A Nigerian pastor has announced his departure from Christianity, revealing that he has become a Babalawo and now practises Ìṣẹ̀ṣe.
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Pastor Olabanjo Felix Gold says he has left Christianity and embraced Ìṣẹ̀ṣe.
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The former cleric revealed that he is now known as Ifawamiri Aworan Olodumare, a Babalawo.
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He sparked reactions after declaring that “all these foreign religions are lies” and that Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is the real deal.
Pastor Olabanjo Felix Gold, founder of the Image of God Evangelical and Prophetic Ministries in Ondo State, has announced his departure from Christianity, revealing in a video shared online that he has fully embraced Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, the traditional Yoruba spiritual practice centred on Ifa worship.
In the video posted on Thursday, the former cleric introduced himself under a new spiritual identity, declaring he now goes by Ifawamiri Aworan Olodumare and holds the title of Babalawo, a high priest of Ifá. “I am Pastor Olabanjo Felix Gold, who was formerly the founder of Image of God Evangelical Ministries before, but who is now Ifawamiri Aworan Olodumare, Babalawo of Ifá,” he said.
Olabanjo described the shift as the outcome of a personal spiritual journey that ultimately led him away from Christianity and toward what he called his cultural roots.
Throughout the video, he expressed deep gratitude to those he credited with guiding him through the transition, particularly his Oluwo, Baba Aifuwapẹ, Oluṣẹgun Latunji, whom he identified as the Araba of Isararemọ. “I want to use this time to thank my father, my Oluwo, my father, Aifuwapẹ, Oluṣẹgun Latunji, who is the Araba of Isararemọ,” he said.
He also thanked members of his former congregation who, according to him, stood by him throughout the process, before delivering a pointed message dismissing the faith he once preached. “I want to tell you that all these foreign religions are lies and Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is the real deal,” he said.
The video quickly went viral, drawing a wave of reactions from Nigerians online, many of whom questioned the sincerity of his years in ministry, while others defended his right to follow his own spiritual conviction. Some pushed back sharply, writing that Jesus Christ remains “the only way, the truth and the life,” regardless of Olabanjo’s new stance.
The development echoes an earlier revelation from Nigerian singer 9ice, who disclosed that he had secretly practised as a babalawo for more than 18 years before speaking publicly about it, citing a desire to keep his personal beliefs private for as long as possible.
As of publication, Olabanjo has not issued any further public statement beyond the video, and it remains unclear whether members of his former congregation plan to respond formally to his departure.
