Nollywood actress, Juliana Olayode has stood out for Nigerian clergy members who have come under fire for their “silence” on the nation’s instability.
Olayode said in a string of Instagram posts that she anticipated criticism for her position.
Although she acknowledged that imams, sheikhs, and other powerful individuals should speak up, she maintained that pastors are not activists.
The actress clarified that pastors have spiritual accountability before God and work under divine authority.
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She pointed out that in the Bible, God’s agents did not always make public declarations in response to national emergencies.
Rather, she added, they were frequently tasked with praying, making intercession, giving advice, and interacting with individuals in positions of authority as instructed.
Olayode admitted that some people no longer respect pastors because of unpleasant encounters with persons who behaved improperly in God’s name.
However, she added that there are also sincere pastors who serve with integrity and faithfulness.
She said that not all significant action is evident online and advised against believing that social media silence equates to inaction.
Olayode wrote: “I know I might get dragged for saying this and not to deviate from the issue at hand, but I don’t know if it’s just my Tiktok and Instagram algorithm, I’ve been seeing a lot of videos of people calling out pastors. There’s something I think we should also take into consideration.
“Yes, I believe pastors should speak up more. So should Imams, Sheikhs, and everyone with a voice and influence. But we should not automatically assume that those who are not speaking publicly on social media are doing nothing or are unconcerned about what is happening in the country. Not all meaningful action is visible online.
“Pastors are not activists, though they certainly can speak on political and societal issues when they feel led to do so. I understand that some people have no regard for pastors. We have seen and heard painful stories of what some have done in the name of God. But, while false pastors exist, so do genuine ones, men and womén who serve faithfully, walk in integrity and carry their spiritual responsibility with sincerity.
“Yes, pastors are human beings like the rest of us, but they are under divine authority and also carry a spiritual responsibility before God. Throughout the scriptures, God’s servants didn’t always respond to national crises with public statements. Sometimes their assignment was to pray, intercede, offer counsel, and personally engage those in authority as God directed.”
