Apostle Dr. Joshua Afolabi, the multiple-award winning general overseer of Palace Fire Chapel, Iba, Lagos, has appealed to the body of Christ to always exercise restraint in condemning wounded soldiers of Christ on social media. In this interview with Christian Benefits on the Church and social media attacks, Afolabi says he appreciates the fathers of faith whom, he says, do not throw the baby out with the bathwater based on public opinions. Excerpts.
Welcome to the year 2026. How do you feel about crossing over to the New Year 2026?
It’s a great excitement to cross over to 2026. It’s a new season; a new year that will bring new opportunities. We thank God that we have scaled through 2025 into 2026.
How would you describe God’s move in your family and ministry in 2025?
God moved mightily indeed in both my family and ministry in 2025, with awesome testimonies of achievements and fulfilled dreams. My daughter gave birth in the U.S., thus making me a proud grandfather. Aside from my daughter’s child dedication, we had other child dedications, car dedications, and house dedications by some other members of Palace Fire Chapel. Many of our members were offered gainful employment. The businesses of many expanded. Many of our children gained admission into higher institutions, and some others graduated. We also added new converts to the church through our outreach evangelism, including social and medical support to the members of our neighborhoods in all our church branches.
You had a very busy schedule in 2025 with several preaching engagements on different platforms across and outside Nigeria, including your recent mission to Namibia. How did you manage this tight schedule without burning out?
We bless God for the grace He endowed us with. I use this opportunity to thank all the church leaders for providing me with the platforms to minister to their congregations. I thank them for appreciating the grace and gift of God upon my life. By strength shall no man prevail; it is the grace of God that sustains me from burning out.
You are a multiple-award winner in 2025, including the BAME Award, Foursquare Church Award, and an award from a group of Christian journalists. How would you relate these prestigious awards to your calling and ministry?
First, I appreciate all the organizations that bestowed the awards on me. This shows that our humble works and services in God’s kingdom are being recognized in relation to the impact of my calling and ministry, all to the glory of God.
What should people expect at Palace Fire Chapel this year, 2026?
This year, 2026, is our year of the Holy Spirit. We are poised to experience greater moves of the Holy Spirit in our midst in greater dimensions for more awesome salvation of souls, spiritual growth and maturity of our members, impartations for healing, restorations, deliverance, creative miracles, breakthroughs, blessings, favor, and business and financial successes in the lives of the church members and other worshippers from all walks of life at Palace Fire Chapel in this year, 2026.
How long have you been in ministry, and what lessons have you learned in ministry over the years?
I have been in ministry cumulatively for over 32 years when calculating those years that I worked as an itinerant preacher and missionary to villages within and outside Nigeria on soul-winning missions. The main lesson I’ve learned is not to judge anyone. Part of the challenges we face today is the judgment and criticism of fellow ministers. Ironically, some of the condemned pastors we have witnessed had some mighty actions that we never believed possible. The second lesson is not to look down on anyone. Anyone can rise from obscurity. You may see a minister just starting out, and you might look down on him while God is busy processing him unto greatness. That’s why I don’t look down on or judge anyone, no matter how grave their misconduct, because that person you are judging might rise again when God pours His anointing on him afresh, and he starts doing the impossible, you will regret it. Therefore, we should shun condemning one another.
Regarding pastors and social media judgments and attacks, how do you feel when you read people abusing or condemning pastors on social media platforms?
Firstly, I don’t feel bad because I personally have a thick skin against criticism. I’m never moved by social media attacks on pastors. I’m not affected because those who criticize pastors are ultimately directing their critiques at Jesus. So, how do you think Jesus felt? For instance, some said his power came from the devil, yet Jesus moved on to the next place and continued His work. Therefore, I don’t feel bad. I perceive that the devil loves darkness more than light and uses his disciples to fight against the light. Anyone fighting the gospel and criticizing pastors is likely being used by the devil. If you are truly grounded in the things of God, you would not criticize pastors or men of God and churches. The Church cannot be perfect because there are human beings involved. That is akin to saying that a hospital should be perfect. People die in hospitals, and doctors make mistakes. So, why don’t people go on social media to criticize doctors for their mistakes? Why don’t they demand that doctors be stripped of their licenses? They do not do that. Politicians, from the day I was born until now, have not been brought to justice. Consider an airplane crash; the pilot continues to fly. So, why is it that pastors are treated differently? This is because they carry the gospel, the light, and the devil is angry about it. Thus, the devil engineers people to work with him to destabilize the Church so that people will not believe in the gospel or in the pastors anymore. Secondly, I believe there’s a phenomenon called transferred aggression. Nigerians know who to fight but refrain from doing so out of fear for their lives. Instead, they transfer their aggression onto pastors, which is the wrong outlet for their anger. This is merely a transfer of aggression regarding the government starting on January 1, 2026; they will begin taxing everyone. No one seems to be discussing that, but they are critical of tithe collection by churches. Tithe giving is voluntary; no one is forcing you to give. If you choose not to give, there is no harm in that. However, the tax being introduced is compulsory. So, for what will this tax be collected? For which roads? For which electricity supply? No one is addressing this issue. Hence, they will transfer their aggression about this issue onto churches. Lastly, ofcourse some of our pastors need to be held accountable and disciplined. I appreciate some fathers in the faith who rally around wounded soldiers of Christ for restoration on the battlefields. I see some ignoramuses condemning Papa Mathew Ashimolowo and Bishop David Abioye over Pastor Chris Okafor’s matters. I celebrate these two fathers for not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. For crying out loud, Papa Ashimolowo is not poor to seek the restoration of a wounded soldier of Christ for financial benefits. What the fathers see while sitting, the younger ministers will never see climbing the iroko tree. These fathers see beyond the misconducts of fellow ministers for the restoration and perfection of the saints. Therefore, the members of the body of Christ should always exercise restraint in condemning one another in public spaces, particularly on social media platforms, based on public opinions. Currently, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor is also being attacked and condemned by some section of the public, unfortunately including some fellow ministers over the issue of mantle and $5,000. Most of these critics may not know the details of what transpired at the programme before jumbing into conclusion of condemnation and criticism of the reverred servant of God. Papa Ayo that I know too well will never do anything without the instruction, direction or leading of the Holy Spirit. The things of the spirit are naturally incomprehensible to strangers and alliens to the spirit. It is only the deep that calleth to the deep in matters of the leading of the Holy Spirit. When people don’t understand the things or the acts of the Holy spirit, they should not resort to criticising or condemning the acts they do not understand. It is more worrisome when ministers of the gospel who should normally know better join the fray of condemnation. Jesus called us to the ministry of reconciliation, not to the ministry of condemnation.
