Lavish Entrance: Nigerian Pastor Chris Arrives in Gold Crown, Ignites Online Uproar

• Nigerian Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's arrival in a carriage, complete with a gold crown, for his birthday eve party sparked massive controversy online over the idolisation of religious figures
• The elaborate scene, detailing the pastor's regal display, was shared in a viral video on TikTok, gaining millions of views
• Social media users had intense mixed feelings, with many citing Biblical warnings against worshipping humans, while others defended the display
• Briefly News spoke with deacon and Elder Ditsego Modupe, a church elder, about the controversy surrounding church wealth and the appropriateness of an extravagant costume party

A video showcasing Nigerian Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's lavish entrance at his birthday eve celebration sparked a fierce debate online about religious leader idolisation and modern worship practices, with the pastor appearing in a king's robe and a crown.

The clip, shared on TikTok by user @firstflights, quickly went viral, garnering many views and thousands of comments from social media users, many of whom expressed discomfort while others defended the pastor.

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The dramatic entrance began with Pastor Chris arriving in a carriage, dressed in a royal red robe and topped with a shining gold crown. Adding to the theatrical display, two men wearing large angel wings walked on either side of the carriage. When the man of God stepped out, and men dressed in robes quickly cleared the way for him to walk, leading him toward the stage while the surrounding crowd cheered aggressively.

A stage fit for a king

The dramatic sight became more pronounced when the pastor reached the stage. TikTok user @firstflights showed a golden chair that had been prepared, placed among similarly decorated couches, completing the image of a royal court. The clip was captioned with a note stating that it was the pastor’s birthday eve celebration, leading viewers to wonder how the actual birthday would be.

An Elder’s view on the pastor’s extravagant party

We at Briefly News spoke with Elder Modupe to discuss the seriousness of Christian stewardship and why a lavish costume party.

The team inquired about the spiritual concern when church leaders host an extravagant costume party that focuses on fantasy or themes. The Elder responded:

“The spiritual concern is that it leads to distraction. Our faith is about focusing on Jesus, not on temporary, worldly pleasures or costumes. It shows poor judgment in setting a moral example for the congregation.”

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We asked how Christian leaders should handle the balance between personal wealth and the vow of humility. The man shared:

“The vow of humility must always come first. If God blesses you, you must use that blessing to serve the poor. Too much luxury or showing off makes people doubt the sincerity of the church’s true mission.”

We asked what people should focus on when seeing the viral video, instead of judging the pastor. The man of God said:

“They must focus on their personal relationship with God. Your faith should not be based on what any pastor does or wears. Focus on prayer, reading the Bible, and living according to the word of God.”

SA reacts to Pastor Chris’s lavish celebration

The video went viral, garnering 2.4M views, 128K likes, and 10.7K comments from social media users who mostly expressed discomfort with the scene. Critics cited Biblical warnings against the idolisation and worship of human beings, questioning whether the display was appropriate. They noted that the entire scene felt unsettling, with some viewers calling the grand entrance weird and scary. Others, however, defended the spectacle, criticising those who questioned the scene, arguing that their complaints were rooted in double standards. They pointed out that critics were comfortable worshipping celebrities and actors but complained when a man of God was shown respect.

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User @Beauty said:

"He even has his own angels from Temu 😭."

User @Georgette commented:

"I don’t attend his church, but from a simple two-minute research, I found out it was a costume party, and there was a theme on which they were on point."

User @Christ is-my-firm-foundation added:

"Bro, this is scary."

User @Candy shared:

"Rhapsody of realities."

User @Papaga Bless commented:

"You people adore your celebrities. But it becomes a crime when a man of God is honoured and adored."

User @Maggy Angel Lioness said:

"This feels so weird 😩."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News church-related articles

• A church pastor was filmed dancing to a popular Amapiano hit as he was leaving the church, showcasing his bubbly and fun-loving personality.
• A group of women entered their church with shopping trolleys packed with groceries as gifts to their pastor, sparking an online debate.
• A male Togolese pastor delivered a sermon in a packed church, wearing 6-inch stilettos, which shocked many social media users.

Source: Briefly News