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A popular Nigerian pastor, Dr. Paul Eneche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, is currently under heavy criticisms from Nigerians for rebuking a woman named Vera Anyim in church on Sunday, April 14.
In a video from Dunamis International Gospel Centre that many Nigerians have seen, Anyim was on the altar of the church saying she graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria in law and that she is the only graduate in her family because God helped her.
But Pastor Enenche was not convinced her story was real because she was not speaking good English, and he asked her more questions.
When he asked what kind of law degree she got, she said “Law.” Then he asked what type of law degree, and she said “B.Sc in Law.” The pastor did not believe her answers, so he told her to leave and warned everyone not to lie about their testimonies.
While some people on social media are defending the woman, and others criticising what the pastor did, here are my takes on this issue:
In this situation, Pastor Enenche could be you or me
Well, I think saying sorry is a noble idea, but we should think about some things. If the pastor had been more understanding when she shared her testimony, maybe we would not need to ask for an apology.
And those asking for the pastor to say sorry might be the same ones pointing out if the testimony turned out to be untrue. People would say, “How can a pastor not know there’s no BSc in law?” They would make fun of his church and Christians in general.
I think this is why Pastor Enenche interrupted her. He did not want lies in the church. Some people share fake testimonies to make God seem more powerful. The pastor did not want that, so he considered it necessary to stop her.
But where he went wrong is that he did not think about how excited people get when they share their testimonies, and how his authority might scare them, making it tough for them to disagree with him even if he is mistaken.
Pastors are humans, too, and have emotions
It is easy to overlook the fact that pastors are human too, prone to mistakes and subject to emotions just like the rest of us. This recent incident serves as a reminder of that truth.
In some churches, there is a tendency to vet testimonies before they are shared, or even coach individuals on what to say. While this may stem from good intentions, it can sometimes lead to situations like this one, where authenticity is called into question.
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However, amidst the confusion, there may be a purpose at play—a divine orchestration that brings certain individuals to light for blessings or recognition. It is a reminder that God’s ways are often beyond our comprehension.
Moving forward, it is crucial to approach a situation like this with empathy and understanding. By now, it is expected that Pastor Enenche would have acknowledged his mistake, and should offer public apology, and offer prayers for the woman involved. It is an opportunity for growth and reconciliation within the Christian community.
Ultimately, we are all imperfect beings, navigating through life with our own biases and vulnerabilities. It’s important never to lose sight of our shared humanity in moments like these.
But aren’t lawyers or law graduates expected to speak and write better English?
However, it is not surprising that many other people have continued to question the legitimacy of her law degree due to the expectations of language skills for a law graduate.
The pastor may have expected better English from someone with a law degree, which led to questioning her qualification. This questioning revealed that she had a BSc instead of the expected LLB. Now that it is known she truly earned a law degree from NOUN, and there was an error on the university’s website, some are calling for the pastor to publicly apologize to her.
When I first saw the video, I was appalled at how poorly the lady spoke. I expect lawyers to speak well, but it becomes uncalled for if and when they do not. I feel there is no solid justification for inability of lawyers or law graduates to speak good English.
So, if people are still unsure about whether Ms. Anyim’s law degree is real, it is okay to question it. This makes us think about how good education is in some universities
How do students graduate from university without being good at English, both speaking and writing? This is not just about language; it is also about how well students are taught, even if they are learning in local languages.
