Pastor Chris Okafor, the Senior Pastor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, has stepped down from pastoral duties amid growing outrage over multiple sexual allegations against him.
During a service at his church last Sunday, the pastor had publicly apologised to an actress, Doris Ogala, where he knelt on the pulpit, admitted to past “mistakes,” and sought forgiveness.
The development follows his wedding to a new bride, identified simply as Pearl, on December 16, 2025, and attended by prominent clerics.
Okafor was said to have gone ahead with the ceremony despite Ogala’s viral accusations of betrayal, emotional manipulation and reneging on a promise of marriage after a long-term relationship.
It was gathered that respected leaders in the Christian community had pressured Okafor to step down in order to douse tension.
A senior executive of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, who is close to the pastor, confirmed this to one of our correspondents.
“There are more things to be done in terms of disciplinary actions,” the official added. The source explained that the festive period had slowed down deliberations within the PFN on the scandal, as meetings could not be convened to formally discuss the matter.
However, the pastor, during his sermon at the church’s New Year crossover service on Wednesday night, said his decision to step down was for spiritual renewal.
“I will be resting. It would be time for personal retreat with God and time for me and my wife to rest,” the pastor told his congregation.
“Since our wedding, we have not rested. We have not had time. We have not even done our honeymoon. So, we are stepping aside to pray, to have a retreat and to rest from this January, and to return better and stronger from the presence of the Lord.”
Okafor said the break, which he noted did not mean he would be totally absent from church activities, would last until February.
