Nothing in recent times has rocked Christendom in Nigeria as much as the allegation of rape Busola Dakolo brought against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of COZA. Many people have spoken and still speaking on the morally ignoble accusation. From my perspective, the issue is not about the authenticity of the allegation. That such a story came out whether true or false is sad, very sad for Christianity. If anything, part of the fallout of Busola’s narrative is the exposure of debaucherous lifestyle of Pastor Biodun.
Judging from Pastor Biodun’s success in ministry, I want to believe that God loves him and God has enabled him to utilize the best of his charismatic gifts in transforming lives of many souls. God, who is no doubt a good God nevertheless allowed his ‘son’ Biodun, to be defamed. This has happened because God wants to give Biodun the opportunity of restoration. Romans 8:28 informs us that, “all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” It is also not the mind of God for the wicked to die but to turn from his ways and live. (Ezekiel 18:23). It is therefore from the perspectives of God’s loving nature and from my heart of love that I humbly offer Pastor Biodun the following path of restoration.
1. That Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo sorts himself out with God. Obviously the Lord has allowed the indignity for a purpose. When God is pleased and appeased He will wipe out the shame and bring out ‘beauty’ from the ‘ashes’ of the noisome defaming.
2. Following step 1 above, God will release sufficient grace to Pastor Biodun for him to tender a most sincere, private and public apologies to all his accusers. For as long as there are accusers, restoration and redemption will be tough. (Case study: “woman where are your accusers?” (John 8:10)
3. Pastor Biodun can then take the advantage of the overflowing grace to apologize to his COZA congregation. There is no doubt that majority of them are hurting and many of us pastors are also hurting. It is advisable Pastor Fatoyinbo initiates the steps of 360 degrees healing.
4. The grace of God that is ever sufficient will enable Pastor Fatoyinbo go through the consequences of the accusation(s). The punishment served, including the ongoing shame on earth is nothing compared to hell fire in the absence of restoration. Pastor Biodun is advised to sum up courage and boldly face his wilderness experience. (James 1:2-8 is full of antidotes for trials and persecution.)
I have a word for COZA congregation. This is the time for them to repent on behalf of Pastor Biodun who I assume they love so much. It is not the time for any of them to abandon the church. All churches and church leaders without exception, have their peculiar aberrations. Iniquities abound in many churches and in the lifestyle of many of us Christian leaders. (This is confirmed in 1 John 1:8-10). COZA congregation, please form a serious love and prayer ring around your Pastor and if he embraces the path of restoration, the crisis will soon blow over, amen.
I salute the Dakolo family for the courage to come out boldly to expose evil. I sympathize with Busola and empathize with Timi her husband. It is not easy to be found in the midst of such a dastardly controversy. In the devil’s antics the line of demarcation between righteousness and unrighteousness can be so thin, to the extent that sometimes the victim can be made to suffer double jeopardy when a loving heart is inadvertently turned to a heart of stone because of pain and unforgiveness.
I encourage the Dakolos to look beyond Pastor Fatoyinbo and let God be God. The safest haven in the circumstance is for the family to receive grace and pray for Biodun Fatoyinbo to be restored, just in case he is still a favored child of God. One can never know, after all David (adulterer and murderer) still became a man after God’s heart. My appeal to the Dakolos is to use love to turn a sad song to a better one. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
This case and many other sinful cases of financial indiscretion, favoritism and nepotism, greed and avarice, lust for power and position, pride and arrogance, among many other vices, make me confess that the failure of many Christian leaders in this end-times portents what I can describe as tragedy in travesty. The life of opulence and vanity displayed by many of us leaders has created ridiculous rat race and insatiable thirst for overwhelming wealth in the Kingdom of God.
Consequently, it is common practice to see dollar call overshadow altar call. “No man can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) God is certainly on His throne.
Finally I must remind everyone who has something to say about this case or any other case of similar dimension to be mindful of God’s admonition in 1 Peter 3:10. “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.” May the mercy and grace of God be sufficient for us all, amen.
Pastor (Dr.) Niran Fafowora