A video of Chris Oyakhilome Senior Pastor of Christ Embassy Ministries has gone viral on Thursday, sparking unpleasant reactions on social media.
Checks by newsmen have shown that the video clip is not new, but from a sermon reportedly given about three years ago.
The Church had titled the message ‘Who is a husband and what is his role,’ on its Facebook page, Christ Embassy.Org Online Missions, on September 4, 2016.
According to Pastor Oyakhilome in the clip, most women are not successful in marriage because they do not have an idea who men are. He also went on to say that if women were taught by their fathers, who a man was, they would live happily.
The Senior pastor had revealed:
“In marriage, we have a man, who is the head of that union and because he is the head of that union, it is important to understand him.
“Now, you think he is the one that needs to understand his wife, that is where you are wrong. He will, but until you know who you have married.
“It’s like working for somebody and not knowing what he wants; it’s like serving somebody and not knowing what he wants.”
With the re-emergence of the sermon, Nigerians on Twitter criticised Oyakhilome, with some describing his teachings as misogynistic.
A member of the House of Representatives representing the Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Mr Akin Alabi, said Oyakhilome should stop teaching heresy.
“A wife is an equal partner. The husband is not a master. Stop teaching rubbish, Pastor Chris,” Alabi said via his Twitter handle @akinalabi.
Another Twitter user with the handle @queeninghere said, “Pastor Chris said husband doesn’t mean the male partner in a marriage, it means master. He just implied that the wife is slaves.
“It’s sad how religious leaders sanctify social constructs like misogyny and the oppression of women.”
However, a Twitter user @tweetIbe supported Oyakhilome, saying, “Pastor Chris or any other pastor is not supposed to preach what will suit your narrative; he’s supposed to preach the gospel.
“Pastor Chris is right according to the Bible.”
Oko Emmanuel with the handle @Ukie_Emma also wrote, “We all know Pastor Chris said nothing wrong. It’s biblical and he didn’t quote the Bible wrongly. It’s the truth he said.”
Another commenter, @thorpland, said, “Pastor Chris stated what was written or what we have been told and you don’t expect him to change it to please us.”
The DAI Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Joe Abah, wrote via his Twitter handle, @DrJoeAbah, “Whatever Pastor Chris likes, let him say. My madam is as much my master as I am hers. I am ‘baby boying’ in my house. Come and beat me.”