Odesola JF., PhD
There are some things one reads on social media that leave one not just disappointed but genuinely saddened. Recently, I came across the comments of a young man who appeared to take delight in dishonouring elderly men of God who have spent decades serving the Lord. I read his words and could not help asking myself: What has happened to our generation?
When did dishonouring men who were already preaching the Gospel, praying for souls, building churches, and labouring in God’s vineyard before some of us were even born become a profession?
When did criticism become a ministry? When did disagreement become a licence to insult? And what exactly are we teaching the young people coming behind us?
Some have even declared, “I would rather go to hell than make Pastor E. A. Adeboye my pastor.”
Really? Is that where we have arrived?
I found myself wondering whether we have become so carried away by the freedom social media gives us that we have forgotten the simple values of respect, gratitude, and human decency.
Let me be clear: I am not saying that men of God are perfect. They are not. They are human beings, just like the rest of us. They can make mistakes, and their teachings, decisions, and conduct should be open to proper examination and accountability.
But surely, there is a difference between correcting a man and humiliating him; between disagreeing with a pastor and deliberately ridiculing him; between standing for biblical truth and making another person’s embarrassment the foundation of one’s ministry.
Criticism is not automatically ministry. Mockery is not spiritual maturity. And dishonouring God’s servants is certainly not a gift of the Holy Spirit.
We need to pause and ask ourselves what kind of Christianity we are practising and what kind of legacy we are leaving behind.
THE BIBLE HAS NOT CANCELLED THE CULTURE OF HONOUR
The Bible says in Leviticus 19:32:
“Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”
I particularly love the connection between honouring the elderly and fearing God. It reminds us that respect is not merely a cultural tradition; it is also a spiritual responsibility.
Again, 1 Timothy 5:1 says:
“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren.”
Notice that Scripture does not say an elder must never be corrected. It simply teaches us to approach him with the consideration we would give our own father.
Think about that for a moment.
If your biological father makes a mistake, do you immediately take to social media to ridicule him? Do you turn his shortcomings into entertainment for strangers? Or do you find a respectful way to express your concerns?
Why should our spiritual fathers be treated with less dignity?
Hebrews 13:7 also instructs us to remember those who have spoken the Word of God to us and to consider the outcome of their conduct.
The Bible encourages discernment, but it does not encourage contempt.
We can disagree with a father without insulting him. We can question a teaching without mocking the teacher. We can hold a different conviction without turning an elderly servant of God into content for our social-media pages.
PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE: A LIFE OF SERVICE THAT DESERVES RECOGNITION
When I think about Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I cannot help reflecting on the years of labour, sacrifice, and commitment associated with his ministry.
He joined RCCG in 1973, served as an interpreter to the church’s founder, Reverend Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, and became General Overseer in 1981. Under his leadership, RCCG expanded from a relatively small Nigerian church into an international Christian movement.
Today, RCCG has congregations across numerous countries, with a significant presence in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other parts of the world.
Consider the monthly Holy Ghost Service, the annual Holy Ghost Congress, the church’s conventions, missionary activities, and discipleship programmes. These gatherings have provided opportunities for worship, evangelism, prayer, and spiritual development for millions of people over the years.
His Open Heavens devotional has also become a familiar part of the daily spiritual lives of many Christians, with editions distributed internationally.
Beyond the pulpit, RCCG has undertaken humanitarian and social initiatives, including support for distressed Nigerians requiring evacuation from South Africa and healthcare developments through Redeemer’s Health Village.
These are institutional achievements associated with the church under his leadership, and they represent years of collective effort by pastors, members, missionaries, and volunteers.
Now, does all this mean Pastor Adeboye is above correction? Absolutely not.
Does it mean every Christian must belong to RCCG? Of course not.
But should we pretend that decades of evangelism, church development, missionary work, and spiritual investment count for nothing simply because we disagree with a particular teaching or decision?
I do not think so.
One may choose another pastor, another denomination, or another expression of Christian worship. That is perfectly understandable.
But to publicly declare that one would rather go to hell than have an elderly servant of God as one’s pastor is a statement that deserves serious reflection.
We must not allow our disagreements to rob us of our sense of gratitude.
PASTOR W. F. KUMUYI: THE POWER OF A SMALL BEGINNING
Then there is Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, another father in the Christian faith whose life tells a remarkable story of dedication.
In 1973, while working as a mathematics lecturer at the University of Lagos, he began a Bible study group with about fifteen students who desired a deeper understanding of God’s Word. That small gathering eventually developed into Deeper Life Bible Church, formally established in the early 1980s.
Fifteen students!
Sometimes, we forget that some of the ministries we see today began with very little. No grand auditorium. No impressive stage. No social-media following. Just a man, a Bible, a burden for souls, and a few people hungry for God’s Word.
Over the decades, Deeper Life has expanded internationally, becoming known for systematic Bible teaching, evangelism, discipleship, and an emphasis on holy living.
Think of the many people who have sat under his teaching, the pastors who have been trained, the churches established, and the believers who have been encouraged to take their Christian walk seriously.
One may not agree with every aspect of his theology or ministry approach. That is understandable.
But surely, we can acknowledge the labour of a man who has spent decades teaching the Scriptures and building a Christian movement.
The fact that we are younger does not mean we must be dismissive of those who came before us.
Sometimes, the most powerful lesson a younger minister can learn from an older one is not necessarily how to preach, but how to remain committed to an assignment over many years.
THEY ARE NOT GOD, AND HONOURING THEM IS NOT IDOLISING THEM
I have heard people say, “They are not God.”
Of course, they are not God! Nobody is suggesting otherwise.
Pastor Adeboye is not God. Pastor Kumuyi is not God. No pastor, bishop, apostle, prophet, or general overseer should ever take the place of Jesus Christ.
They are human beings who will give an account of their stewardship before God.
But the fact that someone is not God does not mean we should treat him without respect.
Our fathers are not God either, yet the Bible commands us to honour them.
Honour does not mean blind loyalty. It does not mean accepting everything a person says without examination. It does not mean protecting wrongdoing or silencing people who have suffered abuse.
Where there is misconduct, there must be accountability. Where there is false teaching, there must be biblical correction. Where people have been hurt, their voices must be heard.
But even in addressing serious matters, we must remember that the goal of Christian correction should be truth, justice, and restoration—not public humiliation for entertainment.
Galatians 6:1 says:
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
I particularly love the expression, “in the spirit of meekness.”
It reminds me that the way we handle another person’s weakness says something about our own spiritual condition.
WHEN DID SOCIAL-MEDIA CRITICISM BECOME A CALLING?
One of the things that concerns me about our generation is how easily social-media popularity can be mistaken for spiritual authority.
A young man makes a provocative statement about a respected pastor. The video attracts attention. People argue. Followers increase. Another controversial statement follows.
Before long, the person becomes known more for criticising established ministers than for the souls he has won, the lives he has transformed, or the people he has helped.
I sometimes wonder: Is this really what the Lord has called us to do?
Where are the souls being won? Where are the broken being restored? Where are the hungry being fed? Where are the young believers being discipled?
I am not suggesting that every online critic has wrong motives. Some raise genuine concerns, and the Church must be willing to listen. But we must be honest enough to recognise that controversy can attract attention without necessarily producing spiritual growth.
Ephesians 4:29 says:
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Our words should build, not needlessly destroy.
Truth does not require cruelty. Correction does not require ridicule. And being bold does not mean being rude.
A person can speak firmly and still be gracious.
WHAT ARE WE TEACHING THE GENERATION COMING BEHIND US?
This is where my concern becomes even deeper.
Our young people are watching us. They are learning from the way we speak about one another, the way we handle disagreements, and the way we treat people who are older than us.
If all they see is one Christian insulting another, one minister mocking another, and one generation constantly tearing down the previous generation, what kind of Church are we preparing for the future?
Are we teaching them that respect is weakness?
Are we teaching them that the easiest way to establish a ministry is to attack somebody else’s ministry?
Are we teaching them that one can speak carelessly about an elderly person simply because that person is no longer young, fashionable, or popular?
The Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12:
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Timothy was young, but Paul did not instruct him to establish his relevance by ridiculing older believers. He told him to become an example.
That is the kind of young ministers we need today.
Young men and women who can preach sound doctrine, win souls, establish ministries, serve their communities, and demonstrate the character of Christ without feeling the need to pull down another person to rise.
You do not have to dishonour a father to prove that God has called you.
Your calling is not diminished because someone else has served before you.
LET US NOT FORGET WHO LABOURED BEFORE US
Sometimes, I wish we could all sit quietly for a moment and reflect on the history of the Church.
Think about the missionaries who travelled through difficult terrain to preach the Gospel. Think about the pastors who began churches in small rooms, under trees, and in difficult communities. Think about those who prayed through the night, trained young ministers, raised funds, and sacrificed personal comfort for the sake of the Gospel.
Some of these people never had cameras following them. They never had thousands of social-media followers. Their names may never appear in newspapers.
Yet, through their labour, many of us found places of worship, spiritual mentors, Christian communities, and opportunities to grow in faith.
The work we enjoy today did not begin with us.
And that is why I believe we must approach the contributions of our fathers with humility.
Not every older minister has been faithful, just as not every younger minister is disrespectful. We must assess people individually and honestly.
But we should never allow the mistakes of some to become an excuse for despising everyone who came before us.
ONE DAY, WE TOO WILL BECOME THE OLDER GENERATION
There is something else I think about whenever I see young people publicly humiliating elderly men of God.
One day, we too will grow old.
Our voices may become weaker. Our steps may become slower. Our faces may carry the evidence of years of service, sacrifice, and experience.
And a younger generation will emerge, full of energy, ideas, confidence, and perhaps its own disagreements with the way we have done things.
What kind of treatment would we want from them?
Would we want them to examine our teachings fairly? Certainly.
Would we want them to hold us accountable where necessary? Absolutely.
But would we want them to reduce our entire lives to a few mistakes, mock our years of service, and make our humiliation a source of entertainment?
I believe the answer is obvious.
Matthew 7:12 reminds us:
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
The respect we desire tomorrow must be reflected in the way we treat people today.
CONCLUSION: MAY WE NEVER LOSE THE MINISTRY OF HONOUR
My dear young ministers, brothers, and sisters, let us not confuse the freedom to speak with the wisdom to speak.
Let us not mistake criticism for a calling or controversy for spiritual impact.
Let us honour Pastor E. A. Adeboye for the decades of service, evangelism, missionary work, and church development associated with his leadership.
Let us honour Pastor W. F. Kumuyi for his decades of Bible teaching, discipleship, evangelism, and commitment to Christian living.
Let us also remember the many other fathers and mothers of faith whose sacrifices have strengthened the Church across generations.
We do not have to agree with everything they say. We do not have to belong to their denominations. We do not have to defend every decision they make.
But we must not allow disagreement to destroy our gratitude, and we must not allow criticism to rob us of Christian character.
They are not God, and honouring them is not idolising them. It is simply recognising that God’s work did not begin with us.
I pray that our generation will be remembered not merely for the things we criticised but for the lives we touched, the souls we won, the churches we strengthened, and the godly examples we left behind.
And when our time comes to hand over the baton, may the generation coming after us inherit a culture where truth is spoken boldly, accountability is pursued faithfully, and honour is never mistaken for weakness.
Lord, teach us how to honour without idolising, discern without despising, correct without condemning, and disagree without dishonouring.
May we never become so passionate about defending the truth that we forget to demonstrate the character of Christ.
