too much deceit in Christianity. The so-called men of God have used the religion to brainwash a lot of people. I cannot count the number of pastors that contact us for Ifa divination.
“But I cannot do that, and that is why I came out openly to renounce Christianity and declared my allegiance to Ifa.”
Photo: Punch