Even a five year old kid in Azerbaijan knows the details of this scandal, and the aim of this piece is not to bore the readers so we will skip the history class.
In saner climates, Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo would have released a statement by now, he pastors a flock that consists of thousands of Nigerians who look to him for spiritual leadership and guidance and yet he has refused to say anything since the story broke. Maybe he is thinking of what to say? Why should he, if he is innocent? In any event, we hope he will pastor his church tomorrow and they (his flock of sheep) will come and tell us what he said to them.
Truth is he may not have the moral standing to pastor a church, this is because if the allegations are true he has failed on so many levels it would be another write up needed to explain. Religion is the opium of the masses and in Nigeria most people are high, especially on Friday’s and Sunday’s. Apparently the truth of this statement extends to our religious leaders who fly out of the country on church funds (your tithes), book into penthouse suites, and enjoy Hennessy and coke, with their favourite parishioner or other girlfriend nestled comfortably on their laps. This sounds like I’m talking about Iyanya or Davido and not the Pastor of a church with thousands of followers.
What makes me angry here is that people are blaming Ese Walter and calling her a seductress, serpentine spirit etc. My question to that school of thought is, “where was the man of God’s anointing when she was seducing him?”
Instead, this man made CALCULATED efforts to bed this parishioner, based on lust. He acted deliberately, he planned it over several months and had his fill of her for a week, and yet some people say she is to blame. Please riddle me this, if Pastors have perfected their craft so much to a science that FULLY GROWN men are routinely made (not manipulated) to give sacrificial offerings of cars and houses and billions of Naira (occasionally stolen funds) to the man of God (or God of men), then what chance did Miss. Ese Walter stand against the manipulation that made her give her body?
This is a young woman with a history of emotional abuse which is often also related to sexual and psychological abuse. She wanted to find Jesus! Instead she found a ‘pastor’ who led her down a path of what can only be termed ‘spiritual abuse’.
Pastors have a fiduciary relationship to their flock. A fiduciary is a legal or ethical relationship of trust between two or more parties. It usually involves money, but here we are talking about salvation. Salvation being as we all know (I hope), more important than money. Pastor had a duty to cultivate her soul, instead he chose the flesh route and her encounter according to her narration is filled with even using things of the spirit to further manipulate. When she finally chose to break free, the manipulation became more carnal, threat of thugs etc. It is a shame.
The nature of Pentecostal Christianity is that Pastors usually act as the gatekeeper to the trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit. Yet Jesus died so people could have a personal relationship with God through HIM, not through Pastors. Yet this is what popular religion in Nigeria has evolved to. I think it has some correlation to the way our ancestors worshiped when they worshiped, there exists in us a subconscious need for gatekeepers, mainly because we as individuals do not feel able or worthy to contact the Lord directly, and in my opinion that is what gives Pentecostal pastors such IMMENSE power. A power Jesus claimed for himself.
With immense power should come immense responsibility, but some men like all men are yet just flesh and blood. Look around you. We cannot expect men to be saints, just because they were anointed pastor and in that regard my heart bleeds for this Pastor. He did not mean to fall, it is in his nature, yet he has to be held accountable in whatever manner the religious bodies or his church feels he should be held accountable. No slap on the wrist please or I’m sure we all know that ministry is finished. We as Africans have to start learning to hold our leaders accountable instead of letting them hide behind charisma and wealth.
Ese was not raped, we know! She probably even enjoyed the sex, heck she went back five times for more. However she never claimed to be an anointed Pastor, only a sinner with a history of abuse who went to seek a meaningful walk with God at COZA. I think we all know what happened next, and we should better prioritize who is held liable.