The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has debunked circulating claims that it barred a Nigerian cleric, Isaac Omolehin, from preaching outside the country.
The controversy began after reports emerged alleging that some foreign churches, including those in Canada and South Africa, had denied Omolehin access to their pulpits based on supposed directives from the PFN.
PFN’s National Publicity Secretary, Sylvanus Ukafia, in a statement released to journalists on Wednesday in Calabar, said it became necessary to address the issue following persistent claims that the fellowship was behind the decisions of some churches abroad.
Ukafia said the PFN became aware of allegations that a church in Canada stopped the cleric from preaching upon arrival, while another church in Cape Town allegedly received similar instructions but chose to ignore them.
According to him, the allegations were not only false but contrary to the core mandate of the PFN.
“The PFN wishes to state clearly and unequivocally as follows: PFN issued no such directives at any time in Canada, Cape Town, Nigeria, or anywhere else in the world,” he said.
He added that the fellowship, whether formally or informally, never instructed any church or minister to prevent Omolehin or any other preacher from sharing the Gospel.
Ukafia stressed that the PFN’s foundational mission is to take the Gospel “to the farthest and furthest ends of the earth,” and that silencing preachers has never been part of its practice or values.
While suggesting that Omolehin may have been misinformed or misled, PFN urged him to provide verifiable proof of such claims in the interest of truth and fairness.
“We urge churches in Nigeria, Canada, Cape Town, and across the world to keep their pulpits open to sincere, well-intentioned ministers of the Gospel, promote unity in the Body of Christ, and continue advancing the message of salvation,” the statement added.
