Weeks after announcing that he was stepping down temporarily from his pastoral duties, Chris Okafor, founder of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry in Lagos, resumed duties.
In January, amid growing controversies involving his ex-wife, Bessem, and actress Doris Ogala, the preacher announced he would be stepping down as the presiding pastor of the church.
He said: “We have four Sundays in January, so in the whole of these four Sundays, we will be having Pastor Sylvester, Pastor Kelvin, Pastor Oliver and Pastor Shedrack. It’s going to be prophetic Sundays; we will have them minister to you and anoint you every Sunday, that’s the instruction. So they will be here, while they are here, I will be resting.
“It will be time for personal retreat with God, and time for me and my wife to rest. Because, since our wedding, we have not rested. We haven’t had time; we haven’t even taken our honeymoon. So, we are stepping aside to pray, we’re stepping aside to have a retreat and to rest for this January and return better and stronger.”
Triumphant return
If it were the time of the apostles, he probably would have ridden on a donkey while his followers threw palm fronds and their garments on the road.
But it is the present day, and donkeys have been replaced by a sleek SUV, and palm fronds by the red carpet.
And instead of a seamless tunic, woven from top to bottom, the preacher and his new bride adorned white outfits.
While Pastor Okafor wore a white suit, his wife wore a draped, off-the-shoulder top with matching white trousers.
Together, the couple held hands and walked down the red carpet laid out for them, moments after the preacher was presented with a bouquet.
The church’s Instagram page posted a video capturing the moment with the inscription, “We are back”.
“A warm welcome back to the pulpit, Dr Christian Okafor (PhD) and his wife, Pearl Okafor (First Lady of Grace Nation)! May God empower you to fulfil your divine assignment and do all that He has ordained for you,” it was captioned.
In the video, the pastor walked into his office, knelt in quiet meditation before preparing his sermon.
“We are glad to be back to do best what God ordained us to do,” the preacher said as his congregants danced in wild jubilation.
No backing down
Meanwhile, Ogala has continued to blow hot, despite a Lagos State High Court barring her from discussing Pastor, his church, or his ministry in public or online.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, the actress accused the preacher of not only killing her brother, but also plotting to assassinate a young lady called Ebere using “mafia police or street way”.
According to her, the lady claimed he was the father of her five-month-old child.
“You think you can kpai my brother and shut me up. You think it’s ok, right? You think you can use the judicial system to shut me up. It’s unfortunate the system we are in: when someone tries to speak out, many people are paid to shut the person up.
“They told you that they have done damage control for you; they have changed the narrative of this matter. That is why you feel comfortable opening your gutter mouth to tell me that after accusing you of killing my brother, then I expect you to marry me,” she said.
According to the aggrieved Ogala, she would be going to court regarding the breach of a marriage contract. She said that by his own admission, he breached the marriage because of her character.
“We’ll find out whose character is good and whose character is bad. Nobody would shut me up from speaking and getting justice for my late brother. You think it’s about you getting married? No, it has nothing to do with that,” she said.
She then went ahead to play a voice recording, allegedly of Pastor Chris, where he informed her of his sinister plans
Back story
In December 2025, shortly after the preacher announced his then-upcoming wedding, Ms Ogala made a damning video claiming she ended her previous marriage at Okafor’s urging. She accused him of betraying her after years of intimacy and repeated promises of marriage.
She also claimed that the clergyman had destroyed her emotionally, promising to disrupt his marriage.
Bessem Okafor, the church leader’s ex-wife, joined the fray when she accused him of subjecting her to physical assault.
Amid all the allegations brought against him, Mr Okafor went ahead to marry Ms Pearl in Lekki, Lagos.
